Study Guide for Exam 1

Listed below are some items to consider when studying for the first exam. This should not be regarded as an exhaustive list, and you should combine this with general chapter reviews, review of your homeworks, and your own judgement. This exam will cover all or part of Chaisson & McMillan chapters 1-5.

Note that the topics listed below are merely guidelines for emphasis, and there is no guarantee that some question(s) will not be included that cover other topics from the readings or lectures. Also note that many of the questions on the exam may be similar to questions that were assigned for homework.

You will not be expected to perform calculations for the test. The exam will be a mixture of multiple choice, true/false, fill-in, and short answer.

Ch. 1 - Intro/Observation

• Definition of science and scientific method. What distinguishes science from non-science.
• Definition of astronomy and the universe
• Definition/use of celestial sphere, eliptic, constellations, zodiac
• Definition of solstice and equinox
• Definition of Astronomical Unit (not numerical value)
• Definition/use of parallax
• Difference between astronomy and astrology
• Cycles in sky: diurnal, annual, lunar; Typical motions associated with these cycles
• Cause of seasons
• Sidereal vs solar day; sidereal vs tropical year; sidereal vs synodic month
• Lunar phases, including appearance, time between phases, rising and setting times
• Definition of sloar/lunar eclipse; Conditions required for solar/lunar eclipse
• Understand/convert scientific notation

• Know major contributions to astronomy by
  • Erathostenes
  • Ptolemy
  • Copernicus
  • Galileo
  • Brahe
  • Newton
• Definitions of geocentric and heliocentric; Evidence for each model
• "Problem of the planets"
  • Definition of retrograde motion
  • Solution on geocentric cosmology
  • Solution in heliocentric cosmology
• Kepler's Laws (not mathematical equations, but meaning of)
• Newton's Laws & implications
  • Orbits - Why doesn't moon fall?
  • How do Newton's laws imply Kepler's?
  • Similarities between orbital motion and projectile motion near surface of Earth
  • Whay are Newton's laws more fundamental (superior) than Kepler's

Chapters 3 and 4 - Radiation and Spectroscopy

• Properties of waves - amplitude, medium, wavelength, period, frequency, speed; Relationships between frequency & period, frequency & wavelength & speed
• Electromagnetic waves & non-electromagnetic waves; Electromagnetic radiation vs non-electromagnetic radiation
• Speed of light ("c")
• Electromagnetic spectrum. Don't need to know specific wavelengths/frequencies, but should know relationships (longer or shorter wavelength/lower or higher frequency) between different regions and between different colors of visible light
• Windows of transparency in atmosphere
• Wave properties of light - diffraction, interference
• Particle properties of light - photon energy, photoelectric effect
• Thermal radiation: Stefan's Law, Wien's Law, Planck curve; Measuring temperature from spectrum
• Doppler shift, red shift, blue shift
• Different types of spectra:
  • Continuous spectra: Planck spectrum/black body spectrum/thermal spectrum
  • Line spectra: emission spectrum, absorption spectrum
  • What information can be obtained from each kind of spectrum?
• Kirchoff's Laws

Chapter 5 - Telescopes

• Reflecting vs refracting; Advantages of reflecting
• Telescope properties - magnification, sensitivity, resolution; How can each be increased; How do they depend on telescope diameter; Which are more important
• Definition of seeing; How it affects astronomical observation
• Windows of transparency in atmosphere; Which types of astronomy can be done on Earth surface, which have to be done in space?
• Ways to improve images: adaptive optics, image processing, interferometry
• Astronomy in different regions of spectrum: radio, IR, UV, X-ray, Gamma-ray