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PHYSICS 113 Assignment #9 SOLUTIONS Chapter 17 13. Starting
PHYSICS 113 Assignment #9 SOLUTIONS Chapter 17 13. Starting

Chapter 27 Stars and Galaxies
Chapter 27 Stars and Galaxies

... Some white dwarfs do not just cool and die.  They will have one or more large explosions and become a nova  A supernova is a star that has such a tremendous explosion that it blows itself apart.  Before a supernova all of the stars elements will be fused into iron ...
HERE - physicsisphun.org
HERE - physicsisphun.org

... • In 1965 cosmic background radiation was discovered. It is thought that this is the remains of the energy of the big bang. • The presence of these waves was predicted in the Big Bang Theory. • The red shift also supports the theory. ...
history of astro outline 2014
history of astro outline 2014

...  Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, since they appear high in the night sky, have orbits outside the Earth’s orbit.  The configuration (or orbit) of each planet.  The measurement of each planet’s sideral and synodic period.  The calculated distance of each planet to the Sun. 1576 AD ...
April 2005
April 2005

Jupiter-Sized Star Smallest Ever Detected
Jupiter-Sized Star Smallest Ever Detected

PowerPoint
PowerPoint

... Why is the sky blue? Reflection nebula blue? And the setting Sun red? Brightness changes with distance? Apparent brightness? Blackbody emission– continuous spectrum – Wien’s Law – Stefan-Boltzmann • Intrinsic brightness compared to relative brightness • What does a telescope do? – Light gathering, r ...
here - University of Toronto Astronomy
here - University of Toronto Astronomy

... disrupted; emission and absorption lines depend on electron orbital structure of atoms. Star Equilibrium: Main-sequence star equilibrium is determined by individual mass and chemical compositions. Nuclear reactions result in disturbance of equilibrium, leading the stellar evolution. Hydrogen-burning ...
Denton ISD
Denton ISD

Handout from Allaire Star Party
Handout from Allaire Star Party

... ignite nuclear fires in their cores. Our own Sun formed in such a nebula five billion years ago. When a nebula is forming hot, young stars, the light from the stars excites the gas in the nebula and causes it to glow; hence the name “emission nebula”. Emission nebulae are mostly red due to the fact ...
History of Astronomy
History of Astronomy

... • The period of time it takes for a planet to orbit the sun is directly related to its distance from the sun. ...
Stars and Galaxies - Earth Science: Astronomy
Stars and Galaxies - Earth Science: Astronomy

... A. Galaxy—gravity holds together a large collection of stars, gas, and dust 1. Earth’s galaxy is Milky Way which is part of a galaxy cluster named the Local Group 2. Spiral galaxies—spiral arms wind out from inner section; some have barred spirals with stars and gas in a central bar ...
Astronomy Midterm Review Sheet
Astronomy Midterm Review Sheet

... The Greek astronomer Thales is reported to have predicted discovery of Uranus c. appearance of a comet total solar eclipse d. discovery of variable stars Which civilization worshipped the sun god, Ra? Assyrians b) Babylonians c) China d) Egypt e) India Precession can be detected by noting the a. cha ...
Eagle Nebula - Amazing Space
Eagle Nebula - Amazing Space

... The Eagle gets its name because to some the Nebula resembles the bird of prey with outstretched wings and talons bared. ...
PHYSICS 110: PHYSICS OF EVERYDAY PHENOMENA
PHYSICS 110: PHYSICS OF EVERYDAY PHENOMENA

Gemini
Gemini

... corresponds to a linear diameter of about 24 light years; its central density is about 6.21 stars per cubic parsec. Some authors have estimated a larger diameter of up to 46' (H. Shapley in 1930). With about 100 million years (WEBDA gives a value 95, the Sky Catalogue 2000.0 of 110 million years), i ...
Exploring Space What’s Out There?
Exploring Space What’s Out There?

Astronomy HOMEWORK Chapter 4 - University of San Diego Home
Astronomy HOMEWORK Chapter 4 - University of San Diego Home

Name - MIT
Name - MIT

... A) It is the world's largest operating telescope. B) It refers to any kind of instrument that can be hooked up to a telescope. C) It is an electronic detector that can be used in place of photographic film for taking images of the sky. D) It is a unit used by astronomers to measure angular resolutio ...
History
History

... Bode’s Rule (1851). Its orbit was between Mars and Jupiter. – Named it Ceres. – Many others were discovered (110 by 1900), and the “missing planets” formed a ring of “minor planets”. – Now over 650,000 minor planets. ...
File
File

... - small; sometimes active object - made of dirt, gas and ice ...
answers
answers

... This class is about the characteristics of stars and more importantly, how we know what we know. 1) The Sun looks much brighter than all the other stars because it is so close. It seems to have a fairly average luminosity. Other stars have luminosities that are up to a million times greater and down ...
PPT - University of Delaware
PPT - University of Delaware

... Thought to be most massive star(s) in our Milky Way Galaxy 10 M_sun Bipolar Nebula enshrouds star(s) from 1840’s “Giant Eruption” Very close so lots of data Data predicts system is actually a binary system with one star ~90 M_sun and the other ~30 M_sun Think it is in last stages of life before big ...
Theoretical Modeling of Massive Stars Mr. Russell University of Delaware
Theoretical Modeling of Massive Stars Mr. Russell University of Delaware

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Observational astronomy



Observational astronomy is a division of the astronomical science that is concerned with recording data, in contrast with theoretical astrophysics, which is mainly concerned with finding out the measurable implications of physical models. It is the practice of observing celestial objects by using telescopes and other astronomical apparatus.As a science, the study of astronomy is somewhat hindered in that direct experiments with the properties of the distant universe are not possible. However, this is partly compensated by the fact that astronomers have a vast number of visible examples of stellar phenomena that can be examined. This allows for observational data to be plotted on graphs, and general trends recorded. Nearby examples of specific phenomena, such as variable stars, can then be used to infer the behavior of more distant representatives. Those distant yardsticks can then be employed to measure other phenomena in that neighborhood, including the distance to a galaxy.Galileo Galilei turned a telescope to the heavens and recorded what he saw. Since that time, observational astronomy has made steady advances with each improvement in telescope technology.A traditional division of observational astronomy is given by the region of the electromagnetic spectrum observed: Optical astronomy is the part of astronomy that uses optical components (mirrors, lenses and solid-state detectors) to observe light from near infrared to near ultraviolet wavelengths. Visible-light astronomy (using wavelengths that can be detected with the eyes, about 400 - 700 nm) falls in the middle of this range. Infrared astronomy deals with the detection and analysis of infrared radiation (this typically refers to wavelengths longer than the detection limit of silicon solid-state detectors, about 1 μm wavelength). The most common tool is the reflecting telescope but with a detector sensitive to infrared wavelengths. Space telescopes are used at certain wavelengths where the atmosphere is opaque, or to eliminate noise (thermal radiation from the atmosphere). Radio astronomy detects radiation of millimetre to dekametre wavelength. The receivers are similar to those used in radio broadcast transmission but much more sensitive. See also Radio telescopes. High-energy astronomy includes X-ray astronomy, gamma-ray astronomy, and extreme UV astronomy, as well as studies of neutrinos and cosmic rays.Optical and radio astronomy can be performed with ground-based observatories, because the atmosphere is relatively transparent at the wavelengths being detected. Observatories are usually located at high altitudes so as to minimise the absorption and distortion caused by the Earth's atmosphere. Some wavelengths of infrared light are heavily absorbed by water vapor, so many infrared observatories are located in dry places at high altitude, or in space.The atmosphere is opaque at the wavelengths used by X-ray astronomy, gamma-ray astronomy, UV astronomy and (except for a few wavelength ""windows"") far infrared astronomy, so observations must be carried out mostly from balloons or space observatories. Powerful gamma rays can, however be detected by the large air showers they produce, and the study of cosmic rays is a rapidly expanding branch of astronomy.For much of the history of observational astronomy, almost all observation was performed in the visual spectrum with optical telescopes. While the Earth's atmosphere is relatively transparent in this portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, most telescope work is still dependent on seeing conditions and air transparency, and is generally restricted to the night time. The seeing conditions depend on the turbulence and thermal variations in the air. Locations that are frequently cloudy or suffer from atmospheric turbulence limit the resolution of observations. Likewise the presence of the full Moon can brighten up the sky with scattered light, hindering observation of faint objects.For observation purposes, the optimal location for an optical telescope is undoubtedly in outer space. There the telescope can make observations without being affected by the atmosphere. However, at present it remains costly to lift telescopes into orbit. Thus the next best locations are certain mountain peaks that have a high number of cloudless days and generally possess good atmospheric conditions (with good seeing conditions). The peaks of the islands of Mauna Kea, Hawaii and La Palma possess these properties, as to a lesser extent do inland sites such as Llano de Chajnantor, Paranal, Cerro Tololo and La Silla in Chile. These observatory locations have attracted an assemblage of powerful telescopes, totalling many billion US dollars of investment.The darkness of the night sky is an important factor in optical astronomy. With the size of cities and human populated areas ever expanding, the amount of artificial light at night has also increased. These artificial lights produce a diffuse background illumination that makes observation of faint astronomical features very difficult without special filters. In a few locations such as the state of Arizona and in the United Kingdom, this has led to campaigns for the reduction of light pollution. The use of hoods around street lights not only improves the amount of light directed toward the ground, but also helps reduce the light directed toward the sky.Atmospheric effects (astronomical seeing) can severely hinder the resolution of a telescope. Without some means of correcting for the blurring effect of the shifting atmosphere, telescopes larger than about 15–20 cm in aperture can not achieve their theoretical resolution at visible wavelengths. As a result, the primary benefit of using very large telescopes has been the improved light-gathering capability, allowing very faint magnitudes to be observed. However the resolution handicap has begun to be overcome by adaptive optics, speckle imaging and interferometric imaging, as well as the use of space telescopes.Astronomers have a number of observational tools that they can use to make measurements of the heavens. For objects that are relatively close to the Sun and Earth, direct and very precise position measurements can be made against a more distant (and thereby nearly stationary) background. Early observations of this nature were used to develop very precise orbital models of the various planets, and to determine their respective masses and gravitational perturbations. Such measurements led to the discovery of the planets Uranus, Neptune, and (indirectly) Pluto. They also resulted in an erroneous assumption of a fictional planet Vulcan within the orbit of Mercury (but the explanation of the precession of Mercury's orbit by Einstein is considered one of the triumphs of his general relativity theory).
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