Astronomy is the scientific study of stars, planets and other things in

space.

What is Astronomy??

How did the universe begin??

There are three main theories of the origin of the universe.

•Big Bang theory

•Steady State theory

•Creation theory

•The universe has always been as it is today

•New matter is always being produced

•The universe is continuously contracting and expanding.

•Billions of years ago the universe was packed in a small space-Primeval Atom

•It explodes and threw matter in all directions

•The explosion caused the formation of the galaxies.

•God created the Heavens and the Earth.

•Adam and Eve

•Religion

The universe is made up of millions of Galaxies.

A galaxy is a swarm of billions of stars, clouds and dust rotating

around a central point.

Our galaxy is called the Milky Way

Our WHOLE solar system is located right

about here

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Stars go through four different stages in their lifetime.

Stars go through four different stages in their lifetime.

The four stages are:

•Yellow Star

•Red Giant

•White Dwarf

•Black Dwarf

•Medium-Hot star. Nuclear reaction occurring

•Our “Star” (sun) is a yellow star.

•As nuclear fuel is used up, star expands and turns red

•Lasts for about 100 million years

•When our sun is a Red Giant, it will expand and swallow up the inner planets—Mercury, Venus, Earth & Mars

•Most of the stars fuel in the outer layers is used up

•Shrinks and collapses (about the size of Earth but heavier)

•Gives off a white light

•Remaining fuel is used up

•Star is dead

Basic Sun Facts•The Sun is 93 million miles away from Earth. (It takes sunlight 8.5 minutes to reach Earth.)

•Surface Temperature: 10,000 degrees (F)

•Core Temp: 22,000,000 degrees

•Corona Temp: 2,000,000 degrees

HOT STUFF!!!

How Big is the Sun???The Sun is HUGE!!!

•Diameter of Sun: 865,000 miles across. 109 Earths would fit across the Sun!!!

•Circumference: 2,700,000 miles around the Sun

*** 1,300,000 Earths would fit inside the Sun! WOW!!WOW!!

The Sun actually moves!

Rotation: The Sun spins around one time every 25 days.

Revolution: The Sun moves around the center of our galaxy one time every 200,000,000 years!

Core

Convection Zone

Photosphere

Prominences

Sunspots

Solar Flares

Chromosphere

Corona

Core: Center of Sun, hottest part. Nuclear fusion takes place

Convection Zone: Full of hot gases. Energy released

Photosphere: Source of sunlight. Visible part of Sun

Prominences: Flame-like gases that travel outward

Sunspots: Darker, cooler areas of Sun

Solar Flares: Streams of charges atoms

Corona: Outer atmosphere

Chromosphere: Gases above the photosphere. Seen only during an eclipse

Chromosphere Prominences

Sun Spots

EARTH

The Earth is tilted on it’s axis 23.5 degrees.

This is why we have seasons.

Illinois

XSUN

We have night and day because our planet is rotating or spinning!

This is showing daytime in IllinoisFYI: This is not to scale!!!

Illinois

XSUN

We have night and day because our planet is rotating or spinning!

This is showing nighttime in IllinoisFYI: This is not to scale!!!

Sun

Earth

This is a little more to scale!!!

•The Moon is the Earths only natural satellite.

•Ancient man feared the moon- Thought it made a person crazy!

•Lunar- From the moon. Lunatic- Crazy person.

•1609, Galileo was the 1st person to fully examine the moon through a telescope.

The Background Info.

•Distance from Earth: 250,000 miles

•Circumference: 7,000 miles

•Diameter: 2,000 miles

** The moon is about a ¼ of the size of Earth.

•Gravitational Pull: 1/6 that of the Earth. Ex) If you weight 100 pounds on the Earth, you would weigh about 16 .5 pounds on the moon!

Effects of only a little gravity on the moon:Effects of only a little gravity on the moon:

•No water

•No atmosphere

•No air

Effects of no air:Effects of no air:

No sound

No wind to carry warmth to cold areas

Black skies, you see stars in the daytime.

Topography:Topography:

Craters, mountains, smooth plains, valleys

Temperature on the Moon

Bright side is 200-300

degrees!

Dark side is –

270 degrees!

Below Zero!

Due to the extreme conditions on the moon astronauts must were a suit

like this.

Phases of the Moon

Half of the Moon is ALWAYS Half of the Moon is ALWAYS lit-uplit-up

Sunlight

The Moon appears to have phases because it is revolving around us.

Full Moon

Quarter/Half Moon

New Moon

Quarter/Half Moon

(sunlight)

Rotation:Rotation: 27 1/3 days27 1/3 days

Revolution:Revolution: 27 1/3 days 27 1/3 days

We can only see one side of the moon from the Earth. Astonaughts had to orbit the

moon in a rocket ship to see what was on the other side. The reason why we can

only see one side of the moon is because the rotation and revolution are the same.

ECLIPSESECLIPSES

SOLARSOLAR ECLIPSEECLIPSE

When the Moon gets between the Sun and Earth. The Moon casts a

small shadow on the Earth.

LUNARLUNAR ECLIPSEECLIPSE

When the Earth gets between the Sun and the Moon. The Earth casts a shadow on the Moon.

This is how we knew the Earth was round!

SOLARSOLAR ECLIPSEECLIPSE

LUNARLUNAR ECLIPSEECLIPSE

This is a picture of the Earth from the moon.

This shows the craters and the smooth This shows the craters and the smooth areas on the moon.areas on the moon.

This shows the surface of the moon

Little Astronaut

And away we go!

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