Transcript Day-24

Astronomy 1010-H
Planetary Astronomy
Fall_2015
Day-24
Course Announcements
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How is the sunset/sunrise observing going?
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SW-chapter 6 posted: due Fri. Oct. 23
SW-chapter 7 posted: due Fri. Oct. 30
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PRS proposal writing workshop:
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Thur, 10/22/2015 - 1 – 2 p.m.
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Location: MUC 303
 Airborne observatories: raise the telescope
above clouds and water vapor (infrared
astronomy).
 Satellites in orbit: detect wavelengths that the
atmosphere blocks (ultraviolet and X-rays).
 Can produce very sharp images (e.g., the
Hubble Space Telescope).
That Darned Atmosphere
Astronomers use different instruments to look at light
of different wavelengths - sometimes, we even have to
go above Earth’s atmosphere.
Lecture Tutorial: Telescopes &
Earth’s Atmosphere: pg. 51
• Work with a partner!
• Read the instructions and questions carefully.
• Discuss the concepts and your answers with
one another. Take time to understand it
now!!!!
• Come to a consensus answer you both agree
on.
• If you get stuck or are not sure of your answer,
ask another group.
Concept Quiz—Mountain
Telescopes
Why do astronomers build telescopes on mountains?
A. to be closer to the objects they are observing
B. to minimize the effects of the atmosphere
C. to observe wavelengths such as X-rays or ultraviolet
light
Concept Quiz—Telescopes
Pick the incorrect answer: Why build telescopes on
the ground when we can launch them into space?
A. Ground-based telescopes are useful for studying visible
and infrared light.
B. Ground-based telescopes get much higher resolution.
C. They are far cheaper to build and fix than space-based
telescopes.
 Spacecraft have visited or flown by all the
classical planets.
 Flybys and orbiters observe from afar.
 Landers, rovers, and atmospheric probes
are more direct, and some can return samples.
 Particle colliders probe physics of protons,
neutrons, neutrinos, and atomic nuclei.
 Can help astronomers understand the early
universe and structure formation.
 In a few cases, astronomers capture
things other than light:
• Neutrinos—light subatomic particles that are
extremely difficult to detect.
• Gravitational waves—distortions in
spacetime predicted by relativity.
 Computers are essential for astronomy.
 Help in data analysis.
 Simulations and models help to investigate
complex situations.
 A microwave telescope provided more
evidence for the Big Bang, revealing the
presence of the cosmic microwave
background radiation (CMB).
PROCESS OF SCIENCE
 Technology and
science are
symbiotic.
 New technological
advances lead to
new methods of
scientific observation
and experimentation.
 New scientific
discoveries spur
improvements in
instrumentation.