The Solar System & Universe

The Sun
93,000,000 miles from the earth
(8 light minutes)

864,000 miles in diameter (109 times the diameter of the earth) Mass is 333,000 times that of the earth Output: 500 sextillion horsepower/sec

The Earth
7,900 miles diameter (measured pole to pole) 7,927 miles diameter (measured through the equator) Rotates toward the east Rotational axis inclined to the ecliptic 66.5
(90 - 23.5 = 66.5)

The Moon
About 240,000 miles from the earth 1/82 the mass of the earth Revolves to the east (as all the planets do) Orbit inclined 5 to the ecliptic 29 days from new moon to new moon (one moonth) Rotates once a month

Venus and the moon - Day 1

Venus and the moon - Day 2

The Planets

Mercury (orbit inclined 7 to ecliptic) Venus 3.4 Mars 1.8 Jupiter 1.3 Saturn 2.5 Uranus 0.7 Neptune 1.8 Pluto 17

Mars

- Hubble

The Three Planes

Horizon Celestial equator Ecliptic

The Horizon
The horizon can be thought of as a plane that is tangent to the earth at the point of the observer. It is attached to the earth at that point and rotates with the earth. The observer can see that portion of the universe that is above the horizon plane. This is essentially 50% of the universe. This is what we see when we look into the sky. However, because the earth is rotating the position of the celestial objects are continually changing in relation to the horizon.

The Celestial Equator

We would not want to locate celestial objects based on the horizon because this location is continually changing and varies with different points on the earth. One plane remains constant, the celestial equator. As seen from the earth, it always crosses the horizon at the east point and at the west point. It arches across the sky over the south point. Its height above the south point varies with latitude.
Height in degrees = 90 - Latitude

Since the celestial equator always stays in the same place, it is a good base from which to measure the location of celestial objects. On earth we measure the locations of places by latitude or number of degrees north or south of the earths equator.
In a similar manner celestial objects can be measured by their distance north (+) or south (-) of the celestial equator. Instead of latitude this measure is given the name declination. The east/west measurement on the celestial equator is called right ascension. It is measured eastward from the point the sun crosses the celestial equator in the spring. This is like longitude on the earths system.

The Ecliptic
The plane of the earths orbit around the sun Inclined to the celestial equator 23.5 This means the sun is above the celestial equator 50% of the time and below it the other 50%

The ecliptic plane

The moon, Venus and Jupiter Note location of the ecliptic

The constellation Orion

The Twelve Constellations of The Zodiac

What is a constellation? The ecliptic passes through these twelve constellations At any time of year the sun will appear to be in one of these constellations as viewed from earth Six months later that same constellation will be seen in the night sky

The Milky Way Galaxy

100,000 light years across Solar system is about half way between the center and outer edge A pinwheel shape, contains billions of stars Closest star to earth Alpha (or Proxima) Centauri (4.2 light years) Nebulae, star clusters, constellations, comets

A Light Year
186,000 miles per second (the speed of light) times 60 (seconds in a minute) times 60 (minutes in an hour) times 24 (hours in a day) times 365 (days in a year)
Equals One Light Year (The distance light can travel in one year.)

The 100 inch Telescope on Mt. Wilson

The 200 inch Telescope

The 48 inch Telescope A wide angle view

The Hubble Telescope

The Pleiades An open cluster of stars taken with the 48 inch telescope

M80 A Globular Cluster in Hercules 200 Telescope

Globular Cluster M80 - Hubble

Trifid Nebula 200 inch

The Horse Head Nebula

The Great Nebula in Orion Small Telescope

The Great Nebula in Orion 200 Telescope

The Great Nebula in Orion - Hubble Telescope

The Crab Nebula 200

A star that exploded in 1054 AD

Eye Nebula - Hubble

Little Ghost Nebula - Hubble

Our Closest Galactic Neighbor

Andromeda galaxy (M31) Two million light years away Can be seen with the naked eye in late summer and fall

Andromeda Galaxy 48 inch

The Galaxies
Estimated to exist 100+ billion!!! Age estimate for universe 14 billion years Most distant galaxies 13+ billion l.y. A great variety of shapes and sizes

Galaxy in Ursa Major - 200 inch

Galaxy in Pisces 200 inch

Galaxy in Pegasus (48 telescope)

Barred Galaxy 200 inch

Hubble

Sombrero Galaxy 200 inch

Sombrero Galaxy Hubble

Galaxies estimated to be 2 billion light years distant 200 inch

13 Billion LY distant - Hubble

Hubble Ultra Deep Field

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