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Module 1: Astronomy as Science (Astronomy in Prehistory and in Many…
Module 1: Astronomy as Science
Astronomy as a Science
Astronomy in Prehistory and in Many Cultures
The 'Universal Science'
arguably first and oldest science
every culture on earth observed and interpreted astronomical phenomena
daily behaviour of sun
monthly coming and going of the moon
features in patterns of stars
seasonal change in visible constellations
appearance and motions of the physical planets
lead to a variety of cultural interpretations
written astronomical records and interpretations
oral traditions
art and architecture
The Pleiades
Equilateral star grouping visible from both Northern and Southern hemispheres
known to us as 'the Seven Sisters'
Lakota Culture in North America
Sumerian clay tablet of Pleiades in picture form
Pawnee star map on tanned leather that shows the Pleiades
Australian Aboriginal representation showing the belt of Orion (3 stars to the left) and Pleiades
Nebra star disk- found in Germany showing the Pleiades, crescent moon, etc. from 1600BCE
The Great Bear in the North // Ursa Major
Constellation that contains the Big Dipper
Interpreted by cultures in North America
Native American legends
bowl of Big Dipper = giant bear
stars of the handle = 3 warriors chasing it
interpreted in European history
May reflect common cultural heritage dating back to before humans inhibited North America
Word "arctic" comes from Greek word "arctos", which means "the bear"
Polaris: The Pole Star
Pre-Historical Sites of Astronomical Significance
Stonehenge
Egyptian Pyramids
The Solar System
Galaxies
Andromeda Galaxy
the nearest big galaxy outside our own Milky Way
Clusters
all interact under the mutual influence of gravity
Cosmology
-how these galaxies formed in expanding universe
Astronomy is Physics
Central Themes
The unity of simple physical laws
Achieve a deep comprehension
Fragility and special nature of life on Earth
Features relevant to astronomy
Enormous scale of the universe
vast
unimaginable scales and distances
consequences for how we carry out astronomy
Astronomy as a 'time machine'
Sound
finite speed of sound through air = a noise will be heard in a remote location only after some time has passed
sound cannot travel through emptiness of space
takes time to travel from one place to another
Light
travels a million times faster than sound
travels through space
looking at remote objects, we see them as they were in the distant past
look at galaxies and stars billions of light years away = learn about early universe
Can only look in the past, not the future
Scope of the human mind
brain capable of understanding entire universe
Module 3: Historical Development to 1600AD
Astronomy of the Ancients
Revolutionary Times: Copernicus and Tycho Brahe
Kepler
Module 2: Fundamental Motions
Fundamental Motions
The Seasons
The Size, Shape, and Motion of the Earth
The Moon and the Planets
Module 4: Fundamental Physical Principles
