Questions for Chapter 1

1. Describe this picture. What does it tell us about the Universe?
2. How can you use the apparent brightness of an object to tell its distance?
3. Where are we in the Universe?
4. How can you use the angular size of an object to tell its distance?
5. What do we mean by a geocentric universe? In broad terms contrast a geocentric view of the universe with our modern view of the universe. Briefly describe the major levels of structure (such as planet, star, galaxy) in the universe.
6. What do we mean when we say that the universe is expanding? How does expansion lead to the idea of the Big Bang?
7. What determines the chemistry of the universe?
8. Are there variations in chemical composition from place to place in the Universe? If so, what causes them? [Think small scale and then large scale.]
9. What did Carl Sagan mean when he said that we are "star stuff "?
10. What does chemical change have to do with the abundance of life in the Universe?  Is timing important?
11. How would the Universe be different if it were 1 billion years old? If it were, 100 billion years old?
12. Explain the statement ‘The farther away we look in distance, the further back we look in time.’
13. How old is the universe? How can we tell?
14. What key observations by Edwin Hubble lead us to conclude that the universe is expanding? Use the raisin cake model to explain how these observations imply expansion.
15. What do we mean by the observable universe? Is it the same thing as the entire universe?
16. What is the shape of the Milky Way Galaxy? Where is our solar system located within the galaxy? How does our solar system move within the galaxy?
17. Distinguish between our galaxy's disk and halo. Where do most visible stars reside? Where does the mysterious dark matter seem to reside?
18. How are we moving in the universe?