The Restless Universe

“One small step of man,

one giant leap for
mankind.”
-Neil Armstrong (1930-2012)
•
•From that time, great leaps and progress in
science and technology were made.
•Wireless communication, genetic
engineering and space explorations are just
some of mankind’s achievement.
•Armstrong was able to leap on the surface of
the moon at a height, which he could not
have reached on Earth because of the
gravity.
•But you do not have to land on the
moon just so you can observe motion.
•You ride the bus or you walk from home
to school.
•That is motion.
•Look around you. Which bodies are in
motion?
•So, what is motion then?
Definition of Motion
• Reference points are very important in describing the
motion of object.
• If you are standing still, can you say that you are in
motion?
• The answer will depend on the reference point
• Example:
• Thus, MOTION is a change in position with respect to
a reference point and time.
Greeks’ Contributions to
the Study of
Motion and Earth
 Aristotle’s View of Motion
• He did not only refer to locomotion or a change in position.
He classified motion as terrestrial (or sublunar) and celestial.

Terrestrial Celestial
It is the movement of object on It is the motion of celestial bodies
Earth. which only possessed the tendency
for uniform circular motion.
2 kinds of Terrestrial motion:
1. Natural motion(piece of rock, Rain)
2. Unnatural motion (Violent)
 Hipparchus’s View of Motion
• He was determine correctly the circumference of the
Earth.
• He was once considered the greatest observational
astronomer because he was able to explain the
precession of equinoxes.
• Precession of equinoxes refers to the movement of
Earth relative to its orbital plane.
• This phenomenon accounts for the seemingly
continuous displacement of stars relative to the
equinoxes.
Copernicus’s View View of Motion

•Copernicus studied the motion of Earth

•He had two descriptions of Earth’s motion
based on his observations (rotation and
revolution) which are classified as either
diurnal (daily) motion or annual (yearly)
motion.
 Diurnal motion
• Refers to the rotation of Earth
about its axis from west to east.
• As Earth rotates, some of its parts
are exposed to the sun’s rays while
other parts are not.
• This results in the occurrence of
day and night. Thus, a day is
technically the time required to
complete one cycle of diurnal
motion/rotation.
Annual motion
• Refers to the movement of Earth in
reference to the sun.
• 2 types of Annual motion: Earth’s
Revolution and Tiltation
• Earth revolves around the Sun from
west to east ( 365 ¼ days) to be
completed and is the reference for
the number of days in a standard
year.
The occurrence of seasons (spring,
summer, autumn and winter) is a
consequence of both Earth’s
revolution and tilted axis.
Brahe’s Contribution in Observational Astronomy

•One of the greatest contributions to astronomy

was the Rudolphine Tables.
•These tables were records of celestial
observations he made using his crude
astronomical instruments.
•His tables were more refined and organized than
the astronomical tables made before him.
 Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion
• According to some accounts, on Tycho’s deathbed, he
asked his assistant Johannes Kepler to continue what he
started by completing his astronomical tables.
• Kepler, who was a German mathematician and
astronomer, became famous for his laws of planetary
motion.
1. Law of Ellipses
2. Law of Equal areas
3. Law of Harmonies
Law of Ellipses
•Each planet moves in an elliptical
path, with the sun at one focus.
•Aphelion is the point in a planet’s
orbit that is farthest from the sun
•Perihelion is the point in Earth’s
orbit that is nearest to the sun
 Law of Equal areas

•As a planet moves at any point along its

elliptical orbit, it travels equal areas of space
in equal periods of time.
Law of harmonies
• The squares of the revolutions of the planets are directly proportional
to the cubes of their average distances from the sun.
• This expressed as