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Astronomy Exam 1

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Term
Definition
Kepler's 1st Law of Planetary Motion   Planet's orbit is an ellipse; with Sun at one focus  
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Kepler's 2nd Law of Planetary Motion   Object orbiting Sun on elliptic orbit is FASTEST when CLOSEST to Sun and SLOWEST when FURTHEST from the Sun  
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Kepler's 3rd Law of Planetary Motion   Periods (YEARS) are related to planets' orbital sizes (a in AU); applies to planets orbiting a 1 solar mass star p^2=a^3  
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Newton's 1st Law of Gravity   body at rest/ motion STAYS in rest/motion UNLESS acted upon an outside FORCE  
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Newton's 2nd Law of Gravity   F=ma (Force=mass x acceleration) more mass--more force to accelerate  
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Newton's 3rd Law of Gravity   Every action has an EQUAL and OPPOSITE force  
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Occam's Razor   Scientists should prefer the simpler of two models that agrees with the observations  
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scientific paradigm   General pattern of thought that tends to shape scientific study for a specific time period  
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diameter of Earth   8,000 miles  
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circumference of Earth   24,900 miles  
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Average/Mean Earth-Sun distance   93.9 million miles (=1 AU)  
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1 light-year   DISTANCE light travels in a vacuum in a year  
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right ascension   (LONGITUDE) but on the celestial sphere [used in equatorial coordinate system]  
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declination   (LATITUDE) but on the celestial sphere [used in equatorial coordinate system]  
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elevation angle   number of DEGREES between the horizon and the object (AKA altitude, used in horizon coordinate system]  
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azimuth   direction around the horizon from due north (used in horizon coordinate system)  
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ecliptic   Sun's apparent annual path among the constellations (fundamental great circle of ecliptic coordinate system)  
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zodiac   constellations on the celestial sphere through which the ecliptic passes  
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vernal equinox   points at which the sun passes through the equator making the DAY AS LONG AS NIGHT (FALL & SPRING equinox)  
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celestial meridian   circle that connects the zenith with the north and south poles  
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zenith   straight UP from observer  
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nadir   straight DOWN from observer  
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north celestial pole   point on the celestial sphere directly above earth's north pole  
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latitude (on Earth)   angular NORTH-SOUTH distance between Earth's equator and a location on Earth's surface  
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longitude (on Earth)   angular EAST-WEST distance between Earth's prime meridian and a location on Earth's  
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What causes the seasons?   Earth's 23 & 1/2 degree tilt on its axis  
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precession of the equinoxes   slow change in direction of the axis of Earth's rotation  
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Pythagorus   a^2+b^2=c^2  
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scientific method   based on observation, logic and skepticism  
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Hypothesis   collection of ideas that seems to explain a phenomenon  
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model   hypotheses that have withstood observational or experimental tests  
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Theory   a body of related hypotheses can be pieced together into a self consistent description of nature  
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laws of physics   theories that accurately describe the workings of physical reality, have stood the test of time and have been shown to have great and general validity  
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Solar system planet order   sun, mercury, venus, earth, mars, jupiter, saturn, uranus, neptune, pluto (no longer considered planet)  
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quasar   light emitted from the mass falling into the massive black hole inside the center of a galaxy  
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angular distance between stars   if you draw lines from your eye to each of the two stars, the angle between the two stars  
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