Chapter 1 study guide

Some of the things will you be expected to have learned from the introduction and from Ch. 1
Definitions:
Planet Galaxy A.U.
Moon Cluster Observable universe
Star Supercluster Ecliptic
Asteroid Universe Big Bang
Comet Light year
You should be able to use scientific notation and multiply/divide such numbers
You should have a sense of scale of the universe from the 10 billion to 1 scale model, (where the sun
would be roughly the size of a grapefruit).
On this scale, how big are the planets (Earth, Jupiter)
How far apart are the sun and Earth, how far to Pluto?
How far would the nearest star be to the Sun?
Have a sense of the structure, relative sizes, and our place in the universe
How big is the Earth compared to the moon and how far apart are they?
How big is the solar system?
How big is the Milkyway galaxy? How many stars does it contain?
Where are we in the Milkyway galaxy?
How many galaxies are there?
How would you write universal postal address?
Understand how distance and time linked in astronomy
Why do we say that the farther we look, the farther back in time we are seeing?
What do mean by the term “observable universe” and how big is the observable universe?
Understand the relative motion of earth, Sun, and galaxies in the universe
How is the Earth moving/rotating?
How is our solar system moving compared to our galaxy?
How are the galaxies moving compared to each other?
Have a sense of scale for the age of the universe
What is our best estimate of the age of the universe?
Understand the “cosmic calendar” time scale where the entire lifetime of the universe is compressed
into 12 months.
How long is each “month” on the cosmic calendar scale?
How long ago did our solar system form on the cosmic calendar scale?
When did the dinosaurs first roam the earth/become extinct on the cosmic calendar scale?
When did humans evolve on the cosmic calendar scale?
How long is the time of all of human history on the cosmic calendar scale?
Understand how we think the universe is changing over time
What theory for the origin of the universe best explains our observations?
What evidence led our current model for the beginning of the universe?