Origins

What do stars and the advent of the universe have to do with the Oceans?

The Universe

Lets start at the beginning….we think???Cosmology is a branch of astronomy – Cosmologists concern themselves with the study of

the universe and how it formed.– Cosmology is really an ancient science

• 3000 to 4000 years ago Egyptians, Chinese and Babylonians studied the heavens

• Practical considerations (at least for them)– Sowing and harvesting– Calendars– Astrological predictions

The Greeks

Plato and AristotleAristarchusEratosthenesPtolemy

The Modern Era

CopernicusBraheKeplerGalileoIsaac Newton

The Twentieth Century

EinsteinPenroseHawking

The Big Bang

At a point in time the universe began• 13.7 billions of years ago• Probably from a hyper dense point called a singularity• That singularity expanded with such force that the

universe itself is still expanding!

Theoretical Base

Big Bang Time Table

Fusion ----- Energy

Einsteinian Theory

Matter and energy are interchangeableExplains in theory how a very dense mass of

energy could evolve into matter in the form of atomic hydrogen and then helium through an intermediate stage of quarks, lepton and other subatomic particles

After the Big Bang

Hydrogen bubbles of gas began to bundle due to gravitational forces

They began to rotate and collapsed along their rotational axis

As these atomic particles spun heat was generated and when temperatures reached 15 billion degrees the thermonuclear reaction converted hydrogen to helium

Galaxies

After 300,000 years the protostars became so numerous they began to be attracted in to galaxies

Although galaxies can take differeny shapes most are disc shaped.

Galaxy Stats

The Milky Way

A spiral galaxyAbout 120 thousand light years in diameter100 to 400 billion starsCenter of the spiral is a black hole– Massive – 3.6 million times the sun– The sun is about 26,000 light years from the core– Sun rotates around the core about every 235

million years

The Sun

Our star The center of our solar systemAll other matter revolves around the sunSun itself accounts for about 99.8 % of the mass

of the solar systemSun’s surface is consists of hydrogen– 74% of its mass– 92% of it volume

Sun Life Cycle

Sun formed about 4.5 billion years ago– Results of hydrogen molecular cloud collapsed– It is about half way through its evolution• Nuclear fusion reactions in the core fuse hydrogen into

helium• Each second more than 4 million tons of matter are

converted into energy producing solar radiation

Suns Structure

Sun is a perfect sphere - nearlySun exists in a plasmic state not a solidSun rotates at its equator faster than at the

poles– 26.5 days at the equator– 33.5 days at the poles– Apparent rotation from earth is about 28 days

(due different vantage points from earth)

The Core

Temperature 13,600,000 degrees Kelvin• Scientific measurement of temperature• 5,800 degrees Kelvin at the surface

Radiative Zone– Solar material hot and dense– Heat transfers to the surface– Transfer is by radiation (hydrogen and helium ions

emit photon of light – in about a million years they reach the surface)

Convection Zone– Surface down to the radiative zone

– About 70% of the solar radius– Important because solar plasma is not dense enough to

transfer heat energy through radiation alone

– Thermal convection occurs as thermal columns carry hot material to the surface or photosphere

Photosphere

Visible surface of the sunLayer below which becomes opaque to visible

lightAbove the photosphere visible light is free to

propagate into space and energy escapes the sun entirely

Atmosphere

Above the photosphereSolar cycles– Sunspots• 11 year cycle• Intense magnetic activity• Reduces energy transport to the surface• Great influence on space weather

Chromosphere

Above the photophere– Spicules flame like protrusions that rise and fall

Distance from Earth

Sunspots and Prominences

Sunspots – dark spots – Magnetics fields– More sun spots less energy emitted– Exist in a cycle of 11,000 years

Prominences– Flame like limbs

Planets and Moons

Nine planets– Terrestrial– Jovian

35 moons30 + other satellitesAsteroidsMeteors

Comets

Water, Carbon Monoxide, Carbon Dioxide, and MethaneOort Cloud– Edge of solar system– Long period comets

– Halley– Hale Bopp

Kuiper Belt– Closer to Neptune and Jupiter– Short periods

– Shoemaker Levy 9

AsteroidsRocky metallic objects

– Too small to be planets– Orbit the sun– Between Mars and Jupiter

Size of asteroids– Ceres 1000 km.– Peebles

Origin– Left over from formation of the solar system– Sixteen identified > 240 km

Composition– >90 % stone (silicates)– 5 % iron and nickel

Asteroids, meteroids, and meteorite