Transcript Day-4

Astronomy 1010-H
Planetary Astronomy
Fall_2015
Day-4
Cute and Science
Two-Minute Essay
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My name is…
The scientist (living or dead, but real) I
would most like to meet is:
Course Announcements
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Smartworks Chapter 1: Due Fri. (Sep. 4)
Read Chapter 2.1, 2.2
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Next week:
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Dark Night Observing on Tues. 9/8 & Thur. 9/10
Thurs. 9-3: D2Y Meeting; watch for signs.
Tues. 9-1: Volleyball 7pm
Thurs. 9-3: “1st Thursday Art Walk” downtown, 5pm
Sat. 9-5: Football vs Mercer, 4pm; Tailgate at 1pm
Definitions & Terms -1
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Cosmology: The study of the Universe, its beginning and
ultimate fate.
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Constellation: A grouping of stars and everything in
between. They have set boundaries (all N-S, E-W). There
are 88 modern constellations recognized by the IAU.
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Scientific Method: A process for the methodical
investigation of science. To be valid, it MUST be testable,
and falsifiable. This separates science from pseudoscience (or non-science).
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Scientific Notation: A convenient method for writing
large and small numbers.
Lecture-Tutorial:
Sun Size – p. 113
 Work with a partner
 Read the instructions and questions carefully
 Talk to each other and discuss your answers with
each another
 Come to a consensus answer you both agree on
 If you get stuck or are not sure of your answer ask
another group
 If you get really stuck or don’t understand what
the Lecture Tutorial is asking as one of us for help
Colored Card Question:
Where Are We?
The Sun is part of:
A.The Solar System.
B.The Milky Way Galaxy.
C.The universe.
D.All the above.
Science vs. Authority
 Science is subversive.
 Old ideas can be falsified and rejected.
 New ideas must be supported by evidence.
 Authority often works by suppressing
inquiry.
 Scientific authority can be overthrown by
new or better evidence.
 Nature is the arbiter of science. It decides
what ideas are good or bad.
Science Is Creative
 Science is one of many creative human
activities.
 It has its own rules for deciding what is right
and wrong.
 It is an important way for achieving
knowledge and insight.
 There are also other valuable ways to
achieve understanding.
Science Is an Exploration
 Ideas can be tested by observation.
 Telescopes, satellites, etc. extend our
observations to the very large or very distant.
 Space exploration has expanded our view of
planets and the Solar System.
 Astronomy is the science of the exploration of
the Universe and the matter and energy it
contains.
Science Is a Process
 Science is a method for learning about
nature.
 The scientific method works like this:
 Ideas are tested against nature.
 Tests come from observation or
calculation.
 The tests falsify some ideas and support
others.
 All scientific knowledge is provisional.
A Scientific Result:
We Are Stardust
 Our bodies contain many types of atoms.
 Except for the hydrogen in water (H2O), all
the atoms were made in stars.
 Stars generate energy by making heavier
elements out of light ones.
 They eject the material into space.
 New stars and planets (and humans) form
out of the ejected material.
Hallmarks of Modern Science
 1. Modern science seeks explanations for
observed phenomena that rely solely on
natural causes.
 2. Science progresses through the creation
and testing of models of nature that explain
the observations as simply as possible.
 3. A scientific model must make testable
predictions about natural phenomena that
would force us to revise or abandon the
model if the predictions do not agree with
observations.
Modern Science
 The Scientific Method.
 Observations
 Question
 Hypothesis
 Prediction
 Test
 Revise/More
Predictions