Early Astronomers Review

Vocabulary

100

100 Points: What is a "constellation"?

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Answer: A group of stars that form a recognizable pattern in the sky.

200

200 Points: What does "discovery" mean in the context of science?

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  • Answer: Finding something new or unknown, especially in the field of science.
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300

300 Points: Define "galaxy".

Answer: A system of billions of stars, along with gas and dust, held together by gravitational attraction

400

400 Points: What is a "phenomenon"?

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  • Answer: An unusual or significant event or fact that can be observed and studied.
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500

500 Points: Describe the "solar system".

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  • Answer: The collection of eight planets and their moons in orbit around the sun, along with smaller bodies like asteroids, meteoroids, and comets.

Vocabulary 2

100

100 Points: Use the word "identified" in a sentence related to astronomy.

• Answer: Early astronomers identified several constellations in the night sky.

200

200 Points: Change the word "philosopher" to its adjective form and use it in a sentence.

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  • Answer: Philosophical. Example sentence: The philosophical questions about the universe intrigued the students.
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300

300 Points: Explain a situation in which something can be "predictable" and use the word in your explanation.

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  • Answer: The predictable pattern of the moon phases helps scientists plan observations.
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400

400 Points: Turn the word "theory" into an adjective and use it in a sentence.

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  • Answer: Theoretical. Example sentence: The theoretical framework of the study was based on Kepler's laws.
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500

500 Points: Explain how you would "identify" a new planet in a sentence, using the correct verb form.

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  • Answer: To identify a new planet, scientists must observe its orbit and distinguish it from other celestial bodies.

Aristotle

100

100 Points: What country was Aristotle from, and what years did he live?

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  • Answer: Aristotle was from Greece, and he lived from 384 to 322 BCE.
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200

200 Points: What does the word "constellations" refer to in the text?

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  • Answer: Groups of stars that form a pattern in the sky.
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300

300 Points: What was one of the beliefs of Aristotle about the solar system?

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  • Answer: Aristotle believed that the Earth was the center of the solar system and did not move.
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400

400 Points: Why did the Greeks name constellations after their gods?

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  • Answer: The Greeks named constellations after their gods, such as Orion the hunter, to catalogue everything they could see in the sky.
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500

500 Points: How did the Greeks contribute to astronomy, and what was one method they used to record their observations?

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  • Answer: The Greeks made many discoveries and identified and recorded the locations of constellations in the sky. They catalogued everything they could see in the sky.

Sl Sufi

100

100 Points: What country was Al Sufi from, and what years did he live?

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  • Answer: Al Sufi was from Persia (modern-day Iran) and lived from 908 to 986 CE.
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200

200 Points: What is the name of the book Al Sufi published in 964 CE?

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  • Answer: The Book of Fixed Stars.
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300

300 Points: How many different stars did Al Sufi locate and identify through his studies?

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  • Answer: More than 1,000 different stars.
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400

400 Points: What significant contribution did Al Sufi's book make to the understanding of the sky?

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  • Answer: It illustrated the color, brightness, and position of stars in the sky and described a galaxy of stars and planets beyond our own galaxy.
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500

500 Points: Why was Al Sufi's work unknown in Europe for 600 years?

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  • Answer: Europeans learned about the stars 600 years later when the telescope was developed.

Nicolas Copernicus

100

100 Points: What country was Nicolas Copernicus from, and what years did he live?

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  • Answer: Nicolas Copernicus was from Poland, and he lived from 1473 to 1543.
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200

200 Points: What did Copernicus believe was the center of the solar system?

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  • Answer: He believed that the sun was the center of the solar system.
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300

300 Points: How did Copernicus's idea of the solar system contradict the beliefs of his time?

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  • Answer: His idea contradicted the belief that the Earth was the center of the solar system, a belief held by the Roman Catholic Church.
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400

400 Points: What was the reaction of the Roman Catholic Church to Copernicus's ideas?

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  • Answer: The Church condemned Copernicus during his lifetime.
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500

500 Points: How did Copernicus's ideas spark a revolution in scientific thinking?

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  • Answer: By proposing that the sun, not the Earth, was the center of the solar system, Copernicus sparked a revolution in scientific thinking that challenged existing beliefs and laid the foundation for modern astronomy.

Johannes Keppler

100

100 Points: What country was Johannes Kepler from, and what years did he live?

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  • Answer: Johannes Kepler was from Germany, and he lived from 1571 to 1630.
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200

200 Points: What did Kepler believe was the center of the solar system?

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  • Answer: Kepler believed that the sun was the center of the solar system.
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300

300 Points: What was Kepler's significant discovery about the orbits of planets?

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  • Answer: Kepler discovered that the orbits of the planets around the sun were elliptical, or oval-shaped, not perfect circles.
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400

400 Points: How did Kepler support his belief about the sun being the center of the solar system?

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  • Answer: Kepler found the mathematical calculations to support the belief that the sun was the center of the solar system.
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500

500 Points: Although Kepler knew that the planets' orbits were elliptical, he didn't know why. How was this question eventually answered?

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  • Answer: The answer came later from the work of the astronomers who followed after him.

Galileo Galilei

100

100 Points: What country was Galileo Galilei from, and what years did he live?

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  • Answer: Galileo Galilei was from Italy, and he lived from 1564 to 1642.
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200

200 Points: What invention did Galileo improve to make better observations of the stars and planets?

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  • Answer: The telescope.
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300

300 Points: What was one of Galileo's significant discoveries using his improved telescope?

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  • Answer: He discovered that the Milky Way is made up of millions of stars.
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400

400 Points: What was the title of the book in which Galileo published his theories and findings?

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  • Answer: Dialogue on the Two Great World Systems.
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500

500 Points: What was Galileo's punishment for refusing to stop teaching his theories against the Church's beliefs?

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  • Answer: He was sentenced to stay inside his house for the rest of his life.