Block II:   Our Solar System, our Home

    Now we look at our own back yard, so to speak (astronomically.) We look at the Earth and the rest of the solar system, never forgetting what our place is in this world. We will see how fragile the environment is. We look to understand ourselves more by understanding the world we live. This is a fundamental goal of any course.

July 17th    Fundamental features of the Earth

    • Geology
    • Atmosphere
    • Plate Tectonics
                     The Moon - Its Physical and Orbital features

                        The Solar System - Its contents and cosmogony

Lab # 4 - Lunar Observing

July 22nd   Terrestrial Planets

    • Mercury
    • Venus
    • Mars

  The Outer Planets

    • Jupiter, the Giant
    • Saturn, the Gem
    • Uranus and Neptune
    • Pluto - really a planet?

                      Meteors, Comets and Asteroids

Lab # 5  - Robotic Telescope Observations

July 24th  Exam # 2

 


July 17th

Our Planet Earth

The Fundamental Features of the Earth. Physics of the Earth's Atmosphere, Weather and Global Effects (Global Warming, Ozone Depletion)

    

     Textbook:

Blackboard Streaming Video:

      1. Earth 1
      2. Earth 2
      3. Moon 1
      4. Moon 2
      5. Coriolis Effect
      6. Aurora
      7. Solar System 1
      8. Solar System 2


Objectives: You should be able to:

  1. Describe the stages of planetary developmentstages of planetary development
  2. Describe the Earth's interior and explain how we know this from seismology
  3. Explain, using theory of plate tectonics, how mountains and continents are formed.
  4. Describe the atmosphereatmosphere of the Earth, its components and how it changes with altitude
  5. Explain what the Greenhouse Effect and Ozone Depletion are

Key Words: You may use these for Review or SEARCH items:

The Moon

The Moon - Physical Characteristics & Orbital Features.

  

     Textbook:

       1.  Chapter Six : The Moon, Sections 6.1 - 6.7,  pg 187 - 209
                Test Yourself Questions, pg 210, 1 - 5

Objectives: You should be able to:

  1. Describe the moon's size, mass, and density in relation to the earth and other terrestial planets.
  2. Describe major features of the moon, particularly the Highlands and Mare
  3. Articulate differences in the major kinds of rocks found on the surface of the moon, especially anorthosites, breccia and basalts.
  4. Compare the environment of the moon, namely the temperature, magnetic field, atmosphere, and gravity with that of the earth and other terrestial planets
  5. Describe the lunar interior and compare it to the Earth's
  6. Explain different theories regarding the origin of the moon:
  7. Describe a likely history of the evolution of the Moon.
  8. Name major impact craters and Mare.
  9. Explain how tides on the Earth are related to lunar orbit.
  10. Know when Neil Armstrong first stepped on the moon.
  11. Name some scientific discoveries made on the Moon.
Key Words: You may use these for Review or SEARCH items:

The Solar System as a Whole

The Solar System - Its Contents and Cosmogony


Video:    Some of the videos in this section take a long time to download. Additionally there are three different formats, dependent upon the player you prefer to use. All three are essentially the same video.

cosmogny.avi (10MB!)
cosmogny.mov (3.9MB) - Apple QuickTime Movie
cosmogny.mpg (1.5MB)
Objectives: You should be able to:
  1. Contrast how the Catastrophe and Tidal Theories result in the condensation of the solar nebula.
  2. Consider what this might predict as to the number of planetary systems in existence.
  3. Describe the contents and scale of the solar system (including terrestial and gas planets, asteroids, comets, etc) and how they are arranged in the solar system. A dynamical model of the solar system must explain these features.
  4. List some chemical properties that also must be explained by a solar system model of origin and evolution
  5. Describe a process of nebular formation
  6. Explain how the Conservation of Angular Momentumconstrains the evolution and structure of the solar system
  7. Describe the process of Planetary Accretion
  8. Explain why the Terrestial Planets are closer in are closer in and the Gas Planets are farther out.
  9. Explain how "Bode's Law" describes the orbits of the planets
Key Words: You may use these for Review or SEARCH items:

  Lab #4  Lunar Observing Lab

July 22nd

The Terrestrial Planets

Terrestial Planets: Mercury, Venus & Mars Textbook:

Black board Streaming Video:

    1. Summer Sky 2
    2. Lab # 4 - Observing the Moon
    3. Terrestrial Planets 1
    4. Terrestrial Planets 2
    5. Terrestrial Planets - Mars


Objectives: You should be able to:

  1. Explain the proportions of materialsin the entire solar system
  2. Compare the mass, size, density of the terrestial planets
  3. Explain which planet is most like the Earth and why
  4. Compare magnetic fields of the terrestial planets
  5. Compare atmospheres of the terrestial planets
  6. Describe the Greenhouse Effect present on Venus
  7. Describe orbital features of the terrestial planets
  8. Compare features of Plate Tectonics on the terrestial planets
  9. Describe major surface features that distinguish each of the terrestial planets
  10. Describe which planet is the hottest and why
  11. Tell someone which planet rotates backwards and perhaps why
  12. Explain what the Venus Magellan Mission and what it accomplished
  13. Describe the Viking Experiments that searched for life
  14. Discuss the possibility of finding life on Mars
  15. Explain what the Mars Pathfinder Mission is
  16. Mars is currently being explored by Spirit and Opportunity!
Key Words: You may use these for Review or SEARCH items:

The Outer Planets

The Outer Planets Video:    Some of the videos in this section take a long time to download. Additionally there are three different formats, dependent upon the player you prefer to use. All three are essentially the same video.
jupiter.avi (10MB!)
jupiter.mov (1.7MB) - Apple QuickTime Movie
jupiter.mpg (221KB)

  Textbook:

Blackboard Streaming Video:

    1. Outer Planets 1
    2. Outer Planets 2
    3. Outer Planets 3
    4. Outer Planets 4
    5. Outer Planets 5
    6. Meteors, Asteroids and Comets
    7. Cassini Mission (to Saturn)


Activities:    Visit NASA's Interactive On-line Galileo Project

Objectives: You should be able to:

  1. Explain the purpose of and accomplishments of the Voyager Mission.
  2. Explain the purpose of and accomplishments of the Galileo Mission.
  3. Explain why the outer planets are so large.
  4. Explain what the Red Spot is.
  5. Describe the four Galilean Moons of Jupiter.
  6. Describe the interiors of the Giant Gas planets
  7. Explain what the Rings of Saturn and the other gas planets are made of.
  8. Explain why Uranus and Neptune are so blue
  9. Compare the outer planets in mass, size and rotational period to the Earth
  10. Explain what is unusual about Uranus's rotation axis and how it might have gotten that way.
  11. Articulate the recent discovery that hints at the possibility of life on Europa.
  12. Explain the Roche Limit and its relevance to planetary rings
  13. Compare Jupiter and Saturn with Uranus and Neptune
  14. Summarize the features of Pluto and Charon that make the system different from the other planets.
  15. Suggest possible origins of Pluto
Video:    Some of the videos in this section take a long time to download. Additionally there are three different formats, dependent upon the player you prefer to use. All three are essentially the same video.
saturn.avi (10MB!)
saturn.mov (1.8MB) - Apple QuickTime Movie
saturn.mpg (206KB)
Key Words: You may use these for Review or SEARCH items:
        Meteors, Comets and Asteroids

Lab #5  Robotic Telescope Lab

July 24th           Exam # 2 (To be completed before class on 29 July)


 

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