Earth Sciences 1086F/G Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Late Heavy Bombardment, Axial Tilt, Tungsten

• School: Western University
• Department: Earth Sciences
• Course: Earth Sciences 1086F/G
• Professor: Audrey Bouvier

Document Summary

As we develop better instruments, we observe more details of the solar system (and beyond, of course) whose existence requires revision of our previously-held hypotheses (that is the basis of the scientific method). We are even having trouble accommodating the geometry into some of the old hypotheses. Most people take a passing interest in astronomy, and it does not take much equipment to feed that interest. The problem with binoculars is that it is difficult to hold them steady. Basically, an optical telescope gathers up light and allows you to examine an image at a focal position. In a telescope, even the best optics have limited resolution because of the wave nature of light. You know that water waves bend when they strike the edge of a barrier; light waves do the same. The twinkling comes from the turbulence in the air that makes up the atmosphere. The atmosphere basically acts like a huge distorting lens.