Space Physics

 The moon takes 30 days to rotate around the earth  The earth takes 365 days to rotate around the sun (seasons)
 The earth rotates on its axis causes day and night
 Minor plants that orbit the sun: dwarf plants(Pluto) and
asteroids in the asteroid belt
 Solar system contains smaller solar system bodies including
comets and natural satellites
 Plant orbit the sun on elliptical orbits
 Sun is not at the center of the elliptical orbit except when the
orbit is approximately circular
 When comparing between planets the four planets nearest the
sun are rocky and small and four planets furthest from the sun
are gaseous and large
 Mass increase = gravity increase
 Distance increase = gravity decrease = speed decrease
 Sun is made up of hydrogen and helium
 Sun radiates infrared, visible light and ultraviolet light
 Orbital speed:  Sun contains most of the mass of the solar system and this
explains why the planets orbit the sun
 The force that keeps an object in orbit around the sun is the
gravitational attraction of the sun
 Stars are powered by nuclear reactions that release energy
 Light year = 9.5 ×10 15m  In stable stars the nuclear reactions involve the fusion of
 Hubble constant = the ratio of the speed at which the galaxy is hydrogen into helium
moving away from the earth to its distance from the earth =  Galaxies are made up billions of stars
2.2 ×10−18  Redshift is an increase in the observed wavelength of
d 1 electromagnetic radiation emitted from receding stars and
 = = estimate for the age of the universe and this is galaxies
v H0
evidence for the idea that all matter in the universe was present
 Life Cycle of a star:
at a single point
1. A star if formed from interstellar clods of gas and dust that
 The diameter of the milky way is approximately 100,000 light
contain hydrogen
year
2. A protostar then forms as it is an interstellar cloud collapsing  CMBR was produced shortly after the universe was formed
and increasing in temperature as a results of it increase in and that this radiation has been expanded into the microwave
temperature as a result of its internal gravitational attraction region of the electromagnetic spectrum as the universe
3. A protostar becomes a stable star when the inward force of expanded
gravitational attraction is balanced by an outward force due to  The speed at which a galaxy is moving away from the earth
the high temperature in the center of the star can found from the change in wavelength of the galaxy’s
4. All stars eventually run out of hydrogen as fuel for the nuclear starlight due to redshift
reaction  The distance of a far galaxy can be determined using the
5. Most stars expand to form red giants and more massive stars brightness of a supernova in that galaxy
expand to form red supergiant when most of the hydrogen in the
center of the star has been converted to helium
6. A red giant from a less massive star forms a planetary nebula
with a white dwarf star at its center
7. A red supergiant explodes as a supernova. Forming a nebula
with a white dwarf star at its center
8. A red supergiant explodes as a supernova forming a nebula
containing hydrogen and new heavier elements leaving behind a
neutron star or a black hole at its center
9. The nebula from a supernova may form new stars with orbiting
planets

 The light emitted from distant galaxies appears redshifted in

comparison with light emitted on the earth
 Redshift in the light from distant galaxies is evidence that
the universe is expanding and supports the big bang theory
 Microwave radiation of a specific frequency is observed at
all points in space around us and is known as cosmic
microwave background radiation