PHYS 1901 Final: Planetary Astronomy Exam Notes
Document Summary
Scientific method was the cornerstone for science (only 350 years old) Scientists weigh evidence to qualify the level of doubt in an idea. Theory: a set of ideas to provide a logical framework of explanation for observations makes predictions about future observations, usually rooted on a simple principle. Theories must be testable, continually tested, consistent, and simple/elegant. They come with a range or scale of applicability. Be connected to the consistency idea (each theory in a different range contains the old one as well. We see things as they were, not how they are. Hubble discovered that the universe is expanding (distance between galaxies increases with time) Natural occurring radiation in the earth"s rocks suggests that the solar system is 4. 5 billion years old. The universe is smooth with uniform ingredients. All stars and planets in the universe are made of the same stuff. Dark matter and dark energy: are concurrent mysteries (stuff out there not in the periodic table)
