Series Overview: Guided tour of the universe covering planets, stars, black holes, galaxies, subatomic particles, and universe's fate.
Science Overview
Definition of Science:
Body of knowledge and a method for acquiring knowledge.
Science is honest and acknowledges our understanding might be wrong.
Learning Through Science:
Observing universe, hypothesizing, and testing ideas.
Understanding reality through iterative learning.
Astronomyâs Unique Perspective
Human Connection:
Humans are primates with mass, and dependent on cellular processes like mitochondria.
Astronomyâs Scope:
Earthâs place in universe: a sphere with an atmosphere, magnetic field, located near the sun which influences space and illuminates celestial bodies.
Milky Way: contains stars, gas clouds, a supermassive black hole, globular clusters, dark matter, dwarf galaxies.
Local Group: includes Andromeda and Triangulum, part of the Virgo supercluster.
Universe: 90-billion light years across, expanding due to dark energy, possibly part of a multiverse.
Defining Astronomy
Traditional View: Study of celestial objects.
Modern View: Expands into chemistry, geology, hydrology, and petrology (e.g., Mars rovers).
Interdisciplinary Nature: Borders with other sciences are fuzzy.
Focus on Astronomers
Diverse Roles:
Traditional Astronomers: Observing through telescopes, analyzing data.
Astrophysicists: Using math and physics to test hypotheses about celestial phenomena.
Engineers and Technicians: Design, build, and use telescopes and other instruments.
Educators and Science Communicators: Teach and communicate findings to the public.
History and Evolution of Astronomy
Ancient Observations:
Recognizing celestial patterns for agricultural cycles.
Early astrology intertwined with astronomy.
Geocentric View: Earth as the center of the universe, endorsed by ancient philosophers and religions.
Heliocentric Revolution:
Copernicus: Proposed sun-centered system.
Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler: Improved heliocentric model.
Isaac Newton: Developed calculus to understand celestial motion.
Technological Advances:
Telescopes: Improved by Galileo and Newton.
Photography: Enhanced celestial imaging.
Digital Detectors and Space Telescopes: Furthered observations.
Modern Astronomy Achievements
New Questions and Certainties:
Stars and other worlds exist, search for extraterrestrial life.
Galaxy consists of 100 billion stars, 4% of the observable universe visible.
Stars create elements essential for life through explosions.
New discoveries continuously challenge our understanding and imagination.
Conclusion
Ready to Explore: Understanding the universe through astronomy includes contributions from diverse fields.