Astronomy 

Teacher: Professor Dax Polgara

• Astronomy
• the study of our universe.
• celestial objects
  
• the phenomena that originate in space
  
• the physics, chemistry and evolution of those objects
  
• Solar System
  
• Earth is located within the Milky Way galaxy
  
• eight planets
  
• all eight planets travel around the Sun in an elliptical (oval) rotation
  
• move in a counter-clockwise direction
  
• they each go at their own place
  
• Sun orbits the galactic centre
• Parts of our Solar System
• 2 parts
• inner solar system
• outer solar system
• Inner: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars
• Outer: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
• separated by the Asteroid Belt
  
• located between Mars and Jupiter
• made up of over 7,000 asteroids
  
• Stars
• A star is a ball of hydrogen and helium
  
• enough mass to maintain nuclear fusion at its core
  
• the nuclear fusion makes the star luminous 
  
• stars have played a large role in religion and even navigation
• 88 constellations
• Zodiac
• 12 constellations in a line along the equator
• due to their position they were picked to make up the Zodiac
• Aries, Aquarius, Cancer, Capricorn, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Pisces, Sagittarius, Scorpio (Scorpius), Taurus, and Virgo
  
• Studying these signs in relation to determining one’s fortune or characteristic is completely unrelated to astronomy.

• Quiz
• Reach for the Stars
• Extra Credit
• My favourite constellation!