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ASTRONOMY 101
CHAPTER 3
26
Astronomy
Undergraduate 1
08/23/2007

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Term
FIRST PRINCIPLES
Definition
PHILOSOPHERS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD ATTEMPTED TO DEDUCE TRUTH ABOUT THE UNIVERSE BY REASONING FROM
Term
GEOCENTRIC
Definition
BECAUSE IN ARISTOTLE'S PHILOSOPHY THE MOST PERFECT REGION WAS IN THE HEAVENS AND THE MOST IMPERFECT REGION WAS AT EARTH'S CENTER, THE CLASSICAL ____ UNIVERSE MODEL MARTCHED THE COMMONLY HELD CHRISTIAN VIEW OF THE GEOMETRY OF HEAVEN AND HELL
Term
HELIOCENTRIC MODEL
Definition
THIS MODEL HAD BEEN DISCUSSED OCCCASIONALLY BEFORE COPERNICUS'S TIME, BUT COPERNICUS WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO PRODUCE A DETAIL MODEL WITH SUBSTANTIAL JUSTIFYING ARGUMENTS.
Term
UNIFORM CIRCULAR MOTION
Definition
ARISTOTLE BELIEVED THAT ALL MOTION IN THE HEAVENS MUST BE MADE UP OF COMBINATIONS OF CIRCLES TURNING AT UNIFORM RATES. THIS WAS CALLED---
Term
PARALLAX
Definition
ANCIENT ASTRONOMERS BELIEVED THAT EARTH DIS NOT MOVE BECAUSE THEY SAW NO ---, THE APPARENT MOTION OF AN OBJECT BEACAUSE OF THE MOTION OF THE OBSERVER.
Term
EPICYCLE
Definition
CLAUDIOUS PTOLEMY CREATED A MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF ARISTOTLE'S UNVERSE IN WHICH EACH PLANET MOVED ON A SMALL CIRCLE CALLED ____ THAT SLID AROUND A LARGER CIRCLE.
Term
SEMI-MAJOR AXIS, A,
Definition
THE GEOMETRY OF AN ELLIPSE IS DESCRIBED BY TWO SIMPLE NUMBERS. THE -----IS HALF OF THE LONGERST DIAMETER
Term
ECCENTRICITY, E,
Definition
OF AN ELLIPSE IS HALF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE FOCI DIVIDED BY THE SEMI-MAJOR AXIS.
Term
EMPIRICAL
Definition
KEPLER'S THREE LAWS ARE __THEY DESCRIBE A PHENOMENON WITHOUT EXPLAINING WHY IT OCCURS.
Term
MASS
Definition
AN OBJECT IS A MEASURE OF THE AMOUNT OF MATTER IN THE OBJECT, USUALY EXPRESSED IN KILOGRAMS
Term
WEIGHT
Definition
IS THE FORCE THAT EARTH'S GRAVITY EXERTS ON THE OBJECT.
Term
INVERSE SQUARE RELATION
Definition
NEWTON GUESSED THAT GRIVITY WORKS BY AN INVERSE SQUARE RELATION BECAUSE HE HAD ALREADY DISCOVERED THAT LIGHT BEHAVES THIS WAY.
Term
SPRING TIDES
Definition
AT NEW MOON AND AT FULL MOON, THE MOON AND SUN PRODUCE TIDAL BULGES THAT ADD TOGETHER AND PRODUCE EXTREME TIDAL CHANGES; HIGH TIDE IS VERY HIGH, AND LOW TIDE IS VERY LOW. SUCH TIDES ARE CALLED....
Term
NEAP TIDES
Definition
OCCUR AT FIRST-AND THIRD QUARTER MOONS, WHEN THE MOON AND SUN PULL AT RIGHT ANGELS TO EACH OTHER,CAUSED BY THE SUN REDUCE THE TIDES CAUSED BY THE MOON, AND THE RISE AND FALL OF THE OCEAN IS LESS EXTREME THAN USUAL.
Term
CIRCULAR VELOCITY
Definition
THE VELOCITY NEEDED TO STAY IN A CIRCULAR ORBIT IS CALLED
Term
GEOSYNCHRONOUS SATELLITE
Definition
ORBITS EASTWARD WITH THE ROTATION OF EARTH AND REMAINS ABOVVE A FIXED SPOT-IDEAL FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND WEATHER SATELLITES
Term
CENTER OF MASS
Definition
GRAVITATION IS MUTUAL, AND IF EARTH PULLS ON THE MOON, THE MOON PULLS ON EARTH. THE TWO BODIES REVOLVE AROUND THEIR COMMON ____, THE BALANCE POINT OF THE SYSTEM.
Term
CLOSED ORBITS
Definition
RETURN THE ORBITING OBJECT TO ITS STARTING POINT. THE MOON AND ARTIFICAL SATELLITES ORBIT EARTH IN ___
Term
ESCAPE VELOCITY
Definition
IF THE CANNONBALL TRAVELS AS FAST AS ___THE VELOCITY NEEDED TO LEAVE A BODY, IT WILL ENTER AN OPEN ORBIT.
Term
OPEN ORBIT
Definition
DOESN NOT RETURN THE CANNONBALL TO EARTH. IT WILL ESCAPE.
Term
RETROGRADE MOTION
Definition
THE PLANETS MOVE A A CONSTANT RATE, AND THEY COULD OCCASSIONALLY STOP AND MOVE WESTWARD FOR AFEW MONTHS BEFORE RESUMING THEIR EASTWARD MOTION. THIS BACKWARD MOTION IS CALLED
Term
PARADIGM
Definition
THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHER OF SICENCE THOMAS KUHN HAS REFERRED TO A COMMONLY ACCEPTED SET OF SCIENTIFIC IDEAS ANAD ASSUMPTIONS AS A SCIENTIFIC ___THIS IS POWERFUL BECAUSE IT SHAPES PERCEPTIONS. IT DETERMINES WHAT ARE JUDGED TO BE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS AND WHAT IS JUDGED TO BE SIGNIFICANT EVIDENCE.
Term
ELLIPSE
Definition
IS A FIGURE DRAWN AROUND TWO POINTS, CALLED THE FOCI AIN SUCH A WAY THAT THE DISTANCE FROM ONE FOCUS TO ANY POINT ON THE _____AND BACK TO THE OTHER FOCUS EQUALS A CONSTANT.
Term
HYPOTHESIS
Definition
IS A SINGLE ASSERTION OR CONJECTURE THAT CAN BE TESTED. IT COULD BE TRUE OR FALSE.
Term
THEORY
Definition
IS A SYSTEM OF RULES AND PRINCIPLES THAT CAN BE APPLIED TO A WIDE VARIETY OF CIRCUMSTANCES.
Term
NATURAL LAW
Definition
IS A THEORY THAT HAS BEEN REFINED, TESTED, AND COFIRMED SO OFTEN THAT SICENTIESTS HAVE GREAT CONFIDENCE IN IT.
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