Infrared astronomy - Infrared astronomy Infrared astronomy is the branch of astronomy and astrophysics which deals with objects visible in infrared (IR) radiation. Visible radiation ranges from 400nm (blue) to 700nm (red). Longer wavelengths than 700nm but still shorter than microwaves are called infrared. Discovery After the use of prisms by Isaac Newton to split white light into a spectrum, it was found in 1800 that the hottest part of the band of light from the sun was actually past the red end of the spectrum. These "heat rays" even displayed some spectral lines. Since then, like all other forms of electromagnetic radiation, infrared was utilised by astronomers to learn more about the universe. As infrared is esentially heat radiation, infrared telescopes (which are practically the same as optical telescopes).
History of astronomy - History of astronomy Astronomy is probably the eldest natural science, dating back to antiquity. Early astronomy involved observing (and predicting...see scientific method) the motions of visible celestial objects (mostly stars and planets). An example of this early astronomy might involve a study of the relationships between the "apparent height" of the noon Sun, with respect to the changing patterns of nighttime stars. Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) crafted his own telescope and discovered that our Moon had craters, that Jupiter had moons, that the Sun had spots, and that Venus had phases like our Moon. Galileo claimed these observations only made sense if the planets revolved around the Sun and not the Earth, as was commonly believed then. Ancient astronomers were able to differentiate between stars and planets; as.
High-energy astronomy - High-energy astronomy High energy astronomy is the study of astronomical objects at wavelengths associated with high energies. It includes X-ray astronomy, gamma-ray astronomy, and extreme UV astronomy, as well as studies of neutrinos and cosmic rays. Astronomical objects commonly studied at high energies may include black holes, neutron stars, active galactic nuclei, supernova remnants, Gamma ray burst, and quasars. References and external links: http://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/.
Galactic astronomy - Galactic astronomy Galactic astronomy is the study of galaxies, their development, structure, components, dynamics, interactions, and the range of forms they take. Our own local Milky Way galaxy is in some ways the best studied, although important parts of it are obscured from view in visible wavelengths by regions of galactic dust. Modern instruments, and particularly the Hubble Space Telescope have allowed us to study galaxies other than our own in much greater detail. Table of contents showTocToggle("show","hide") 1 Major aspects of galactic astronomy 1.1 Stellar populations 1.2 Interstellar medium Major aspects of galactic astronomy Stellar populations Globular clusters Open clusters Interstellar medium Interstellar clouds.
Gamma-ray astronomy - Gamma-ray astronomy Gamma-ray astronomy is the astronomical study of gamma rays. Long before experiments could detect gamma rays emitted by cosmic sources, scientists had known that the universe should be producing these photons. Work by Feenberg and Primakoff in 1948, Hayakawa and Hutchinson in 1952, and, especially, Morrison in 1958 had led scientists to believe that a number of different processes which were occurring in the universe would result in gamma-ray emission. These processes included cosmic ray interactions with interstellar gas, supernova explosions, and interactions of energetic electrons with magnetic fields. However, it was not until the 1960s that our ability to actually detect these emissions came to pass. Gamma-rays coming from space are mostly absorbed by the Earth's atmosphere. So gamma-ray astronomy could not develop until it.
Guinness book of Astronomy - Guinness book of Astronomy The Guinness book of Astronomy is a book by Patrick Moore, a British astronomer. The first part of the book is written like a Guinness Book of Records, with paragraphs like "the most luminous star", "the farthest star", and so on. Solar system objects are explained in detail. The second part is a detailed sky atlas for amateur astronomy observations: for each constellation, a list of bright and dim stars, deep sky and other notable objects is given to the reader. The object tables are so complete that this book alone is enough for months of observations with small telescopes..
Far infrared astronomy - Far infrared astronomy Far infrared astronomy is the branch of astronomy and astrophysics which deals with objects visible in far-infrared radiation (approximatively from 30μm to 300μm). In the far-infrared, no star can be seen, but we can see very cold matter (140 Kelvin or less). Huge, cold clouds of gas and dust in our own Galaxy, as well as in nearby galaxies, glow in far-infrared light. In some of these clouds, new stars are just beginning to form. Far-infrared observations can detect these protostars long before they "turn on" visibly by sensing the heat they radiate as they contract. The center of our galaxy also shines brightly in the far-infrared because of the thick concentration of stars embedded in dense clouds of dust. These stars heat up the.
Epoch (astronomy) - Epoch (astronomy) In astronomy, an epoch is a moment in time for which celestial coordinates or orbital elements are specified. In the case of celestial coordinates, the position at other times can be computed by taking into account precession and proper motion. In the case of orbital elements, it is necessary to take account of perturbation by other bodies in order to calculate the orbital elements for a different time. The currently used epoch is J2000.0, which corresponds to the situation at (Universal Time) 12:00, January 1, 2000, corresponding to the Julian day 2451545. Moving to a different epoch one must use a year length of exactly 365.25 days..
Extragalactic astronomy - Extragalactic astronomy Extragalactic Astronomy is the branch of astronomy concerned with objects outside of our own Milky Way Galaxy. As instrumentation has improved, more distant objects can now be examined in detail. It is therefore often useful to sub-divide this branch into Near-Extragalactic Astronomy and Far-Extragalactic Astronomy. The former deals with objects, such as the galaxies of our Local Group, which are close enough to allow very detailed analyses of their contents (e.g. supernova remnants, stellar associations). The latter describes the study of objects sufficiently far away that only the brightest phenomena are observable. Some topics Supernovae Quasars Radio galaxies Groups and clusters of galaxies See also Galaxy formation and evolution.
Karl Schwarzschild - he wrote two main papers, one on relativity theory and one on quantum theory. His work on relativity produced the first exact solutions to the general gravitational equations - one for non-rotating spherically symmetric bodies and one for static isotropic empty space surrounding any massive body. From the second he undertook some pioneering work on classical black holes. Two properties of black holes have been given his name - the Schwarzschild metric and the Schwarzschild radius. The papers were sent to Einstein and were later published in the Sitzungsberichte der Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. In astronomy he undertook measurements of variable stars, using photography. He also worked on improving optical systems, devising a perturbation equation to investigate geometrical aberrations. He is said to have died either of an illness contracted while.
Karl Guthe Jansky - radio waves; he did not follow up his discovery, but it marked the birth of radio astronomy. Jansky was born in Norman, Oklahoma, and studied at the University of Wisconsin where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Physics in 1927. In 1928 he joined the Bell Telephone Laboratories in Holmdel, New Jersey. Bell Labs wanted to investigate using "short waves" (wavelengths of about 10-20 meters) for transatlantic radio telephone service. Jansky was assigned the job of investigating the sources of static that might interfere with radio voice transmissions. He built an antenna designed to receive radio waves at a frequency of 20.5 MHz (wavelength about 14.5 meters). It was mounted on a turntable that allowed it to rotate in any direction, earning it the name "Jansky's merry-go-round". By rotating.
Vedas - chanted during religious and social functions of the community were compiled by Vaishampayana under the title Yajus mantra Samhita. (Yajurveda). Jaimini is said to have collected hymns that were set to music and melody — 'Saman'. (Samaveda). The fourth collection of hymns and chants known as Atharva Samhita (Atharvaveda) is ascribed to Sumantu. The Vedas are perhaps the oldest consistent and complex body of knowledge detailing astrology, astronomy, ritual practice, and how these relate to the spiritual life of humanity. . External Links Excellent site about Vedas Vedic Chanting .mp3 audio files See also: pandit References Fisher -- Living Religions (5th Edition -- 2002), p.82.
Kepler's laws of planetary motion - planetary motion Johannes Kepler's primary contribution to astronomy/astrophysics were the three laws of planetary motion. Kepler derived these laws, in part, by studying the observations of Brahe. Isaac Newton would later verify these laws with his laws of motion and universal gravity. The generic term for an orbiting object is "satellite". Table of contents showTocToggle("show","hide") 1 Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion 2 Kepler's First Law 3 Kepler's Second Law 4 Kepler's Third Law (Harmonic Law) 5 Not Just Applicable to Planets 6 Kepler's Understanding of Said Laws 7 Newton's Form of Kepler's Third Law Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion Kepler's First Law (1609): The orbit, of a planet about a star, is an ellipse with the star at one focus. Kepler's Second Law (1609): A line joining a planet and its.
Kitt Peak National Observatory - the Arizona-Sonoran Desert on the Tohono O'odham Nation, 55 miles southwest of Tucson, Arizona. It is part of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO). Kitt Peak was selected in 1958 as the site for a national observatory under contract with the National Science Foundation (NSF) and was administered by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, the land being leased from the Tohono O'odham under a perpetual agreement. In 1982 the National Optical Astronomy Observatories was formed to consolidate the management of three optical observatories - Kitt Peak National Observatory, the National Solar Observatory facilities at Kitt Peak and Sacramento Peak, New Mexico, and the Cerro Tololo Observatory in Chile. The principal instruments at the KPNO are the Mayall 4 metre telescope; the WIYN 3.5 metre telescope and further 2.1.
Vernal equinox - Vernal equinox In astronomy, the vernal equinox (spring equinox, march equinox, or northward equinox) is the equinox at the beginning of spring in the northern hemisphere: the moment when the sun appears to cross the celestial equator, heading northward. The equinox occurs around March 20-22, varying slightly each year according to the 400 year cycle of leap years in the Gregorian Calendar. At the present time, the vernal equinox occurs as the sun moves through the constellation Pisces. 2000 years ago the equinox was in Aries and by 2600 it will be in Aquarius. In the southern hemisphere, the equinox occurs at the same moment, but at the beginning of autumn. There are two conventions for dealing with this: either the name of the equinox can be changed.
J. Eric S. Thompson - excavations at sites in British Honduras. He was one of the first in the field to investigate and excavate smaller sites and areas away from the elite ceremonial centers, to learn more about the lives of common Maya people. Expanding on the earlier work of John T. Goodman and Juan H. Martinez-Hernandez, (largely neglected by other scholars at the time), Thompson developed the correlation between the Maya calendar and the Gregorian calendar that became generally accepted. J. Eric S. Thompson did considerable work with the decypherment of Maya hieroglyphics, especially those related to the calendar and astronomy, as well as identifying some new nouns. He developed a numerical cataloguing system for the glyphs, which, with some expansions, is still used by scholars today. He initially supported Morley's contention that history was.
January 8 - 1821 - James Longstreet, Confederate General (†1904) 1823 - Alfred Russel Wallace, naturalist and biologist (†1913) 1824 - Wilkie Collins, novelist (†1889) 1867 - Emily Greene Balch, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 1946 (†1961) 1870 - Miguel Primo de Rivera, dictator of Spain (†1930) 1891 - Walther Bothe, physicist, winner of the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1954 (†1957) 1909 - Willy Millowitsch, actor (†1999) 1912 - José Ferrer, actor (†1992) 1910 - Galina Sergeyevna Ulanova, dancer (†1988) 1925 - James Saunders, dramatist 1926 - Soupy Sales, comedian 1928 - Sander Vanocur, journalist 1931 - Bill Graham, rock music entrepreneur (†1991) 1933 - Charles Osgood, journalist, commentator 1934 - Bart Starr, American football star 1935 - Elvis Presley, singer and.
James Clerk Maxwell - same time appeared his elaborate memoir, “On Faraday’s Lines of Force,” in which he gave the first indication of some of those extraordinary electrical investigations which culminated in the greatest work of his life. From 1855 to 1872, he published at intervals a series of valuable investigations connected with the “Perception of Colour” and “Colour-Blindness,” for the earlier of which he received the Rumford medal from the Royal Society in 1860. The instruments which he devised for these investigations were simple and convenient, but could not have been thought of for the purpose except by a man whose knowledge was co-extensive with his ingenuity. In 1856, Maxwell was appointed to the chair of Natural Philosophy in Marischal College, Aberdeen, which he held until the fusion of the two colleges there in.
James Nasmyth - and so, for a time, there was no need for the new steam-hammer. In April 1840, Nasmyth visited France with a view to supplying the French arsenals and dockyards with tools and while he was there took the opportunity to visit the Creuzot Works. On going round the works, he found his own steam-hammer at work. A short explanation soon cleared up the mystery and upon his return to England, Nasmyth immediately patented the hammer and began to manufacture them. The first hammers were of the free-fall type but they were later modified, given power-assisted fall. Up until the invention of Nasmyth's steam-hammer, large forging, such as ships' anchors, had to be made by the "bit-by-bit" process, that is, small pieces were forged separately and finally welded together. Its advantages soon.
James Bradley - the Royal Society on November 6 1718. He took orders on becoming vicar of Bridstow in the following year, and a small sinecure living in Wales was also procured for him by his friend Samuel Molyneux. He resigned his ecclesiastical preferments in 1721, when appointed to the Savilian chair of astronomy at Oxford, while as reader on experimental philosophy (1729 - 1760) he delivered 79 courses of lectures at the Ashmolean Museum. His memorable discovery of the aberration of light was announced to the Royal Society in January 1729 (Phil. Trans. xxxv. 637). The observations upon which it was founded were made at Molyneux’s house on Kew Green. He did not announce the supplementary detection of nutation until February 14 1748 (Phil. Trans. xlv. I), when he had tested its reality.
