The Cosmic Perspective: The Science of Astronomy (Chapter 3) Flashcards
(26 cards)
Any way of searching for knowledge that makes no claim to follow the scientific method, such as seeking knowledge through intuition, tradition, or faith
Nonscience
Plural of Focus
Foci
The 19-year period, discovered by the Babylonian astronomer Meton, over which the lunar phases occur on the same dates
Metonic Cycle
The region on Earth surrounding the equator and extending from the Tropic of Capricorn (Latitude 23.5S) to the Tropic of Cancer (Latitude 23.5N)
Tropics
A measure of how much an ellipse deviates from a perfect circle; is defined as the center-to-focus distance divided by the length of the semimajor axis
Eccentricity
Law states that the orbit of each planet about the Sun is an ellipse with the Sun at one focus
Kepler’s First Law
The principle that, as a planet moves around its orbit, it sweeps out equal areas in equal times; a planet moves faster when it’s closer to the Sun than when it’s farther from the Sun
Kepler’s Second Law
The principle that the square of a planet’s orbital period is proportional to the cube of its average distance from the Sun; more distant planets move slowly in their orbits
Kepler’s Third Law
Motion that’s backward compared to the norm
Retrograde Motion
The point at which an object orbiting the Sun is farthest from the Sun
Aphelion
A model of some aspect of nature that has been rigorously tested and has passed all tests to date
Scientific Theory
A principle utilized in science maintains that scientists should prefer simpler two models that agree equally well with observations
Occam’s Razor
One of two particular points within an ellipse that lie along the central axis; is the points around which we could stretch a pencil and string to draw an ellipse. When one object orbits a second object, the second object lies at one focus of the orbit
Focus (of an ellipse)
Navigation on the surface of the Earth accomplished by observations of the Sun and stars
Celestial Navigation
The point at which an object orbiting the Sun is closest to it
Perihelion
Something that may appear to be scientific but doesn’t stick to the testing and verification requirements of the scientific method
Pseudoscience
Three laws discovered by Kepler describes the motion of the planets around the Sun
Kepler’s Law of Planetary Motion
Direction around the horizon from due north measured clockwise in degrees
Azimuth
A tentative model proposed to explain some set of observed facts but hasn;t yet been rigorously tested and confirmed
Hypothesis
A type of oval that happens to be the shape of bound orbits
Ellipse
Half the distance across the long axis of an ellipse; usually referred to as the average distance of an orbiting object
Semimajor Axis
Proposed the Geocentric model of the solar system based on his observations
Copernicus
Improved on Copernicus’ estimates of celestial events by recording the movement of celestial objects
Tycho
Discarded the idea of circular orbits and discovered that the planets have elliptical orbits with the sun at one of the ellipsis’ foci
Keppler
