The Universe and

the Solar System

Chapter 1
 Objectives
- Describe the - Define the - Describe the
different common space different
hypothesis objects that hypothesis
explaining the can be found in explaining the
origin of the the solar origin of the solar
universe. system. system.
 Cosmology

- a branch of science that studies the origin,

evolution and fate of the universe.
 First
Third
01Theory
Theory
Big Bang Theory
03 Pulsating Universe
Second
02 Theory
Steady State Theory
or Infinite Universe
Theory
Big Bang Theory
- 10 to 20 billion years ago, matter and
energy were composed and condensed in a
hot tiny dense mass.

- matter and energy back then were

theorized as the same and indistinguishable
from each other.
- this explosion is termed as the big bang
theory.
 What evidence is there to
support the Big Bang theory?

Two major scientific discoveries provide strong

support for the Big Bang theory:

• Hubble’s discovery in the 1920s of a relationship

between a galaxy’s distance from Earth and its
speed; and

• the discovery in the 1960s of cosmic

microwave background radiation.
How do we know the Universe is
expanding?
- In 1924 astronomer Edwin Hubble used a technique
pioneered by Henrietta Leavitt to measure distances to
remote objects in the sky.

- He used spectroscopic red-shift data to

measure the speeds these objects were
travelling then graphed their distance from Earth
against their speed.
Cosmic Microwave Background
Radiation (CMBR)
- It was eventually discovered by accident in 1964 by Arno
Penzias and Robert Wilson
- They first thought it was radio interference from nearby
New York City, but eventually recognized it as radiation from
beyond the Milky Way.
- The CMBR that they observed is leftover heat radiation
from the Big Bang.
Detailed temperature map
of the entire sky
Steady State Theory or
Infinite Universe Theory
- It was proposed in 1948 by Fred Hoyle,
Thomas Gold, Herman Bondi et al.
- It stated that the universe has been present ever
since and therefore has no beginning and no end, has
been expanding constantly.
Pulsating Universe
- The Pulsating Universe combines both the big bang and
the big crunch as part of cyclical event.
- It follows infinite self-sustaining cycles such as expanding
and contracting

- It also states that the universe is “living” and keeps

pulsating in and out
- The universe expands at a rapid rate with gravity and
inertia
The Solar System
 The Solar
System
The solar system is the gravitationally bound
system comprising the sun and the objects that orbit
it, either directly or indirectly. It is in constant motion,
with the planets and their moons, comets, asteroids
and other space objects revolving around the Sun.
Theories Behind the
Origin
of the Solar System
 Theory of Vortices
- Rene Descartes devised this theory in the mid 1600’s

- It postulated that the space was entirely filled with matter in

various states whirling about the sun like a vortex
- He explained how the universe could have started from utter
chaos and following his basic law of motion, could have had its
particles arranged so as to resemble what it is today.
- Once the particles in the chaotic universe began to
move, the overall motion of the particles would be
circular as there is no void in nature.
 RENE
DESCARTES
 Nebular Hypothesis
- A hundred years after, Immanuel Kant suggested that
contraction in the middle of the rotating cloud appeared
and the rest flattened out like a disk
- he theorized that thin, dim clouds of dust and gas
out in the cosmos would have been collapse in on
themselves under the force of gravity, causing them
to spin to form a disk
Immanuel Kant
 Laplace’s Nebular Theory
- In the year 1700’s A French mathematician named
Pierre Simon Laplace proposed a similar model of a
solar system.
- A slowly rotating nebula (A cloud of vast gas and
dusts) collapsed under gravity forming an oblate
spheroid due to increase in its spin rate.

- Contraction and cooling occurred and formed a lens-

like structure leaving detached rings behind, which in
the later process collapsed to form planets condensing
in each ring.
Pierre Simon
Laplace
 Solar Nebular Disk Model
- proposed by Soviet Astronomer Victor Safronov (and
widely accepted)
- According to this model, our solar system was
formed 4.568 billion years ago
- a small part of a giant molecular cloud experienced a
gravitational collapsed
- Most of the collapsing mass collected in the center
forming the sun while the rest flattened into a
protoplanetary disk.
 The solar system that we
know today refers to a star
and all the space objects
that travels around it
including planets, its natural
satellites (moon), comets,
and asteroid.
It is a part of spiral galaxy, a
very large group of stars
that make up the universe
known as the Milky Way
with the sun as its center
holding the planets and
numerous smaller objects in
its orbit.
 To enhance one’s knowledge about the solar
system, definitions of some of the common space
objects with their visual representation are given
Asteroi below:

d Planet Moon
Asteroid – Basically Any large Also called as satellite. It is
a chunk of rock that heavenly body basically solid body. Only a
orbits the sun. Its that revolves few have atmospheres.
size can be from a around the sun Planetary moons are formed
few feet up to in the solar from discs of gas and dust
several miles in system. revolving around the planets
diameter. in the early solar system.
 Meteors and
Meteorites
Small chunks of debris and
rocks in space. A meteor
commonly called “Shooting
star” falls into the planet’s
atmosphere. It leaves a
bright trail in the sky which
we usually see. Part of this
chunk of rocks and dust that
hits the ground is called
meteorite.
Comet
A cosmic snowball of rocks,
dusts, frozen gases that
grow tails as it comes
nearer to the sun. It glows
due to the heat of the sun
causing dust and gases to
spit from leaving trails
behind. It is usually visible
in the night sky.
 Planet

Asteroid
 Meteors and
Meteorites

Moon
 TnXxx
6uySZzz