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Space Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the frame of reference?

A

Anything that explains and gives you a relative sense of position/motion (e.g. relative to the Earth, the bus is moving, but to people on the bus, no) (参照物）

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2
Q

What are some examples of frames of reference that people use to examine the skies and what did they use them for?

A

Equator and Prime Meridian axes (latitude and longitude) celestial poles, etc.; to identify individual coordinates for celestial bodies

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3
Q

What did ancient people conclude about the skies (non-mythical)?

A
  • Stars make unchanging patterns (untrue, but only very little changes), these patterns look like objects (constellations)
  • Geocentric (False, but they used it)
  • On each successive day, each star rises 4 minutes earlier than before, so they change and people used this to create calendars (stars seen on different nights)
  • The sun and moon rise and set at a different rate than all the other stars, and the moon has phases
  • 5 other planets also rise and set differently (ancient people thought of them as special stars)
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4
Q

What are some legends/myths that ancient people made from the stars?

A
  • Egypt: 1. Pyramids built to align with stars so that pharaoh could go to heavens 2. Sun god Ra was carried by a boat in skies
  • Romans: 1. Jupiter = king of the gods and god of the skies
  • First Nations: 1. Bighorn Medicine Wheel (?) may have been observation 2. Big Dipper is bear running away from hunters 3. 3 hunters, 4 elk (Snohomish)
  • Maya: 1. Stars = gods 2. Events believed to coincide with celestial movement 3. Temples/pyramids designed to see certain stars through a window at certain important times 4. Accurate calendar by 800 AD
  • Ancient Celts: Stonehenge = summer+winter solstice
  • Polynesians: Sailors used stars to sail
  • Chinese: 1. First star catalogue by 甘德 400 BC 2. Detailed records/observations stored from 600 BC 3. Precisely predict eclipses
  • Ursa Major most well-known
  • Constellations change position but change shape rarely (Appear to rotate around North Star Polaris (but changes due to seasons (Earth revolution), and Earth’s axis tilt, Earth self rotation)
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5
Q

How do you measure celestial coordinates?

A

Altitude + Azimuth = Coordinates
- Altitude measured by an astrolabe and is degree from horizon
- Azimuth measured by a compass and is clockwise degree from direct north
- POLARIS ON HANDLE OF URSA MINOR

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6
Q

How do you observe the movement of celestial bodies?

A

You use other stars as a frame of reference (since their relative movement is less observable in calculations due to being so far) rather than Earth perspective since the Earth has self rotation

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7
Q

What are the 4 solstices and equinoxes and what are their dates?

A

Winter solstice (December 21, least daylight, Summer solstice (June 21, most daylight), Vernal equinox (March 20, equal day and night), Autumnal equinox (September 22, equal day and night)

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8
Q

What is the zenith?

A

The point directly above the observer (90 degree altitude)

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9
Q

History of the Geocentric Model

A
  1. First proposed: Aristotle (Greek): Earth = centre of universe, everything revolves around it in circular orbits
    - Failed to explain planets’ reversed motions (retrograde motion)
    - Universe had Earth and orbiting planets + outer spherical shell containing fixed stars (false)
  2. Improved: Ptolemy (Greek): Epicycles to explain retrograde motion, made more sense (Still complicated)
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10
Q

History of the Heliocentric Model

A

Proposed: Nicholas Copernicus (Polish): Sun = centre of universe, planets orbit in circular motion (Still contained epicycles)
- 1608: HANS LIPPERSHEY (Dutch) INVENTED TELESCOPE TO MAGNIFY
Improved (1): Galileo Galilei (Italian): Improved the telescope, used it on the skies
1. Found craters and mountains on Moon
2. Found Jupiter’s moons
3. Sun spots (cold areas on sun surface)
4. Could not see details of stars = Planets are much closer than stars
Improved (2): Johannes Kepler (German): Planetary orbits = elliptical (ellipses) not circular (Matches Tycho Brahe’s star chart numbers), finally removed epicycles

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11
Q

What is Isaac Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation?

A

A law that states that any two things in the universe has an attraction force that acts on each other depending on mass and mutual distance

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12
Q

Ellipses

A
  • Two focal points F1(-c,0) and F2(c,0)
  • Point M
  • MF1+MF2 =2a = 2*length of long axis
  • Formula: x2/a2 + y2/b2 = 1
  • Area = πab
  • Perimeter = 2π√((a2+b2)/2)
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13
Q

What is a telescope and what are its main components?

A

A tool used to observe objects that are very far away by magnifying them. It has ocular (eyepiece) and objective lens/mirrors. The objective is usually much larger than the ocular to gather more light and produce the magnifying effect.

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14
Q

What is resolving power and how can we increase it?

A

The clarity of the image a telescope can make; Make the objective lens larger

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15
Q

What is a refracting telescope, and its pros/cons?

A

A telescope that uses 2 lens (convex) (Objective to ocular).
Pros: Simple, good for planetary range, no maintenance required
Cons: Not good for deep sky, easy to sag, lens expensive

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16
Q

What is a reflecting telescope and its pros/cons?

A

A telescope that uses 1 lens and 2 mirrors (1 plane, 1 concave) (Concave to plane to eyepiece lens)
Pros: Good for deep sky, easy, low cost
Cons: Prone to optic damage, constant alignment

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17
Q

What is a combination telescope?

A

A telescope that uses both lens and mirrors (Order: Correcting lens to objective mirror to secondary mirror to eyepiece)

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18
Q

Refractors vs Reflectors

A

Refractors can give better images when having the same diameter as a reflector, but a reflector can be made much bigger

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19
Q

What are radio telescopes, who invented them, and what do they do?

A
  • Radio telescopes use radio waves to see through dust clouds optical telescopes cannot (Computers colour the data to produce images)
  • Invented by Karl Jansky+Grote Reber in 1930s
  • Images have less quality than opticals but can be used any time
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20
Q

What are arcseconds and arcminutes?

A

(NOT ACTUAL TIME) 1/3600th of 1 degree = 1 arcsecond, 1/60th of 1 degree = 1 arcminute

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21
Q

How to calculate magnification for a refracting telescope?

A

Magnification = objective focal length / eyepiece focal length

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22
Q

What is interferometry?

A

The technology of connecting two or more telescopes to unite into producing 1 whole image that is AS GOOD AS IF THE TELESCOPE HAD THE DIAMETER OF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE TWO
e.g. Mauna Kea Twin Keck Optical Telescopes (reflective) and Karl G. Jansky VLA (25 radio telescopes in Y formation)

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23
Q

What is very long baseline interferometry (VLBI)?

A

Using non-wired radio telescopes + space telescopes (far away) to mimic the function of a massive telescope larger than Earth
(Much better than optical)

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24
Q

What are ground based telescopes and their pros/cons?

A

Telescopes built on the ground. They are usually in highly elevated areas.
- Can be connected together
- Cheaper
- Easier to maintain/upgrade
- Not as clear as space based
E.g. Gran Telescopio Canary Islands (10.4m reflective), Mauna Kea, Karl G. Jansky, etc.

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25
What is adaptive optics and which type of telescope does it apply to?
Ground based telescopes only; It adjust mirrors to cancel the effects of atmospheric distortion of the produced images (makes it clearer)
26
What are space based telescopes and their pros/cons?
Telescopes built on Earth then sent to space. Pros: Can view deep space, no atmospheric distortion Cons: Expensive to create and difficult to maintain E.g. Hubble Space Telescope (1990), James Webb Telescope (2021), Kepler Space Telescope (2009) - Hubble 1.2m radius vs James Webb 3.25m radius, J.W. 7.4 times more light, 2.71 times clearer
27
What is spectroscopy?
The study of the absorption/emission of light and other radiation by matter
28
What was the result when Isaac Newton put light through a prism (refraction)?
The white light split into a spectrum of colors and he discovered all different colours of light combine to form white light. The second prism was used to put it back to white light to prove that Newton did not color the prisms.
29
What is a spectroscope?
A device that refracts light so that it turns into a rainbow (for finer detail than the prism). Transitioned from mirrors to diffraction gratings.
30
What did Joseph von Fraunhofer do in the 1820s?
He used a spectroscope to observe the Sun’s spectrum, and he found hundreds of dark lines. These lines are spectral lines. (Invented in 1814)
31
What are spectral lines and why are they important?
- Spectral lines are certain wavelengths that have shortage/excess of photons compared to the uniform spectrum where it resides (e.g. black lines in colored background or colored lines in black background) - Each element has a different set of spectral lines, so the lines act as each element or compound’s fingerprint (Astronomers use this to see what stars are made of). - The shift in spectral lines also tells you how to use the Doppler Effect.
32
Who discovered the importance of spectral lines, when and how?
1859, Robert Bunsen + Gustav Kirchhoff used the spectroscope after heating elements to find the individual “fingerprints” of the elements
33
What are the 3 types of spectra?
Emission/Bright Line, Continuous, Absorption/Dark Line
34
How does emission spectra work?
Emission/Bright Line Spectra: Gas heated under low pressure results in a black spectrum with few colored lines (the certain wavelengths that the gas emits)
35
How does continuous spectra work?
Continuous Spectra: A heated gas at high pressure or heated solid/liquid shows a continuous colored spectrum with no black lines (Intensity and peak wavelength show temperature)
36
How does absorption spectra work?
Absorption/Dark Line Spectrum: Gas heated under high pressure or heated solid/liquid emits light which passes through a cooler gas then to the spectrometer. Because of the cooler gas, some wavelengths become black lines as the gas absorbed it.
37
How do diffraction gratings work?
Extended from some results in Thomas Young’s double slit experiment; waves interfere with each other and all these waves combined form a spectrum. This is used more than prisms as it is uniformly distributed and more detailed.
38
What is spectral analysis?
If the lines on a object’s spectrum matches an element’s spectrum, if they match then the object has that element
39
What major discoveries were made using spectroscopes and better telescopes?
- William Herschel: Uranus - Gerald Kuiper: Methane gas in Titan and 2 of Uranus’s moons
40
What is the Doppler Effect?
If an object’s spectrum is blue-shifting, it is moving closer, and if it is red-shifting, it is moving farther away. This change is due to light/sound wavelengths changing in motion. (Waves compressed, degree tells you the speed) (The spectral lines moving which side tells you which shift)
41
What is the life cycle of an average star?
1. Some parts of a stellar nebula gather together and accrete mass to form a star 2. The star starts burning hydrogen and helium 3. Becomes a red giant when no more hydrogen 4. Once fuel is used up, it starts fusing until carbon or oxygen 5. Expands, then shrinks, then outer layers become new nebula, leaving behind a white dwarf
42
What is the life cycle of a massive star?
1. Nebula some parts accrete a lot of mass to become a massive star 2. Uses up fuel 3. Becomes a red supergiant when no more hydrogen 4. Fuses up to iron 5. No more energy, shrinks then explodes into supernova 6. Leaves behind neutron star, black hole, or gravastar
43
What are the thermal and light properties of the 3 main types of stars?
1: Main sequence stars: Usually quite bright, the cooler the dimmer 2: Giants + Supergiants: Cool + Bright 3: White dwarfs: Hot + Dim
44
What is triangulation/parallax and how does it work?
1. Use a baseline (Earth Solstices 2AU long) 2. Measure the angles to the distant object (Wait 6 months for next measurement) 3. Create a small scale drawing 4. Measure the direct distance in the scaled drawing 5. Use scale factor to find out the true distance
45
Units for space
- Astronomical Unit (AU, the distance between the Earth and the Sun (150 million km)) - Light year, the distance light travels in a year: 9.5*10^12 km) - Light speed: 3x10^8 m/s - 1 light year = 63240 AU
46
What are the types of electromagnetic radiation and what is it?
Radio, Microwaves, Infrared, visible light, UV, X-rays, gamma rays; Photons carrying both electric and magnetic energy and differs in energy levels (wavelength*frequency = light speed, frequency * constant = energy)
47
What is radio astronomy?
How astronomers use radio waves to learn about space
48
What did Karl Jansky do?
He discovered radio waves from space that were proportionate to the rise and fall of celestial objects; These radio waves interfered with phone calls
49
What did Grote Reber do?
He extended on Jansky’s discoveries; Used a radio dish to listen to the sky and found RADIO OBJECTS (spots that emitted more radio waves than others)
50
Why are radio telescopes so large?
To catch radio waves which have very long wavelengths that would otherwise not hit the telescope
51
What are rockets and how do they work?
Tube with combustible fuel and payload on two opposite ends; Burns fuel and exhaust pushes rocket up in reverse
52
What is exhaust velocity?
The speed at which exhaust leaves the rocket
53
What is a staged rocket?
A rocket that would drop its parts to be lighter and go faster. Each part has its own fuel, e.g. Falcon 9
54
What did Robert Goddard do?
Invented the first rocket, used liquid fuel to increase exhaust velocity
55
Who was Werner von Braun?
A German scientist who invented the first V-2 rocket (ballistic missile: bomb with rocket engine that uses gravity to fall onto target). He was later captured by the US and was used in the space race.
56
What is a cosmonaut?
Russian term for astronaut
57
History of computers controlling the rockets?
- At first only ground computers (kept data, calculated orbits, execute orders) - Later, computers small enough to fit in spacecraft; Space + ground exchange info and both control rocket
58
What is gravitational assist?
Using the gravitational pull of a planet to slingshot the satellite towards a calculated direction (similar to black hole ergosphere slingshot theory)
59
What are CCDs?
Charge coupled devices that replaced photographic plates to record images (converts light to electrical then sends to computer)
60
What are satellites and the two types?
Celestial bodies that orbit another due to gravity. - Natural: E.g. Moons around planets, planets around stars, stars around black hole, etc. - Artificial (man made):We send artificial satellites to space to collect information and communicate
61
What are geosynchronous orbits?
- A type of orbit that matches Earth’s rotation speed - Looks like a figure 8 from Earth - Approximately 36000 km to match rotational speed - E.g. TV network, global broadcast, etc.
62
What are geostationary orbits?
- A type of geosynchronous orbit (same altitude) - Inclination of 0 degrees (ALWAYS ABOVE THE EQUATOR) - Appears stationary from Earth - Provides coverage for the same place (E.g. use direct-to-home TV)
63
What are low earth orbits?
- Any orbit between 200 and 2000km in altitude, usually less than 800km - Used for services that need to eliminate time lag (e.g. telecommunications) - Most satellites reside here (ISS, Hubble, observation satellites, spy satellites, etc.) - 1.5h to orbit Earth
64
Communication vs monitoring satellites
Communication: For communication Monitoring: For GPS and weather services, etc.
65
What is the science of measuring Earth + other planets using satellites from space?
Remote sensing
66
What is the GPS and how does it work?
- Middle Earth Orbit (MEO) about 20 000 km up - A system of satellites that gives you your location if you have an electronic transmitter that gets processed by computer calculations and electromagnetic imaging - 3 parts: Satellites, ground stations (support monitoring+commands), receivers (transmitter) - Trilateration: At least 3 satellites to confirm your location by intersection
67
What are space probes and examples?
Unmanned exploratory spacecraft used to spread information about Earth (Escapes Earth’s gravity) (E.g. Voyager I 166 AU away)
68
What is our cosmic address?
Earth, Solar System, Milky Way Galaxy, Local Group, Virgo Supercluster, Universe
69
What is the solar system and what is its boundaries?
A gravitationally bound system consisting of the Sun, planets, moons, asteroids, comets, meteoroids, etc. The border is solar wind (If it feels the sun’s particles it is within the solar system)
70
What are solar flares and solar winds?
Flares: Violent outbursts of plasma (subatomic particles) from the sun; Winds: Continuous steady stream of plasma out into the solar system that form the heliosphere (They both stream out)
71
What are solar prominences?
“Limbs”/“loops”/“arches” of plasma that stretch outside of the Sun
72
How does the Sun get its energy?
Nuclear fusion (Hydrogen to Helium)
73
What are the 8 planets and 2 types?
(Inner) Terrestrial (Rock): Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars (Outer) Gas Giants (Gas): Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune (ALL GAS GIANTS HAVE RINGS)
74
The Sun
- Large globe of hydrogen and helium - 99.8% of all mass in the solar system - A main sequence star - 15 million degrees celsius - 1.4 million km diameter
75
The Moon
- Earth’s only significantly large natural satellite - Orbits Earth in 29 days - Set foot on by Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin on July 21, 1969 - 1/6 Earth gravity - Negligible gravity - Lots of craters, lava flow proof - Ice at poles
76
Planet
A celestial body that orbits a star
77
Moon
A natural satellite of a planet
78
Star
A celestial object in the sky that produces its own light by nuclear fusion
79
Asteroid
Small rocky object orbiting the Sun (smaller than dwarf) larger than 10m
80
Comet
Small icy object orbiting the Sun and has a tail of gas
81
Meteor
An asteroid/meteoroid that burns+vaporizes upon entry into Earth’s atmosphere; aka shooting stars
82
Black hole
A region of space surrounding a singularity that has such great gravitational pull that no radiation or matter can escape once beyond event horizon
83
Nebula
A cloud of gas and dust in outer space
84
Meteoroid
A small rocky object orbiting the Sun smaller than 10m
85
Fireball
A meteor brighter than planet Venus
86
Bolide
A large meteor that explodes in the atmosphere
87
Meteorite
Fragment of meteor that survived the burn in the atmosphere, hits the ground
88
Meteor Showers
When numerous meteors streak across the sky
89
Solar Eclipse
Moon comes in between Earth and Sun (approximately 2.4/year), blocking the Sun
90
Lunar Eclipse
Moon goes behind the Earth, so we cannot see the Moon
91
Mercury
Small rocky planet with large iron core. Days can be extremely hot and nights cold due to having no atmosphere and being in close proximity to the Sun
92
Venus
CO2 filled atmosphere which makes it the hottest planet in the Solar system. Rotates westward.
93
Earth
Rocky planet with perfect atmosphere and liquid water; suitable for life. Has a iron-nickel core, a rocky mantle and a thin crust
94
Mars
Cold, desolate reddish brown planet due to being far away and having iron oxides in surface (despite having 95% CO2, it is much thinner than Venus CO2 atmosphere)
95
Jupiter
Massive gas giant (Planet with most mass in solar system) filled with hydrogen and helium, orange-white-brown-ish
96
Saturn
Famous for rings, yellow, made of hydrogen. Rings made of ice and rock
97
Uranus
Tilted 90 degrees, big, gassy, blue, made of ethane, methane, ethine, ammonia. Rocky core
98
Neptune
Darker blue, methane, hydrogen, helium
99
Pluto
Demoted to dwarf planet recently; Rocky dwarf planet that rotates westward; not much is known about it
100
What speed to escape Earth’s gravity?
8km/s or >Mach 20 (20x speed of sound), makes it difficult to escape
101
Sputnik, Vostok?
Sputnik was the first spacecraft to orbit Earth and Vostok was the first to carry a human into space (cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin)
102
What was Freedom 7?
The first American spacecraft to carry a human into space (Alan Shepherd)
103
What was Apollo 11?
The first moon-landing July 21 1969, carrying Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins
104
What were the Apollo missions?
An American mission to put people on the Moon
105
First International space mission
Apollo/Soyuz
106
How were the oxygen supplies of Apollo and Soyuz different and how were they linked?
Link: Module between with a togglable atmosphere to ease transitions; Difference: Soyuz used chemical reactions to make normal air that had oxygen while Apollo compressed it
107
What was Colombia and why was it important?
First space shuttle developed by NASA; Reusable rockets, shuttle came back down safely
108
Who were the first Canadian astronauts?
Roberta Bondar, Steve Mclean, Ken Money, Robert Thirsk, Bjarni Tryggvason, Marc Garneau. Marc Garneau first Canadian (Challenger 1984), Roberta Bondar first Canadian woman (Discovery 1992)
109
What is the ISS?
An international space station created by 16 different national space agencies across the world including Canada; Conducts research in microgravity environment; Contains a robotic arm from Canada named the Canadarm2

Science 9 (5 decks)

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