Astronomy and Cosmologies week 1 Spring 2005 Welcome

Astronomy and Cosmologies week 1, Spring 2005 • • • Welcome and introductions Schedule and our Web pages Books and equipment Assignments and Covenant Survey and break • Introduction to Astro & Cosmo • Tonight’s workshop

Welcome to Astronomy & Cosmologies E. J. Zita, Ph. D, Physics (call me Zita) Email: zita@evergreen. edu Office hours: Tuesday 3: 00 -4: 00, Lab II 2270/2 What is Astronomy? What are Cosmologies? Logistics and introductions

Astronomy? Cosmology?

Introduction to Astro & Cosmo Astronomy: • what is in the sky? • why does it look like that? • how and why does it change? Cosmologies: What is the origin, structure, and evolution of the Universe? • How can we explain what we observe? • What does it mean to me and my people? • How did/do other cultures understand the structure and meaning of the universe?

our Web page: bookmark this site! http: //academic. evergreen. edu/curricular/astro/ astro 2005/home. htm

Schedule

Introductions and partners • Tell us your NAME and ONE thing you hope to learn this quarter (in 10 words or less) • Where do you live (generally: A-dorm? Tacoma? ) • Find a class partner. • Trade phone numbers, email, and addresses • Take responsibility for getting information to each other if you miss anything.

Weekly homework and quizzes • Do the Universe homework with answers in back • Ask questions about HW to learn more • Don’t turn it in – put HW in your portfolio • Take the online Universe quizzes each week – register tonight

Web. Crossing (Web. X) • You will post most of your assignments online * PIQs = Points, Insights, and Questions (teams) * one-page essays * team research projects * online quizzes • Weekly Universe quizzes • Occasional in. Qsit quizzes • Take the Web. Survey this Friday – see link on syllabus • You will learn to use Web. X on Wednesday

Take the green survey… … get your photo taken, …then take a break (bring food to class if you like) Class resumes promptly at _____

Looking at the sky: what you see depends on… • Where you are • When • Your cultural background

Astronomical distances and sizes are … astronomical We use Scientific Notation to make huge numbers tractable Let’s look at Box 1 -2 (p. 11) together. You will get more practice with the Estimating ET workshop.

Tonight’s workshop: Estimating ET

title • text

Distances and angles Even if we don’t know the distance to an object, angles are easy to measure. By total coincidence, the Sun and Moon happen to subtend nearly the same angle from Earth at the moment. Therefore, we can have eclipses.

In this week’s Space and Time workshop, you’ll use your hands to find angles. Also discover the field of view of your binocs.

2 p radians = 360 degrees 1 degree = 60 arcminutes 1 arcminute = 60 arcseconds 1 AU = 93 million miles = 150 million km 1 parsec ~ 3 light years