Friday, 10/11/13

Please read through the ppt.

Make summary statements on the following:

1.  What do you 'get' about general relativity?
2.  Why does 'special relativity' matter in the study of light?
3.  How do we use Einstein's idea of gravitational lensing?
4.  How do we find new planets using light?
5.  Why is finding inhabitable planets so tough?
6.  What is the Big Bang?  How do Penzias and Wilson figure into it?
7.  What is the structure of the universe?
8.  How many generations of stars have lived and died?  How do we know?
9.  Do you believe there are aliens?  Why or why not?







Please do the exercises found here
http://spiff.rit.edu/classes/phys230/lectures/planets/Lens_Nav.swf

Unit 4 Notes

Einstein quiz

http://www.astrophysicsspectator.com/topics/generalrelativity/GravitationalLensPointSim.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einstein_ring

Understanding HR stars

Complete questions 1,-5 and  11-14 of http://astro.unl.edu/naap/hr/naap_hr_sg.pdf

 TO do that please use this:   http://astro.unl.edu/classaction/animations/stellarprops/hrexplorer.html



Take a look at http://astro.unl.edu/naap/hr/hr_background1.html to help you understand the value of spectra, and black body curves.  Write a one paragraph summary.

Explain what luminosity is for a star:  http://astro.unl.edu/naap/hr/hr_background2.html

Why is the instability strip important?   http://astro.unl.edu/naap/hr/hr_background3.html

Take Home Test

1.  Based on what we have learned about telescopes, tell me if the James Webb telescope should be built, and if it can replace the work done by Wilson observatory and Chandra and one other telescope of your choosing that we studied.  DO NOT copy your logic from other, as I can tell. Explain your reasoning.

2. Describe the contributions of Annie Jump Cannon to astronomy in terms of spectra, stellar analysis, and the value of patterns.  Also comment on why you believe that astronomers historically recognized in science (that we have studied thus far) have been mostly white males, and why.  For the second part, you may wish to reference
 http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/06/magazine/why-are-there-still-so-few-women-in-science.html?hp&_r=1& or
 http://www.sdsc.edu/ScienceWomen/cannon.html

3.  The story of neutrinos tells us  a lot about the process of scientific discovery, which includes success, disappointments, experiment tweaking, and collaboration.   Tell me why neutrinos matter to our world, how neutrino oscillation almost defeated Ray Davis, and how neutrinos are produced in fusion.

4. We have spoken a lot about light as a tool in the study of stars.  Explain how four different types of wavelengths have impacted what we have discovered in our universe, including dust clouds, galaxies, coronal mass explosions, and communication with satellites or space probes.

Unit 4: HR Diagrams and Galaxies

Stellar Life Cycle

Questions to Consider
*what is the life cycle of our star?
*what is the HR diagram?
*what are characteristics of each of the stellar stages?
*how do gravity and pressure affect one another through the life cycle of a star? How does the balance change through each stage?
* What is the main sequence?
* How does the brightness of our star change over its lifetime?
* How does the temperature of our star change over its lifetime?

Technology and Telescopes

You will have a presentation to do that examines the evidence for three claims that you make regarding these problem statement:

1. Why do we need telescopes?
2. How many do we need them?
3. Where do we need to put them?

Support your work with evidence that you have gathered in your notes.  You will create a presentation to support your work.

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Review Sheet 3

Telescopes and What They Find

http://www.kidsastronomy.com/telescopesB.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telescope