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THE UNIVERSE AS WE
CURRENTLY KNOW IT ALL
COMPRISES ALL SPACE AND
TIME AND ALL MATTER AND
ENERGY IN IT.
FACT OR BLUFF
THE UNIVERSE IS AT
LEAST 4.5-4.6 BILLION
YEARS OLD.
FACT OR BLUFF
ACCORDING TO CLAUDIUS
PTOLEMY, THE EARTH IS
THE CENTER OF THE SOLAR
SYSTEM.
FACT OR BLUFF
http://rainbow.ldeo.columbia.edu/courses/v1001/7.html
Building a Universe
http://rainbow.ldeo.columbia.edu/courses/v1001/7.html
Building a Universe
■ http://www.pbs.org/deepspace/timeline/index.html
The Evidence
■ There is an abundance of light elements (hydrogen and helium) in
the universe.
■ The universe cooled as it expanded so that today the Cosmic
Microwave Background (CMB) radiation corresponds to a
temperature of 2.7 K.
■ As the galaxy moves away, the wavelength of light gets longer
and shifts to the red end of the visible spectrum. This is called
red-shift.
CREATIONIST THEORY
*As new galaxies form, old ones die, with the universe
always having the same density
ANY IDEAS?
ORIGIN OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM
OVERVIEW
OVERVIEW
THEORIES
THEORIES
Origin of Our Solar System ~ 4.5
billion years ago
■ Nebular Theory – our Solar System
formed from a giant, swirling cloud of gas
& dust.
■ Solar nebula – name given to the cloud
of gas from which our own Solar System
formed
■ The nebular theory holds that our Solar
System formed out of a nebula that
collapsed under its own gravity.
View of the Orion Nebula
Gravitational Collapse
■ The solar nebular was initially somewhat spherical
and a few light years in diameter.
– very cold
– rotating slightly
■ It was given a “push” by some event.
– perhaps the shock wave from a nearby supernova
■ As the nebula shrank, gravity increased, causing
collapse.
■ As the nebula “falls” inward, gravitational potential
energy is converted to heat.
– Conservation of Energy
■ As the nebula’s radius decreases, it rotates faster
– Conservation of Angular Momentum
As the nebula
collapses, it heats
up, spins faster,
and flattens.
Orderly Motions in the
Solar System
•
https://omicspublishinggroup.wordpress.com/20
13/02/26/earth-science-climate-change/
• http://exploringspace.org/astronomy/proxima-
b-the-hunt-for-proximas-wobbler/
• www.kidsastronomy.com/nebulae.htm