1.) What is Astronomy?

Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects (such as stars, planets, comets, nebulae, star clusters and galaxies) and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth (such as the cosmic background radiation). 2.) What are astronomers? Astronomers are scientists who study celestial bodies such as planets, stars , and galaxies. 3.) What scientific instruments used by astronomers in studying the heavenly bodies? a. Optical Telescopes - The purpose of a telescope is to collect light and then to have the image magnified. b. Radio Telescopes -- It is an instrument for collecting radio waves from celestial objects. 4.) Reasearch some famous astronomers and their discoveries (atleast 5) a. Nicholas Copernicus (1473 -1543) Nicholas Copernicus is a famous polish astronomer who is well-known for his Copernican theory, which states that the sun is the center of the universe and the earth revolves around and completes one revolution in a year. Although having studied subjects in areas as varied as liberal arts, law and medicine it was his interaction with a mathematician Domenico Maria de Novara that sparked his interest in astronomy. He was fascinated after experiencing eclipse by the moon of the star Aldebaran in the year 1497. Copernicus has authored several books on astronomy. Copernicus' major theory was published in the book, De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres). b. Claudius Ptolemaeus ( 83 - 161 AD) Claudius Ptolemaeus, also known as Ptolemy is an ancient astronomer, mathematician, geographer as well as astrologer. He has proposed several astronomical theories in his first astronomical treatise now known as the Almagest. Ptolemy gave a useful tool for astronomical calculations in his Handy Tables which tabulated all the data needed to compute the positions of the Sun, Moon and planets and also details about the rising and setting of the stars, and the solar and lunar eclipses. He was also the creator of a parapegma which is a star calendar based on the appearances and disappearances of stars over the course of the solar year. Although some of his theories were later proved to be incorrect, he played an instrumental role in laying down the foundation for future astronomers. His theories dominated the scientific field until the 16th century. c. Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) Galileo Galilei was an Italian physicist and an astronomer. His achievements include improvements to the telescope, noteworthy astronomical observations, and support for Copernicanism. Galileo has been called the "father of modern observational astronomy." In 1589 he became a professor of mathematics at Pisa and supposedly taught theories that contradicted Aristotle's theories, and in 1592 his contract was not renewed. The same year he was appointed as the chair of mathematics at the University of Padua, where he invented a 'calculating compass' for solving mathematics problems. In December 1609 he had built a telescope twenty times stronger than the first, which he was able to use to view craters on the moon with, stars in the Milky Way, and the four largest satellites of Jupiter and the phases of Venus. In 1613 he published a book about sunspots. In the year 1624 he wrote Dialogue on the Tides which he discussed the Ptolemaic and Copernican theories. Galileo's championing of Copernicanism was controversial within his lifetime

since the view had been dominant since the time of Aristotle, and the controversy that emerged due to Galileo's opposition to this view resulted in the Catholic Church's prohibition of heliocentrism. Galileo was forced to recant his theory and had to spend the last years of his life under house arrest on orders of the Inquisition. d. Eratosthenes (276-194 BC) Eratosthenes, nicknamed as Beta was an all-round Greek scholar who made significant contributions to various fields including astronomy, geography, mathematics, as well as music and literature. He was the first person who attempted to determine the earth's circumference. He did this by comparing the midsummer's noon shadow in deep wells in Syene and Alexandria, and made and assumptions that the sun's rays are virtually parallel and knowing the distance between the two locations, he calculated the circumference of the earth in a unit called stadia. He also made an attempt to determine the measurement for the tilt of the earth's axis and the distance of the earth from the sun and the moon. Although his accuracy about these findings is uncertain, he laid the groundwork, which was useful for the astronomers who later researched on similar lines. e. Tycho Brahe(1546-1601) Tycho Brahe was a Danish astronomer who is supposed to have made the most accurate astronomical observations about measurements of the solar system and over 700 other stars. He was the first one to make these observations and to catalog the planets and stars with adequate accuracy so as to determine whether the Ptolemaic or Copernican system was more valid in describing the universe or the planetary systems. In 1572 he found a supernova near the Cassiopeia constellation. In 1576, he built the astronomy observatory, which is now known as the Castle of Uranienborg. As an astronomer, Tycho worked to combine the geometrical benefits of the Copernican system with the philosophical benefits of the Ptolemaic system only to create his own model of the universe, the Tychonic system. From 1600 until his death in 1601, Johannes Kepler assisted him. Kepler later used Tycho's astronomical information to develop his own theories of astronomy. 5.) What is a telescope? Telescopes are one of the most important inventions of all time. They are wonderful instruments, of particular interest to astronomy enthusiasts. If you are one, you have some to the right place. Here we tell you all that you need to know about the different types of telescopes and their applications. 6.) Draw or print a modern telescope and label each part using a piece of bond paper

7.) What is NASA. Tell something about NASA NASA is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program. NASA was established by the National Aeronautics and Space Action July 29, 1958, replacing its predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). It came into existence on October 1st, 1958. One will find the NASA mission statement very apt for what it does, "To improve life here, To extend life to there, To find life beyond." 8.) Name some shuttle used during space explorations a. The space shuttles Endeavor and Atlantis, till date, have completed 22 and 30 missions, respectively. Endeavor was launched amid tight security in 2001, after the terrorist attacks. b. Space Shuttle Discovery, launched in 1984, has made 36 trips in space. It was also the first space shuttle to be launched after nearly two years, since the Columbia disaster. c. Challenger, NASA's second space shuttle, was launched in 1983. It carried the first American woman, Sally Ride, in space. d. Columbia, the first space shuttle, made its debut from Kennedy Space Center and was used only for testing. It was sent into the orbit and it landed safely. 9.) Different achievements of some astronauts or cosmonauts during their space explorations a. In 1945, Sir Arthur C. Clarke propagated the idea of satellite communication and then man found the long awaited reason to leave the Earth. The space-exploration moved out of the confines of the cranium to the drawing board which ultimately resulted in blasting of rockets and spaceships such as Apollo-13 towards the planets. b. Neil Armstrong, the famous American astronaut, began his career as a pilot in the United States Navy. On July 21, 1969, he became the first person to set his foot onMoon. Armstrong was born on August 5, 1930, in Ohio, United States. He earned a BS in Aeronautical Engineering from Purdue University in 1955 and went on to get a Masters in Aerospace Engineering from University of Southern California in 1962. After joining the U.S. Navy, Armstrong participated in the Korean War in 1951. He was selected by NASA for Astronaut Group 2 in September 1962. In 1966, he was appointed the command pilot in Gemini 8 mission, The biggest moment of his life came when he was appointed the commander of Apollo 11 mission launched on July 16, 1969. He has received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. The crater at the Apollo 11 landing site on the Moon has been named as the Lunar Crater Armstrong in his honor. He was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1993 c. Buzz Aldrin Buzz Aldrin is a former NASA astronaut. He became the second person to set his foot on the Moon after Neil Armstrong. Born on January 20, 1930, in New Jersey, United States, Aldrin graduated from the United States Military Academy in West Point. After graduation he joined the U.S. Air Force as a second lieutenant. He was selected in the 1963 NASA Group on October 17, 1963. In 1966, he got selected as the pilot of Gemini 12, the last mission of Gemini Program. Later in 1969, he was selected to be the lunar module pilot on Apollo 11, for the first lunar landing. He spent 12 days, 1 hour and 52 minutes in space. Aldrin was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1993. He has a autobiography Return to Earth, to his credit. d. Kathryn Sullivan Kathryn Sullivan is a former NASA astronaut and an American geologist. She was the first American woman to perform an extra-vehicular activity in space. Born on October 3, 1951, in New Jersey, United States, she completed her BS in Earth Science from University of California in 1973, and Ph.D. in geology from Dalhousie

University in 1978. She joined the United States Naval Reserve as an oceanography officer in the rank of captain. She also served as the chief scientist for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. On January 16, 1978, she was selected in the 1978 NASA Group for the space shuttle mission. She was a part of NASA's three space shuttle missions: as a mission specialist on STS-41-G and STS-31 and as payload commander on STS-45. Overall, she logged a combined total of 532 hours in space. She was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2004. e. John Young John Young is a former NASA astronaut who achieved the rare distinction of walking on the Moon on April 21, 1972. He was born on September 24, 1930, in San Francisco, California. He earned a BS in Aeronautical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1952. After completing his graduation, he joined the U.S. Navy as a fire control officer on the destroyer, USS Laws. He went on to become a test pilot in 1959. On September 17, 1962, he was selected in the 1962 NASA Group. As a NASA astronaut, Young went in space six times. He was appointed the pilot for Gemini 3 mission, a command pilot for Gemini 10, a command module pilot for Apollo 10 and as the commander for Apollo 16, STS-1 and STS-9. John Young retired from NASA in 2004. He was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame in 1993. He received the Congressional Space Medal of Honor in 1981, and the National Space Trophy in 2000. 10.) Gather data regarding some meteorites that fall down on earth surface a. ALH 84001: It was found in the Allan Hills, Antarctica in December 1984. Meteorite hunters of the United States working on ASMNET project discovered this meteorite. When discovered, its mass was 1.93 kilograms and its rock was reportedly one of the oldest forms. This meteorite was supposed to have come from Mars. Later it was believed to consist of some traces of the life on Mars and this made ALH 84001 more famous than ever. b. Hoba: This meteorite lies on the farm Hoba West in Namibia and has never been moved elsewhere because of its exceptionally greater mass. With a mass of about 60 tons, it is the largest meteorite known to mankind. It is tabloid in shape and composed of metal. It is believed to have landed on Earth about 80,000 years ago. In 1955, it was declared as a national monument and has since then been attracting visitors from different parts of the world. c. Tunguska Event: The Tunguska explosion took place in June 1908 near Tunguska River, now a part of Russia. Most probably, the air burst of a large meteorite caused this explosion. The energy emitted from this explosion was about 1000 times greater than that of the bomb blast of Hiroshima. According to the eyewitnesses of this explosion, the event started with a flash of bright blue light and a sound originating from east and moving northward. Later the sound was accompanied by shock waves that broke windows miles away. This was one of the famous disintegrating meteorites that remain in the list of world's most famous meteorites. d. Willamette Meteorite: This is an iron-nickel meteorite that was discovered in the United States near Oregon. It is the largest of the meteorites found in the United Sates as also the sixth largest in the world. Probably the meteorite had landed in the region, which is now known as Canada. This meteorite weighing about 15.5 tons is one of the very large meteorites of the world. e. Orgueil: This meteorite fell in France in 1864 and is a relatively older meteorite. The fall of this meteorite consisted of small stones that covered a massive area. This is one of those eight meteorites that belong to the CL chondrite group. A striking feature of this type of meteorite it that its composition is similar to that of the Sun. This meteorite is one of the most researched ones. For purposes of deeper study of

the composition of this meteorite, it was split into pieces. Currently, it exists in the form of pieces kept in different museums in Europe and the United States. 11.) What is equinox? Meaning of AM and PM? a. An equinox occurs twice a year, when the tilt of the Earth's axis is inclined neither away from nor towards the Sun, the center of the Sun being in the same plane as the Earth's equator. The term equinox can also be used in a broader sense, meaning the date when such a passage happens. The name "equinox" is derived from the Latin aequus (equal) andnox (night), because around the equinox, the night and day have approximately equal length. b. AM is ante meridiem, Latin for "before noon" c. PM is post meridiem, Latin for "after noon"