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Physics 490:Introductory Astrophysics

Dr. Rulison

M51 (The Whirlpool Galaxy) from Kitt Peak/HST Composite, in visible, Near IR

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Tentative Course Outline

1. Our Place in the Universe2. Physical Principles in Astrophysics3. Stars4. General Relativity5. Galaxies6. Cosmology

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The Gott Logarithmic Map from the Earth’s Core to Chandra

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The Celestial Sphere

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Solar vs. Sidereal Day

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Star Trails

N

EW

~20 deg.=1.3 hours

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A better view of circumpolar stars

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Stars “move” through the sky

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Declination

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Gott Projection to man-made satellites

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Hubble and Chandra (and views of Sgr A*, the center of our galaxy)

Hubble (Optical)

Chandra (X-Ray)

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The Gott Projection to L1 and L2

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The Phases of the Moon

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SOHO Satellite at L1

Observes the sun in the UV

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Lots of Satellites at L2 WMAPMicrowave (3-13 mm)

CMB

Herschel SatelliteFar Infrared (60-670 mm)

MilkyWay

Planck SatelliteMicrowave (0.35-10mm)

First Light

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Lagrange Points

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Gott Projection of the Inner Solar System

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Planets

“Superior” Planets“Inferior”Planets

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The Terrestrial Planets

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Kepler’s 3rd Law

P2=a3

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Configuration of Planets

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The Phases of Venus (Galileo)

Also, he sawthe rings of Saturn

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Gott map of outer solar system

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The outer planets

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The very outer solar system is very empty

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Nearby Stars

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Parallax

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Local Galaxy Residents

M45, the Pleiades,an open cluster, seen in optical

M42, the Orion Nebula,a star forming region, seen in optical from HST

M57, the Ring Nebula,a planetary nebula, seen in optical from HST.

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The Milky Way

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Orbiting stars around Sgr A*

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The Milky Way

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Gott Map to the Local Group

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The Local Group

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Gott Map of Nearby Groups and Clusters

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A1689

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Gott map of Distant Galaxies (Gpc Scale)

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CMB (from WMAP)