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Here is an algebra-based overview of astronomy and space-flight, from pre-telescope discoveries to the space age. It is meant for personal study and reference, also as a resource for middle school (parts), high school (mostly) and beginning college. Starting with the apparent motions of the Sun and stars across the night sky, it explains the seasons of the year, latitude and longitude, time zones and universal time, and the basics of navigation. Next calendars are described--Julian and Gregorian, Metonic (esp. Jewish), Moslem, Persian and even Maya. After that the site tells how the spherical shape of the Earth was recognized and measured, leading to the formula for the distance of the horizon, the concept of parallax and the derivation of the Moon's distance by ancient Greeks. The Greeks also tried to derive the distance of the Sun, starting the road to heliocentric theory, continued by Ptolemy, Copernicus, Galileo and Kepler. Folowing this is a fairly comprehensive tour of the solar system and its planets, ending in a comprehensive discussion of Kepler's laws and planetary orbits, which serves as a bridge to the next section, on Newtonian Mechanics. Interspersed with the above are three web pages on the Moon (which may also be tied to the Greek calculations of the Moon's distance) and one on the precession of the equinoxes, connected to the Milankovitch theory of ice ages.
1a. The Celestial Sphere 1b. Finding the Pole Star 2. The Path of the Sun, the Ecliptic 2a. Building a Sundial 3. Seasons of the Year 3a. The Angle of the Sun's Rays 4. The Moon: the Distant View 4a. The Moon: A Closer Look 4b. Optional: Libration of the Moon 5. Latitude and Longitude 5a. Navigation 5b. The Cross-Staff 5c. Coordinates 6. The Calendar 6a. The Jewish Calendar (optional) 7. Precession 8. The Round Earth and Christopher Columbus 8a. Distance to the Horizon 8b. Parallax 8c. How Distant is the Moon?--1 8d. How Distant is the Moon?--2 The central role of the Sun 9a. Aristarchus: Is Earth Revolving around the Sun? . 9a-1. The Earth's Shadow 9b. The Planets ----------------------------------------------------------------
P-1 Links and Tables about the sections below. P-2 Mercury P-3 Venus P-4 Earth P-5 Mars P-6 Asteroids P-7 Jupiter P-8 Io and other Jupiter moons P-9 Saturn P-10 Telescopes P-11 Uranus P-12 Neptune P-13 Pluto and the Kuiper belt P-14 Comets and other small objects 9c. Copernicus, Galileo, and the Discovery of the Solar System
Guide to the sections on Kepler's Laws which follow below.
10. Kepler and his Laws
Optional: The 2004 Transit of Venus |
Author and Curator: Dr. David P. Stern
Mail to Dr.Stern:
stargaze["at" symbol]phy6.org
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Last updated: 3-27-2014