SIARGAO ISLAND INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Dapa, Surigao del Norte

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

EARTH AND LIFE SCIENCE

Chapter 1
ORIGIN OF THE UNIVERSE AND THE SOLAR SYSTEM
This Chapter deals with the historical development of theories on the origin of the Universe, the
cosmological principles of homogeneity and isotropy, Hubble’s Law and the Big Bang.
The two assumptions of homogeneity and isotropy are known as cosmological principles. The implications
of these principles are:
1. The universe has no edges, because that would violate the principle of homogeneity;
2. The universe has no center, because that would violate the principle of isotropy, the universe looks the
same in all direction.
THE BIRTH OF THE UNIVERSE
Hubble’s Law
Hubble’s Law is used to determine the distance to galaxies and quassars. According to Hubble’s Law, the
univers is rushing away from us and the recession velocity is proportional to distance.
Hubble’s Law also implies that 14 billion years ago, all the galaxies in the universe lay right on top of each
other.
Big Bang Theory
It states that all matter and radiation in the universe originated from an explosion at a finite time in the
past. In 1940, a hot big bang in which the temperature of matter and radiation decreased with time was
suggested by George Gamow, in an attempt to explain the observed abundance of some elements by
cosmological nucleosynthesis. A prediction of primeval-fireball radiation from the hot early phases
following the big bang was verified by the discovery the cosmic microwave background in 1965.
WHERE DID THE BIG BANG OCCUR?
The observed recession of the galaxies described Hubble’s Law implies that all the galaxies exploded
from a point sometime in the past. The entire universe was the point. The Big Bang happened
everywhere at once.
THEORIES ABOUT THE UNIVERSE
Galileo was an italian mathematician and philosopher, who heard about a new invention - the telescope.
In 1604, Galileo decided to build one. His discoveries can be summarized as follows:
1. The Moon has mountains, valley and craters similar to those of Earth.
2. The Sun has imperfections - dark blemishes called sun spot.
Kepler summarized the motions of all planets known at the time into three Laws of Planetary Motion:
1. The orbits of the planets are elliptical with the sun at one focus.
2. An imaginary line connecting the Sun to any Planet sweeps out equal areas of the ellipse in equal
intervals of time.
3. The square of a planets orbital period is proportional to the cube of its semi-major axis
THE MILKY WAY GALAXY
The giant star system to which the sun belongs is called the Milky Way. It has a spiral structure and is
highly flattened. It is estimated to contain about 100 billion stars, organized into thin disk called the nucleus
with an ellipsoidal bulge, at its center. The system is embedded in an approximately spherical halo of stars,
and globular clusters.

REFERENCE
Zenaida T. Nucum, Ed.D. Earth Science (For Senior High School). 707 Tiaga corner Kasipagan Streets
Barangka Drive, Mandaluyong City. 2016

ALMIE L. MENDOZA, LPT

Student’s Name/Strand/Year/Section Subject Teacher