Astronomy 14
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Complete list of Terms and Definitions for Astronomy 14

Terms Definitions
focal-length ...
active regions ...
Smallest planet Pluto
stage 10 helium fusion
radio waves longest-wavelength light
Astronomy law of the stars
no Is pluto a Planet?
88 number of official constellations defined in 1888, mapmakers invented new constellations to add to the classical 48, (up to 150, so they narrowed it down, was mix of classical, biblical, and modern themes)
Radiation transparent energy transported to surface by radiation
ultraviolet light with wavelengths somewhat shorter than blue light
venus moons venus has no moons
Ophiuchus One of the Zodiacal constellations
Constellation an arrangement of parts or elements
Direct Detection Visually seeing, photographing, or taking spectral data of extrasolar planets.
ellipse elongated, closed curve that describes Earth's yearlong orbit around the Sun
Kepler ignored by Galileo, elliptical orbits, tides effected by moon's pull on the earth
synthetic a compound made artificially by chemical reactions
eratosthenes measured the size of the earth
Wein's Law Applies to continuous emission spectrum
chromosphere "Sphere of color" Only visible during a total solar eclipse Gases are ionized The temp in this region increases away from the sun
The most favorable environment for stellar formation is given by hot and bright nebulae False
The most favorable environment for stellar formation is given by hot and bright nebulae True/False
Jovian Planets gaseous, larger, lower density and farther from the sun
Radio telescope collects and records radio waves travelling through space; can be used day or night under most weather conditions
Which astronomer figured out that the planets traveled around the Sun in elliptical orbits? Kepler
Third From Kepler's ____ law, we conclude that Mars completes a full orbit faster than Pluto.
velocity tells of an object's speed and direction
theories that unify the electromagnetic, weak, and strong forces at extremely high energies grand unified theories
universe the totality of known or supposed objects and phenomena throughout space
where higher density material in earth is found core
solar system the Sun, planets, their satellites, asteroids, comets, and related objects that orbit the Sun.
revolution when a planet completes an orbit around another object
layer of atmosphere ozone is located in troposphere
North Pole The location in the Northern Hemisphere where Earth's rotation axis intersects the surface of Earth
Titan Saturn's largest moon; larger than the planet Mercury
The ANGLE between an OBJECT and HORIZON: Altitude
Astronomical Unit Measure of energy output per second
The lighter colored region of a sunspot is the ? Penumbra
system a number of heavenly bodies associated and acting together according to certain natural laws
Plato asserted that earth is at the center of the universe and all heavenly objects move in perfect circles
electroweak epoch weak and electromagnetic forces act as one
refracting telescope optical telescope that uses a double convex lens to bend light and form an image at the focal point
crescent skinny, curved phase of the moon we see
black-body radiation a source of radiation with the property that it will absorb completely electromagnetic radiation of any wavelength
winter solstice Shortest day of sunlight for the northern hemisphere
DArk matter matter that does not give off electromagnetic radiation
Hertzsprung-Russell diagram A graph relating the temperature and brightness of stars
Distance the greater the distance between the 2 objects, the less gravitational pull
anti-meridian the portion of a great circle through the celestial poles and the observer's zenith which lies below the horizon
The fusion of atomic nuclei is called Thermonuclear Reaction
Pliney, other writers knew of liquid lenses, spheres filled with water Pre-79 BC
Refractory Materials Material that remains solid at high temperatures
Olympus Mons - Shield Volcano on Mars - Largest mountain in the solar system
Mars pathfinder first mars landing using airbags and remote control rovers
galaxy a huge group of individual stars, star systems, star clusters, dust, and gas bound together by gravity.
Spectroscope a tool used by astronomers that breaks up visible light into its components and shows the emission lines
Celestial sphere An imaginary sphere of very large radius surrounding the Earth and to which the planets, stars, sun and moon SEEM attached
Event Horizon The region around a black hole, within which not even light can escape is called the ______________:
orbit the path of an object as it revolves around another object in space
Partial Lunar Eclipse The Moon passes through some portion of the Earth's shadow (umbra) while the sun, earth, and moon are aligned (you are watching this from the umbra)
Asterism a pattern of stars seen in Earth's sky which is not an official constellation; like constellations, they are composed of stars which, while they are visible in the same general direction, are not physically related
focal plane the place where the image appears in focus
3 FUNCTIONS OF TELESCOPE GATHER LIGHT: MAKES OBJECTS APPEAR BRIGHTER RESOLUTION & MAGNIFY
equinox the two day's of the year on which neither hemisphere is tilted toward or away from the sun
the age estimate of the planets is supported by computer simulations/modeling
gamma, x-ray, ultraviolet, visible, infrared, microwave, radio wavelengths - shortest to longest
light year the distance that light travels in one year
What is the brightest comet known to men? Haleys comet.
Why does the Earth keep rotating on its axis and around the sun? angular momentum
lunar eclipse the blocking of sunlight to the moon that occurs when Earth is directly between the sun and the moon
what lies in the outer edges of the solar system X
barred spiral galaxy A spiral galaxy with an elongated nucleus resembling a bar from which the arms originate. (p. 284)
sedimentary of, pertaining to, or of the nature of sediment.
Define: Celestrial Equator Imaginary circle that lies in the same plane as the Earth's equator. It is inclined by 23.4 degrees with respect to the ecliptic plane.
Meteors are streaks of _____ across the sky cause by a _____ entering the Earth's upper atmosphere and _____ in the process. light, meteor, burning. (shooting/falling stars... 5/6 per hour usually visible across the sky)
what are circumpolar stars stars that never dip below the horizon
Hertzsprung-Russell (H-R) diagram a plot of the absolute magnitude or luminosity of stars versus their surface temperatures or spectral classes.
Which of the following is not the Sun's major energy source at present but has been in the past and will supply some energy in the future? gravitational potential energy
Bohr Model a model of the atom, proposed by Niels Bohr in 1913, in which a small positively charged nucleus is surrounded by orbiting electrons, similar to a miniature solar system
nuclear fusion 4 hydrogen fuse to become 1 helium in earth's core
A jar filled with hydrogen and helium is placed directly in front of a second jar filed with air. Using a spectroscope to look at the jar containing air through the one containing H and He you observe dark spectral lines. The jar closer to you contains D. cooler gases
A jar filled with hydrogen and helium is placed directly in front of a second jar filed with air. Using a spectroscope to look at the jar containing air through the one containing H and He you observe dark spectral lines. The jar closer to you contains A. opaque gases B. gases at higher pressure and temperature. C. hotter gases D. cooler gases E. gases at higher pressure
stage 2 of a stars life is protostar-gravity pulls the particals of hydrogen and dust from a cloud
cosmic ray exposure age the length of time that has passed since a meteorite broke off from a larger body and became exposed to radiation damage from cosmic rays
when the impact of asteroids and meteors on a planet's surface How does a crater form?
tropic of cancer The sun is over head at the summer solstice.
What is eccentricity, and how does the eccentricity of Mercury compare to that of Venus? Orbit's eccentricity, is an important parameter of the orbit that defines its absolute shape. Eccentricity may be interpreted as a measure of how much this shape deviates from a circle. Mercury is most eliptical than Venus (least) because it is the smallest planet.
The summer solstice is related to which of the terms listed below? Tilt of the Earths rotation axis
What causes Neutron stars and its three predicted properties Hot surface, Rapid Spin, Powerful Magnetic Field.
What is a variable star? stars that have a change in brightness over time
What causes the Earth's tidal bulges to "lead" the Moon in its orbit? Describe this and be able to draw a simple diagram explaining this effect. How and why does this affect the rotation speed of the Earth over time? Friction between the Earth and tidal bulges pulls the tidal bulges forward, "leading" the moon. This friction is actually causing the Earth's rotation to slow by a small fraction.
objects in orbit around the earth (or any celestial body) are always... falling towards Earth under the influence of gravity
Since the Sun is not in a binary star system, it is very unlikely that the remains of the sun after it dies could produce a type I supernova (carbon detonation)
Spectral Classes of Stars (4 of them) 1.) All stars of a given temperature should have similar spectra 2.) The spectral sequence is a temperature sequence 3.) From hottest to coolest, the sequence is OBAFGKM 4.) Each spectral class is further subdivided in 10 subclasses; our Sun is a G2 star with a surface temperature of around 5800 K
put the stars in order from biggest to smallest: blue star, red giant, white star, red orange red giant, red orange, yellow, white, blue
how the earth's interior structure is determined using earthquakes Once the location and exact time of an earthquake is known from local reports, the time of arrival of the P- and S-waves, and the delay between them, tells us about the density and composition at various depths throughout the mantle.
planets mercury,venus,earth,mars,jupiter,satern,uranus,and neptune are what in our solar system
wrote almagest ptolemy
Ellipse- An oval.
Apollo Go to Moon
Mars has seasons, like Earth
Would Jupiter float? - no
Trough Bottom of the wave
Moon's position closest to Earth Perigee
bottom axis of HR diagram temperature
Magnitude scale Negative numbers are brighter
Element created in fusion reaction Helium
Jupiter Unusual motion: Fast Differential rotation Rotates in about 10 hours density = 1330kg/m3 Interior - rocky core, metallic hydrogen (currents here produce the magnetic field) INCREDIBLY HIGH PRESSURE HERE BECAUSE HYDROGEN HAS TO TAKE ON THE CHARACTERISTICS OF METAL Galilean satellite closest to Jupiter -Io- has sulfuric volcanoes? 'surface' (actually the upper cloud layers) - The fast rotation causes the clouds to form bands around the planet. Other features of the cloud layers - typical colors are bright yellow, orange and red the great red spot - a 'hurricane' on Jupiter that is stable and always present Jupiters radius is about 11 times earths radius
Age of the Universe 13.7 billion years
umbra the central, completely dark portion of a shadow.
Quasar mirages Binary (or double) quasar Einstein cross
meteoroid a relatively small,rocky body that travels through space
seasons tilt on earths axis causes what?
Asteroid rocky and metallic object that revolves around the Sun but is too small to be called a planet
gravity the attractive force between two objects
how many moons does saturn have 33
Harrison , Carpenter, clockmaker and inventor of the Marine Chronometer and solver of the "Longitude Problem". He is responsible for modern accurate timekeeping and made it possible for ships to accurately calculate their positions on the open sea. He is credited with inventing jewel bearings, roller bearings, bi-metallic strips for temperature compensation, the grasshopper escapement and the gridiron pendulum.
fall equinox around september 22, marks the opposite change when the northern hemisphere first starts to be tipped away from the sun
how old is our star (sun) 5 billion
inferior conjunction the configuration when mercury or venus is directly between the sun and the earth
Saturn's discovery came from it being _______ from Earth. visible
The main underlying physical cause for the differences for the differences seen in the stars of the same cluster is their Mass
proton-proton reaction process through which hydrogen is converted to helium : 4x1h -> 1x4he + energy
electromagnetic spectrum the entire frequency range of electromagnetic waves
azimuth The angular distance along the horizon measured clockwise from the north toward perpendicular to the horizon.
Polar Orbit The satellite orbit is perpendicular to the earth's rotation allowing it to see the whole earth; in time.
Non-Thermal Synchrotron Radiation Radiation from an active galaxy -Output peaks at radio frequencies
Blue Shift Absorption lines moving towards the violet end of the spectrum.
farthest approach of the moon from earth apogee
all stars that become supernovae will leave behind a neutron star false
full moon phase at which lunar eclipse occurs
supernova a huge explosion marking the final stages of stellar evolution
Visible light ROY G BIV Red = longest wavelength Violet = shortest wavelength
Star Usually a large ball of gas held together by gravity that produces tremendous amounts of energy and shines
dipole a pair of equal and oppositely charged or magnetized poles separated by a distance.
neap tide the tide with the least difference between consecutive low and high tides (first and third quarter moon)
elliptical galaxies galaxies that are shaped like large, three-dimensional ellipses; many are football shaped, but others are round; can be small or large
Equinoxes when day and night are identical or equal (end of March spring equinox & end September fall equinox
the splitting of atomic spectral lines in a magnetic field Zeeman splitting
largest nearby cluster of galaxies lies about __________ away in _________ 17 Mpc, Virgo
used 4 farthest distances red shift law (hubbles law)
giant late stage in a star's life cycle where its hydrogen is used up, its core contracts, and its outer layers expand and cool
wavelength number of meters needed for the wave to repeat itself at a given moment in time
true The north and south poles are always cold.
ecliptic line sun's yearly path around the celestial sphere as seen from Earth- intersection of the celestial equator and the ecliptic line
white dwarf A whitish star of high surface temperature and low intrinsic brightness with a mass approximately equal to that of a Sun but with a density many times larger.
Winter solstice- (occurs around December 21) when the Northern Hemisphere is tipped most directly away from the Sun (& the Southern Hemisphere is tipped most directly toward it)
Between Mars and Jupiter. Where is the asteroid belt?
Moon What planet acts as a natural satelite for the Earth?
eclipse when an object in space comes between the sun and another object, and casts a shadow on that object.
circumpolar stars that never rise but make daily counterclockwise circles
Sun Spots dark, cooler areas on the sun, number rises and falls in an 11 year cycle
Milky Way The hazy band of light that circles the sky, produced by the combined light of billions of stars in our Milky Way Galaxy
The mass of a newly formed star will determine its position on the main sequence. T or F True
Spheroidal Population (II) Stars in halo and bulge, roughly spherical, old, small mass, few gas clouds
characteristics of a star stars vary in size, composition, temperature, color, mass and brightness
neutron star a tiny star that remains after a supernova explosion (p114)
launch opportunity the correct date to launch a mission. for mars it is every 26 months, for venus every 19 months
Prostar The material in the center of a nebula that becomes a star.
Gibbous moon More than one half of moon's observed surace illuminated
black hole the final stage of an extremly massive star fifteen times the size of the sun with a gravitational field so intense that not even light can escape.
electromagnetic wave A synonym for light, which consists of waves of electric and magnetic fields
asteroids Chunks of rock which orbit the sun. These range from the size of dust grains up to about 500 miles in diameter. Most lie in a band between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter but they are found everywhere in the solar system.
During what evolutionary phase for a star is there CORE helium burning? A) Main Sequence, B) Horizontal Branch XXX, C) Asymptotic Giant Branch, D) Planetary Nebula B) Horizontal Branch XXX
What does geosynchronous mean? spins at same rate the earth spins
saros cycle an 18-year 11 and a half day period after which the pattern of lunar and solar exlipses repeats.
Copernicus planet distances from sun used elongation angles of planets to determine which orbited nearer and which farther from the sun.
cosmologial red shift the component of a redshift of an object that is due only to the hubbleflow of the universe
apparent retrograde motion The apparent motion of a planet, as viewed from Earth, during the period of a few weeks or months when it moves westward relative to the stars in our sky.
full phase the phase at the Moon at which the bright side of the Moon is the face turned toward the Earth
What are the names of the two additional atomic particles created during fusion Positrons and neutrinos
the sun is stable size b/s forces from these two sources are balanced gravity and h-fusion
Geologic History of the Moon Formed from a collision 4.5 billion years ago, Initially Molten; early period of heavy cratering formed Highlands, Later period with few large impacts formed Maria; geologically dead 3 billion years ago
A technique to measure the distances of galaxies is r____ r_____. r____ waves are transmitted from point A and bounce of point B. The r___ trip time, gives the distance.. radar ranging, radio , round
Constellations appear to move across the sky at night because the Earth spins on its axis
Phases of the Moon What the length of the month is solely based upon.
Known ways to convert matter into energy 1) Matter anti-matter annihilation - nuclear reactions that changes the elements. 2) Nuclear Fission- Splitting a large nucleus into smaller pieces, releases energy.
Newton's 2nd Law of motion 2) A body experiencing a force (F), also experiences an acceleration (a) related to F by F=ma.
At what wavelength(s) do we observe Giant Molecular Clouds & Why? Infrared light can pentrate the thick molecular clouds where new stars are forming
The crab supernova remnant of _____ and when? Of a Supernova explosion observed in 1054 AD by Chinese astronomers
Compare the Spitzer false-color IR images of the two spiral galaxies on p. 631 of the 9th edition (Question 43). The pink emission represents warm dust while the blue represents ner-IR emission from mostly low-mass stars. Why is the warm dust clumpy in th because in (a) the star formation is self-propagating and not triggered by a spiral density wave. Galaxy (a) is a flocculent spiral
slow and in the opposite direction as the other planets. Which of the following best describes the rotation of Venus?
if a star is found with 5 planets orbiting it, which planets would be expected? the one closest to the star
splits it up like the speed of an airplane traveling with the wind what does motion do to soundwave velocity and oscillation periods
Why do we always see the same side of the moon? Moon rotates and revolves at same speed