California Standards: 2b & d. Studying Space California Standards: 2b & d.

“Life is like riding a bicycle “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.” Albert Einstein,1930, in a letter to his son, Eduard.

To Infinity and Beyond Someone who studies the universe is called an astronomer. Someone who studies how the universe formed is called a cosmologists. The National Atmospheric and Space Administration or NASA along with the National Science Foundation study space.

Characteristics of the universe: Most astronomers and cosmologists believe that the universe is about 14 to 15 billion years old. The universe is organized based upon the galaxy which is a large collection of stars, dust and gas. Our galaxy is called the Milky Way galaxy.

Milky Way Galaxy Your are here.

Characteristics of the universe: Distances are so large that astronomers have to use different units of measurement. An Astronomical Unit, or AU, is the distance the Earth is from the sun or 150,000,000 km. Thus one AU = 150,000,000 km Also the time light travels in one year is used and this is called a light-year, or the distance light will travel in one year which is 300,000 km/sec.

What is a light-year? 100,000 light years across

Wave Theory Mechanical, i.e. waves moving through sound and water are examples of mechanical waves. They need a medium to travel through. This medium can be water or air. Electromagnetic (EM) waves: 1. X-rays, visible light, radio waves & gamma rays 2. Electromagnetic Spectrum, arrangement of radiation based upon their wave lengths. 3. Speed of light (electromagnetic radiation) 300,000 km/s, 198,000 miles/s. All radiation travels at the same speed.

Wave Theory The electromagnetic spectrum or EM spectrum is a series of all the different types of radiation emitted, or produced, by anything above absolute zero temperature or –243o K (Kelvin). Visible light, x-rays, radio waves, ultra violet light (UV light), etc. are all part of the EM spectrum.

Wave Theory

Electrons and Energy When an electron, in any element, such as hydrogen, calcium oxygen, etc. moves from one orbital to another, energy is given up in the form of a photon or an particle of energy of light. This energy has a particular wave length which is characteristic for that element.

Solar System Model of Atom Nucleus Electrons Electron shell or orbit

Actual Electron Orbitals

Electron Orbitals

This photon when it strikes an object causes the electron to ‘jump’ to a higher state of energy. This ‘jump’ releases energy in the form of a wave. When this electron drops to a lower to orbital, energy is again given up or released as a photon of light that is characteristics of that element.

Light and Photons

Characteristics of Light Light behaves as a wave and as a particle of energy. This energy packet is called a photon of energy. When an element such as carbon or hydrogen emit light, it is actually emitting a photon in the form of a wave. This wave of light, due to it’s wave length, is of a particular color which we see.

Long wavelength, low energy Medium wavelength, medium energy Short wavelength, high energy

long wavelength, low energy Short wavelength, high energy

Visible spectrum of light we see. Radio waves

Telescopes

Kitt Peak National Observatory

Optical Telescopes: Allow scientists to study the visible light from objectives in space. 1. Refracting telescopes which use a lens to focus the light to the observer. 2. Reflecting telescopes which uses concave mirrors to bend light to the observer.

Reflecting telescope uses concave mirrors to focus light from the object being viewed.

Refracting telescopes uses convex lenses to focus light from the object being viewed.

Twin Keck Radio Telescopes, Mauna Kea, Hawaii

Keck telescopes, Hawaii Most optical telescopes used by professional astronomers are in observatories such as: Keck telescopes, Hawaii

Radio Telescopes Much larger than optical telescopes Can be used under cloudy sky conditions Very large curved ‘dishes’ to capture the long wavelengths of energy

Radio telescopes: all bodies emit long wave radiation and can be used night or day and during bad weather, such as cloudy sky. New Mexico, Plains of St. Augustine.

Very Large Array, Radio Telescopes, NM                                                                                                                    

Arcebo radio telescope in Puerto Rico

Exploration of Space

Satellite: any object that revolves around another Satellite: any object that revolves around another. Our natural satellite is the moon. Space Probe: an instrument that gathers information and sends it back to Earth. First space probe was by the Russians in 1957 called Sputnik I. U.S. space probes: Voyager 1 and 2, 1977 and Galileo in 1989. Voyager space probes sent back information about Uranus, Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune.

Voyager 1 and 2 satellites

Grand Tour of Voyager 1 and 2

Race to the Moon Project Mercury, 1961, President John F. Kennedy. Alan Shepard first U.S. Citizen in space. John Glenn first to orbit the Earth in 1962. Goal was to put man into orbit and bring it back safely. This was the first piloted space program. Project Gemini: two astronauts in space. Project Apollo: Apollo 11 first on the moon in 1969. Neil Armstrong first to set foot on the moon. “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” Total of 6 lunar landings, with 12 men having walked on the moon with Apollo 13 being the last mission.

Apollo 11Astronauts Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin Aldrin

Lunar Rover

Apollo astronaut on the moon, 1969

Findings from the moon. Based upon the findings from the Apollo missions on rocks brought back from the moon and because the moon has not undergone erosion, rock melting and cooling, etc., which the Earth has, it has been estimated that the rocks from the moon and therefore the Earth are approximately 4.5 to 5 billion years old.

Moon Rock, 4.5 billion years old.

Space Shuttle launch                                                                                                                                             

Hubble Telescope

International Space Station

International Space Station

International Space Station

The end… for now.

To Infinity and Beyond!