Ancient Astronomy
According to 2nd century astronomer Claudius Ptolemy, how is the solar system modeled?
Geocentric model, the Earth is in the center, the Sun and stars revolve around the Earth
How many planets are in our solar system?
8
Which two planets have no moons?
Mercury and Venus
What are stars made of?
Primarily hydrogen and helium
Where are most asteroids found in our solar system?
Asteroid belt, between Mars and Jupiter
Who were the first people to do astronomy?
Ancient Mesopotamians, like the Babylonian and Sumerian civilizations
What is the largest planet in our solar system?
Jupiter
Why do we only see one side of our moon?
It it tidally locked, meaning the rotational period is the same as its orbital period around Earth
A group of stars forming a recognizable pattern, traditionally named after its shape or a mythology
Constellations
What is the largest asteroid in our solar system?
4 Vesta (525.4km diameter)
What are a majority of the constellations based off of today?
Greek and Roman mythology
What are the two types of planets?
Terrestrial (rocky) and Jovian (gas giant)
What are the Galilean Moons?
Ganymede, Callisto, Io, and Europa
Temperature, blue is hotter, red is cooler
What is the term for an asteroid that has hit Earth?
Meteorite
Who was the first woman to discover a comet in 1786?
Caroline Herschel
What is the definition of a planet?
1. It must orbit a star
2. It must be big enough to have enough gravity to force it into a spherical shape
3. It must be big enough that its gravity has cleared away any other objects of similar size near its orbit around the Sun
How far away is our moon?
238,900 miles or 384,400 kmilometers
About how many stars do astronomers estimate are in the Milky Way Galaxy?
Around 1 trillion
How were asteroids formed?
They are leftover pieces from planetary formation in the early days of the solar system (~4.6 billion years ago)
When or Where was the first total solar eclipse recorded?
When: May have been on Nov 30 3340 BCE (5365 years ago). More definitely around 1200 BCE
Where: Ireland. China
What was the last planet to be discovered in our solar system?
Neptune in 1846
It was originally discovered by Galileo, but he recorded it as a fixed star, and not a planet in 1612
Which is the most volcanically active moon in our solar system?
What kind of stars go supernova?
Red Supergiant
What is the difference between comets and asteroids?
Composition and origin
Asteroids are rocky and metallic from inner solar system
Comets are icy from the outer solar system