Astronomy

 
Astronomy
Because is not true that the limit is the sky!
What astronomy is!
Astronomy, derived from the Greek words for star law, is the scientific study of all objects beyond our world. It is also the process by which we seek to understand the physical laws and origins of our universe.
Pioneers of Astronomy
Over the centuries there have been countless innovators that have contributedto the development and advancement of astronomy. Some of these key individuals include:
Nicolaus Copernicus (1473 - 1543): but is regarded as the father of the current heliocentric model of the solar system.
Tycho Brahe (1546 - 1601): A Danish nobleman, Tycho designed and built instruments of greater power and resolution He used these instruments to chart the positions of planets and othercelestial objects with such great precision.
Johannes Kepler (1571 - 1630): A student of Tycho’s, Kepler continued his work, and from that discovered three laws of planetary motion:
1. Planets move in elliptical orbits with the Sun at one focus of the ellipse.
2. The orbital speed of a planet varies so that a line joining the Sun and the planet will sweep over equal areas in equal time intervals.3. The amount of time a planet takes to orbit the Sun is related to its orbit’s size
Galileo Galilei (1564 - 1642 he was the first to use the telescope to make detailed studies of heavenly bodies. He was the first to conclude that the Moon was likely similar in composition to the Earth, and that the Sun’s surface changed
Isaac Newton (1642 - 1727): Considered one of the greatest scientific mindsof all time, Newton not only deduced the law of gravity, but realized the need for a new type of mathematics (calculus) to describe it.
Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955): Einstein is famous for his development of general relativity, a correction to Newton’s law of gravity. But, his relation of energy to mass (E=mc2) is also important to astronomy, as it is the basis for which we understand how theSun, and other stars, fuse hydrogen into Helium for energy.
Edwin Hubble (1889 - 1953): During his career, Hubble answered two of the biggest questions plaguing astronomers at the time. He determined that so-called spiral nebulae were, in fact, other galaxies, proving that the Universe extends well beyond our own galaxy
Asteroids
Asteroids are rocky and metallic objects too small to beconsidered planets. They are sometimes called minor planets. The name asteroids means "star-like". In the night sky asteroids look like stars since they do not emit gases and dust like comets.
Asteroids on a collision course with Earth are called meteoroids. When a meteoroid burns up as it falls through our atmosphere, it is called a meteor, or "shooting star". If a meteoroid crashes into the Earth itis called a meteorite.
The main asteroid belt orbits between Mars and Jupiter.

Comets
Comets are more complex than just "dirty iceballs", whizzing through our solar system from somewhere deep in space, to hook a sharp turn around our Sun and go back where they came from. Comets are the original "stealth" object. They can absorb almost all the radiation they encounter. An asphalt pavementreflects 7 times more light than the nucleus of some comets
Comets are best known for their tails. In fact that is how they got their name, which means "hairy star". Comet tails are made of dust and electrically charged gasses called ions.

Meteor Showers
Meteor Showers are caused by meteors. Meteors are actually pieces of rock that have broken off a comet and continue to orbit the Sun. TheEarth travels through the comet debris in its orbit. As the small pieces enter the Earth's atmosphere, friction causes them to burn up. A meteor that does not completely burn up in the atmosphere, but actually crashes into the earth instead, is then called a meteorite.
The Perseid meteor shower, usually the best meteor shower of the year, peaks in August. Over the course of an hour, a person...