Title: Lecture 29 An advertisement: two astronomy courses next semester
1Lecture 29 An advertisement two astronomy
courses next semester
- 2952 ,Characteristics and Origins of the Solar
System, 130 220 MWF - 143070001, Honors Seminar in Natural Sciences,
Life in the Universe Scientific Bases for
Speculation, 230-345 TTh
2Why study the solar system next semester?
- Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus will all be in the
evening sky
3Astronomical Events this Month
- Venus in the western sky after sunset
- Total eclipse of the Moon, November 8 (Saturday
night) 532 PM 706 731 904 - Leonid meteor shower, November 18, before dawn
4Last word on massive stellar evolution it
happens fast and ends violently
- Eta Carinae Watch the skies! Watch the skies!
5Next topic Structure of the Milky Way Galaxy
- What is the size, shape, and nature of the system
of stars in which we live?
6You can learn a lot by looking at the sky and
thinking
7From this picture, lets figure out the shape of
the Milky Way. Characteristics to go on are
- Sprinkling of stars everywhere
- Thick band of light across the sky (the Milky
Way) - Band brightest in the direction of Sagittarius
- Band faintest in the direction of Taurus-Auriga
Whats the answer?
8The Answer
9(No Transcript)
10How far is it to the galactic center?
Hint provided by globular star clusters. Great
summertime objects, few in winter
11How globulars indicate the distance to the
galactic center
12Globular Clusters are Distant
- It must be a long way to the galactic center