PowerPoint – History of Astronomy

Name: ______________________________ Date: _____________________

Astronomy (def.) ___________________________________________________________________________________

Universe (def.) _____________________________________________________________________________________

Astronomy is the ___________________ science.

About ___________________ stars are visible at any one time.

The human mind tends to group stars into _______________________.

______________________________________ will get a lot of credit in this course, but they are by no means the only

people who were “doing” science. Astronomy was being studied throughout the world.

Examples of Ancient Observation

______________________________________ New Delhi, India

Hindus @ ______________________________________, Cambodia

________________________ (England)

________________________ Mexico / Mayan civilization

_________________________________________________________ Wyoming

______________________________________ Anasazi people (New Mexico)

History of Astronomy Why was Astronomy important to ancient people?

________________________

________________________

________________________

________________________- After they had taken care of their mere _____________ needs, they had more time to look

into things they were curious about.

Time Keeping: Sun overhead to sun overhead is ________________ motion – ________________day = 24 hrs.

Stars aren’t quite in the same place 24 hours later due to earth’s __________________ around the sun. When they are one

________________________ day has passed = _____:________:_________.

Astronomical Timekeeping

A day is based on the motion of the ________________________; what is the next segment of time the Ancients tracked?

________________________.

________________________ month (complete ________________________ cycle) doesn’t have whole number of

________________________ days in it. Current calendar has months that are close to the ________________________

cycle, but adjusted so there are ____ of them in a year.

What is Pink Floyd referring to when they talk about the “Dark Side of the Moon”? What happens to the moon over time?

___________________________________________.

Whole cycle of lunar phases = ___________ days = _________________ month.

Phases are due to different amounts of _________________ portion being visible from earth. Time to make a full 360o

around earth = _________________ month, about ____ days shorter.

Lunar eclipse: _________________ is between _________________ and _________________.

Solar eclipse: _________________ is between _________________ and _________________.

Partial ____________________________________________________________________________________________

Total _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Annular ___________________________________________________________________________________________

Eclipses don’t occur every month because _______________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

What is Summer Solstice? ____________________________________________________________________

Is the sun directly overhead in Mertzon on summer solstice? ________; its angle in the sky depends on your

____________________.

What is spring or fall equinox? ________________________________________________________________________

What is Winter Solstice? _____________________________________________________________________________

What is Harvest Moon? ______________________________________________________________________________

What is Hunter’s Moon ______________________________________________________________________________

What is Blue Moon? ________________________________________________________________________________

How many solar days are in an actual year? ______________________________________________________________

How do we compensate for this? _______________________________________________________________________

Astronomical Timekeeping

Chinese - 5000 years ago: Established the length of a year by apparent motion of the ______ through

___________________________. (The Zodiac)

Hindus (India) - 5000 years ago

12 pillars = 12 _______________; 4 elephants = _______________ of 4 directions; _______________ = Earth supported

in space; Coiled Snake = _______________

Why Study Astronomy - Calendar

Why were calendars important?

Forecast change of _______________ – When to plant etc.

Why is when the Nile floods important? _________________________________________________________________

_______________ years ago, ancient ___________________ used the stars to align the __________________.

Sumerians ___________________ Years ago

ASTROLOGY – NOT ___________________; • ___________________; • ___________________ events governed

their destiny; • There is NO ___________________ of this.

Why Study Astronomy? - Navigation

Terminology…

• Big Dipper is not a constellation, it is an _______________________

Define the above word: ______________________________________________________________________________

___________________ Hemisphere sees a different night sky than the ___________________ Hemisphere.

Why Study Astronomy? - Navigation

A _______________________ is an instrument used to find a locations _______________________.

An _______________________ is a simple device used to determine _______________________

Define the above word: ______________________________________________________________________________

Imagine you’re sitting around a campfire at night. What are some things you would observe in the sky?

Moon ____________________________________________________________________________________________

Stars _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Planets ___________________________________________________________________________________________

Satellites _________________________________________________________________________________________