Understanding Our Place in the Cosmos

Objectives: ,[object Object],[object Object],Overview of Astronomy

1/ What is the value/benefit of Astronomy? ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]

Astronomical distances and sizes are so large that astronomers use special units Astronomical Unit (AU) – applicable inside the solar system = average distance between Sun and Earth = 150,000,000 km = 1.5 x 10 8 km Light-Year (ly) – applicable between stars and galaxies = distance light travels in one year = ~ 9 x 10 12 km

The Solar System: ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],Scale of the Universe and Overview of Contents

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Stars and Other Things in the Galaxy ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]

[object Object],100,000 light years across, contains ~ 200 billion stars. ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],Downtown (Sun) and Neighborhoods (Planets).

Other Galaxies and the Rest of the Universe ,[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object],[object Object]

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Graphical Summary of the scale levels of the Universe, from the Earth, to the Solar System, to the Galaxy, to the Universe as a whole! Powers of Ten movie

Understanding Our Place in the Cosmos

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