Chapter 5
description
Transcript of Chapter 5
Chapter 5
The Earth-Moon System
The Tools of Astronomers
What is Astronomy?
• The branch of science that deals with “what’s up there”.
• The study of the universe• Planets, galaxies, stars
Astronomers• Someone who observes the universe and tries
to explain what was observed.
• Different astronomers study different parts of the universe.
• There are professional (for career) astronomers and amateur (for enjoyment) astronomers.
Why we study astronomy• Mostly for enjoyment• People want to know and learn more about the
universe.• Stars can be beautiful to look at
• Also for benefits• Navigators use their knowledge of a star’s
position to tell direction.
Tools of Astronomy• Eyes • Can be used to observe day and night• Can observe the position of some planets and
stars• Can observe the position of the sun and moon in
the sky• *Do not look directly at the sun, it can harm your
eyes.
• Telescopes• A device that collects light• Makes distant objects appear closer and larger• Most of what we know about the stars and
planets comes from telescopes
• Robots and humans in space• Both have been to the moon• Only robots have been sent to study other planets
Models, Theories, Hypotheses
• Models• They simplify the world so we can understand it
better. • Example: Earth is not exactly a sphere, but we use a
sphere as a model of Earth.
• Theory• A well-tested scientific explanation supported by
evidence• Allows us to make a prediction about a scientific
event or idea.• Example: The theory of gravity explains the past motion
of planets and allows us to predict their future motion.
• Theory (cont.)• The more evidence found through observations,
the more a theory’s certainty increases.• Can never be proven without complete certainty.• Science can only tell what is likely, not what is
certain.• If new evidence does not support a theory, the
theory must be changed
• Hypothesis• A scientific explanation that has not yet been fully
tested.