What is Astronomy?

General Overview

Time

Why study astronomy

(Its importance and usefulness)

Calendar

Day (Earths rotation)

Month (Moons revolution around earth)
Year (Earths revolution around Sun)

Religion

Artificial satellites (communication)

Physics, Chemistry, Geology, Geophysics, Biology etc.
Event predictions (e.g eclipse, meteor shower etc)
Celestial navigation -- ones position on earth (used in
military, commercial airplanes, and ships)

Astronomy is a fundamental science

which tries to quench our thirst for very
basic questions like What are we and
where are we. It is the study of the entire
universe and Universe is the totality of all
space, time, matter and energy. Hence, in
general Astronomy is science of
everything.

Why study astronomy (Cont.)

(Its importance and usefulness)
Resources
Modern Technology
Sun-Earth Connection
Seasons, Tides, Animal behavior
Imagination
Are we alone in the Universe (SETI)
Human curiosities (intellectual satisfaction)

From Here to
Infinity
Speed of Light is 300,000 km/sec or
186,000 miles/sec (the fastest speed known).
The light from the Sun reaches to the
Earth in about 8 min., and to Pluto in
about 5 hours 30 min.
The nearest star Proxima Centauri is
about 4.2 light years away.

Chapter 1
Discovering the
Night Sky

The diameter of the Milky Way Galaxy

is about 100,000 light years.

In our day to day life we observe the

following cycles:
Sun rises in the east and sets in the west.
Moon, planets and stars also rise in the east
and set in the west.
The cycle of day and night goes on with the
rising and setting of the Sun.
Seasons change throughout the year.
Constellations change throughout the year.

Earths Motions

Rotation
Spins on its axis
(24 hours)

Day to day changes

(e.g. formation of day
and night)

Revolution
Orbits around Sun
(365.25 days)

Seasonal changes
(e.g. winters and
summers)

Formation of Seasons

Cycle of Day and Night

Earths orbital
Tilt of Earths
motion
axis to the ecliptic

23
N

Winter in N
Summer in S

Summer in N
Winter in S

Subsolar point: The location on the Earth where the

Sun rays come directly, at an angle of 90 is called the
subsolar point.

Seasons
Vernal/Spring equinox (March
21): Sun crosses the celestial equator moving
north. (Equal day & night on the entire Earth.)

Summer solstice (June 21): Sun is at

its northernmost point. The longest day in the
Northern hemisphere. 24 hours of daylight in
the Arctic regions near the North Pole, and 24
hours of night in the Antarctic regions near the
South Pole.

Autumnal/Fall equinox (Sept 21):

Sun moves into the Southern Hemisphere.
(Equal day & night on the entire Earth.)

Winter solstice (Dec 21): Sun is at its

southernmost point. (The shortest day in the
Northern hemisphere. 24 hours of night in the
Arctic regions near the North Pole, and 24
hours of day in the Antarctic regions near the
South Pole.

(Winter Solstice)

(Summer Solstice)

Lunar Phases

Reading Reference

The MOON shows different PHASES

Tutorial on Sun-Earth relations and Seasons

FULL

outreach.as.utexas.edu/marykay/highschool/EarthSeason.doc
and
http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/time/seasons.html

GIBBOUS

HALF

Video
Geography Seasons

CRESCENT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taHTA7S_JGk

NEW

Lunar phases:
3rd quarter(half)

Sunlight
Waning

new

full

Waxing

1st quarter(half)

Eclipse: is an event during which one body passes in

Lunar Eclipse

front of another, such that the light from the obscured

body is blocked.
3rd quarter
No eclipse
Sunlight

Sunlight
new
full

1st quarter

Lunar Eclipse

Solar Eclipse

Partial lunar eclipse

Partial solar eclipse

Penumbral lunar
eclipse

Sunlight

Sunlight

new

(Penumbra)

(Umbra)

Total lunar eclipse

Total solar eclipse

Annular solar eclipse

Eclipse Geometry

Solar Eclipse

Lunar orbit around

Earth is inclined by
about 5.2 degrees from
Earth's orbit around
Sun (ecliptic).

Favorable for eclipse

when line of nodes
(intersection of those
two planes) points at
the sun.
(Picture from bartley.com)

Eclipses
Eclipses
Lunar eclipse
Earth between Sun and Moon.
Only occurs at FULL MOON but
NOT each month.
Everyone (on night side of Earth)
can see it.

p
e
n
u
m
b
r
a
l

Partial
In between
penumbra &
umbra

Total
(Inside umbra)
lasts not more
than ~ 100 min.

Solar eclipse
Moon between Earth and Sun.
Only occur at NEW MOON but
NOT each month.
Only a small part of Earth can
see one at any given time

Partial
Moon only
covers up
part of Sun

Total

Perfect alignment.
Moon big enough
to cover Sun (near
perigee). Lasts
< 7.5 min.

Annular
Perfect alignment,
but Moon too
small to cover
entire Sun
(near apogee).