CHEM 222 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Wavefront, Red Giant, Apparent Magnitude

• School: McGill University
• Department: Chemistry
• Course: CHEM 222
• Professor: Karine Auclair

Document Summary

We know the solar system condensed as long as 4. 54 x 109 years ago. We also know that the solar system is comprised of materials that must have been formed in earlier phases of stellar evolution. Western astronomical science is based in the early greek civilization. Universe as consequent of the basic element, water. Planet was a sphere, heavenly bodies moved in circles. Moon"s light was reflected from the sun. Sun as the centre of the universe. Ptolemaic theory of an earth-centred universe = the almagest. Two thousand years ago, we knew the earth was round. We have measured the relative distances to the moon and the sun. Used brahe"s measurements to discover the laws of planetary. For nearby stars, we can use parallax measurement to determine their. For the most distant objects that we can observe, the most distant quasars, we need to use other methods. Quasars = sources of electromagnetic radiation high energy output.