ASTR 1010 Astronomy of the Solar System

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ASTR 1010Astronomy of the Solar System

• Dr. Brooke Skelton

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Initial thoughts

• What do you think this course is going to be
  about?
• What do you most want to learn in this course?

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Initial groups

• Introduce yourself whats your major, why are
  you taking this course?
• What is astronomy?

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Group ground rules

• Listen. All perspectives are valid. Some
  questions will have correct and incorrect
  answers, but others will involve observing and
  thinking and may not have a right answer!
• Take notes, both of your ideas and others.
• Dont erase! If you change your mind, put a big
  X, or start a new paragraph with new answer, or
  use a different color I want to see your
  thought process.

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Initial groups

• Introduce yourself whats your major, why are
  you taking this course?
• What is astronomy?
• What is planetary science?
• What is the solar system?

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Revisit initial thoughts

• Any changes?
• What do you think this course is going to be
  about?
• What do you most want to learn about the solar
  system?

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Some of Dr. Skeltons favorites
Enceladus
Saturns rings
http//photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA08954
http//photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA05421
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LOTS of brand new stuff!
Venus South Pole as seen by Venus Express (April
2007)
Venus (6/5/07)
FALL 2007
http//www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/messenger/multim
edia/venus_flyby.html
http//www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Venus_Express/SEMQKVU6
81F_1.html
MESSENGERs trip to Mercury
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LOTS of brand new stuff!
MESSENGER Next fly-by 10/6/08!
Mercury (1/14/08)
http//messenger.jhuapl.edu/gallery/sciencePhotos/
image.php?gallery_id2image_id192
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Old News
Comet Tempel 1 (7/4/05)
Saturns moon Titan (1/21/05)
http//photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA02137
Deep Impact
Viewed from afar
http//sci.esa.int/science-e/www/object/index.cfm?
fobjectid36397
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Ongoing missions
http//marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/press/spiri
t/20070503a/Figure_2_br.jpg

• Mars Rovers (Spirit and Opportunity)
• Mars Odyssey
• Mars Express
• Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

http//saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/multimedia/images/index
.cfm (7/19/07)
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Going to have to wait for this
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The Logic Cube

• What is on the bottom of the cube?
• RULES
• No touching!
• No moving around!
• Talk to one another!
• Jot down the rules of the cube as you go along.

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Scientific method
http//www.strategictransitions.com/images/scienti
ficmethod.gif
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Guiding Questions

• What is planetary science?
• What are some of the recent spacecraft
  discoveries about the planets?
• Where are some of the new space probes headed?
• How does the scientific method work?
• What is the difference between a hypothesis and a
  theory?
• What is the difference between a theory and a
  fact?

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Assignments for next time

• READ Section 1.4 and the Observing the Planets
  part of Section 2.2
• Make red/blue/yellow/green cards
• Log in/register for MasteringAstronomy