Descriptive Astronomy I

• Explorations: An Introduction to Astronomy, by Arney
• Abel's Exploration of the Universe, 7^th edition, by Morrison, Wolff and Fraknoi
• The Physical Universe: An Introduction to Astronomy, by Shu

The notes are organized by topic and subtopic. Each topic resides in it's own file, with subtopics denoted within each topical file.

Syllibus
Review Sheet for Exam 1
Review Sheet for Exam 2
Review Sheet for Exam 3

1. Introduction
• Scientific Method
• Astronomy and Physics
• Scale
2. Celestial Sphere
• Constellations
• Celestial Measurements
3. Earliest Astronomy
• Babylonian Astronomy
4. Greek Astronomy
• Aristotle
• Aristarchus
• Eratosthenes
• Hipparchus
• Ptolemy
• Geocentric Cosmology
5. Middle Ages
6. Copernicus
• Heliocentric Cosmology
• Planetary Positions
• Sidereal and Synodic Period
• Copernican vs. Ptolemeic Model
• Aberration of Starlight
7. Brahe and Kepler
• Tycho Brahe
• Kepler
• Conic Sections
• Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion
• Keplerian vs Ptolemeic Model
8. Galileo
• Contributions to Mechanics
• Contributions to Astronomy
• Galileo's Observations
• Galileo and the Church
• Dialog on the Two Great World Systems
9. Physics
• Aristotelian Motion
• Galilean Motion
• Velocity, Speed and Acceleration
• Galileo's Law of Inertia
10. Newton
• Newton's First Law of Motion
• Newton's Second Law of Motion
• Calculus
• Newton's Third Law of Motion
• Law of Gravitation
• Orbits
11. The Earth
• The Age of the Earth
• Radioactivity
• Earth's Interior
• Compositional Layering
• Physical Layering
• Plate Tectonics
• Mechanisms of Surface Change
• The Earth's Magnetic Field
• Earth's Atmosphere
12. The Moon
• Maria
• The Moon's Interior
• The Moon's Orbit
• The Moon's Origin
• Eclipses
• Solar Eclipses
• Description of an Eclipse
• Tides
• Tidal Braking
• Precession
13. The Planets
• Planetary Differences
• Moons, Asteroids and Comets
• Planetary Composition
• Origins of the Solar System
• The Solar Nebula
• Formation of Planets
14. Mercury
• Mercury's Atmosphere
• Mercury's Rotation
15. Venus
• Venus' Atmosphere
• Greenhouse Effect
• Greenhouse on Venus
• Venus' Surface
• Surface Structure
• Venus' Orbit
16. Mars
• Mars' Surface
• Surface Features
• Mars' Atmosphere
• Water on Mars
• Fate of the Martian Atmosphere
• Mars' Interior
• Martian Life
17. Asteroids
• Composition of the Asteroids
18. Jupiter
• Jupiter's Interior
• Motion of Jupiter's Clouds
• Jupiter's Moons
• Io
• Europa
• Ganymede and Callisto
19. Saturn
• Saturn's Rings
• Gaps in the Rings
• Saturn's Moons
20. Uranus
• Uranus' Rings and Moons
• Uranus' Axial Tilt
21. Neptune
• Structure of Neptune
• Neptune's Rings and Moons
22. Pluto
23. Comets
• Oort Cloud
• Solar Radiation and Comets

Last updated: Nov. 19, 1997.