Discovering the Universe (ACC)
Unit 1: Discovering the Universe (weeks 1,2)
Major Theme: The shores of the great cosmic ocean.
“The known is finite, the unknown infinite; intellectually we stand on an islet in the midst of an illimitable ocean of inexplicably. Our business in every generation is to reclaim a little more land.” – T.H. Huxley, 1887.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the size and age of the universe and Earth’s place in it.
- Use the scientific method to study universe.
- Describe the essential aspects of a scientific model and evaluate cosmological models in the context of scientific model making.
- Compare and contrast a mythical and a scientific cosmological model with specific examples from Babylonian and Greek astronomy.
- Demonstrate how scientists use mathematics, including graphs to find patterns in nature.
Outline:
The scope, scale, and timeline of the Universe
- Earth occupies a small place in the universe.
- The Scale of the Solar System, our galaxy, and the Universe.
- Your cosmological address: Earth, Solar System, Milky Way Galaxy, Local Group, Local Supercluster
- History of the Universe and Big Bang Cosmology
Science as a way of viewing the universe
- The scientific method
- Cosmological principle and Occam’s razor
- The process of science
- The stellar realm: constellations, celestial sphere
- Scientific Revolutions
Using mathematics to find patterns
- Powers of Ten
- Interpreting data with graphs
- Review Appendix 1
Activities & Assignments:
- Pre-test: first day (no graded)
- Purchase your textbook.
- Download your the course lab manual.
- Reading assignment: Textbook Chapter 1
- Lecture-tutorials (in-class green book): Star Charts (pg.19); Looking at Distant Objects (pg.149).
Resources:
The Cosmic Voyage (review of powers of ten)
VideoPodcast: Scale of our galaxy and Inter-Galactic Scale
Tutorial: Scales of the Universe
Star Party: DAS Open House at Chamberlain Observatory
