History of Astronomy

Post date: Oct 17, 2018 11:07:13 PM

Big Question: How did astronomers find that the sun is at the center of the solar system?

11/5 - Quiz: History of Astronomy, Gravity, and Orbits (Review)

10/31 - Portfolio 9/25 to 10/24 - Can be signed and turned-in during Conferences.

Check your answers with Planetarium - neave.com

- Compare different models of the solar system.
- Apply Kepler's laws to our solar system.
- Explain the two main variables that determine the force of gravity between stars and planets.
- Describe how the Solar System formed.
- Explain the conditions that would cause one object to orbit another.

11/2 - Look over the History of Astronomy Review. Then look over your notebook and assignments. Write down at least 2 questions you have?

11/1 - What is a space probe? What are examples of space probes that were used before the moon landing in 1969? (ES pgs. 489 to 491)

10/31 - Draw the 6 cannon ball orbits on the screen. Which paths are suborbital? Which paths are orbital?

10/30 - What is a force? What metric (SI) unit is used when measuring force? (ES pgs. 123-126)

10/29 - What are the two main types of optical telescope? How does each work? Which one did Mr. Bright bring to class?

10/23 - Make a Venn diagram comparing revolution and rotation. (Old ES pg. 515)

10/17 - Answer the following: (Old ES 482-483)

- - What is a calendar?
  - What defines a year?
  - What defines a month?
  - What defines a day?
  - Why is a Leap Year required every 4 years?

10/16 - Name 6 important astronomers in history? Summarize what each one did or discovered. (Old ES pgs. 486-488)

Planetarium - neave.com - App that works like a star finder.

Astronomy Simulations and Animations - astro.unl.edu - Simulations and Animations from Astronomy Education at the Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). Not working in Google Chrome. Will work in Firefox.

Celestial Coordinate Explorer - Star map using celestial coordinates.
Rotating Sky Explorer - Animates stars as the Earth rotates on its axis.
Solar System Models Lab - Good source for models of the solar system before the Copernican Revolution.
Planetary Configurations Simulator - Shows retrograde motion of planets viewed from Earth.
Ptolemaic System Simulator - Simulation of Ptolemy’s astronomy including deferents, epicycles and equants.
Planetary Orbit Simulator - Kepler’s Laws demonstrator.
Newton's Law Calculator - Calculator for Newton’s Law of Gravitation to deal with the BIG numbers.
Astronomy Interactives - Interactive questions on basic astronomy.

My Solar System - phet.colorado.edu - Configurable simulation showing gravitational relationships and motion among multiple objects.

Gravity and Orbits - phet.colorado.edu - Simulation demonstrating how mass and distance between objects effects the force of gravity.