Presentation for the lesson introduction to astronomy. Presentation for the lesson “Introduction to Astronomy”

16.04.2024

Introduction to Astronomy

-What does astronomy study?

-Modern ideas about the Universe

-Methods of studying astronomy

Astronomy –

one of the oldest

and the most fascinating sciences

Astronomy -

science that studies the movement, structure, origin and development of celestial bodies and their systems

(from two Greek words:

astron - luminary, star and nomos - law)

The need for astronomical knowledge was dictated by vital necessity:

The need to keep track of time and maintain a calendar.

Orientation on the terrain, finding your way by the stars, especially for sailors.

Curiosity - to understand current phenomena.

Concern for one's destiny, which gave rise to astrology.

The first attempts to explain mysterious celestial phenomena were made in Ancient Egypt

more than 4000 years ago

and in Ancient Greece

even before the beginning of our era.

Egyptian priests

made the first maps

starry sky,

gave names to the planets.

Great ancient Greek philosopher and mathematician

Pythagoras in the 6th century. BC e. put forward the idea that the Earth is spherical and “hangs” in space,

without relying on anything.

Astronomer Hipparchus

in the 2nd century BC e.

determined the distance

from the Earth to the Moon and

discovered the phenomenon

axis precession

Earth circulation.

Modern astronomy is associated with refusal

from the geocentric system of the world and replacing it with a heliocentric system

(N. Copernicus, mid-16th century),

with the beginning of telescopic

celestial body research

(G. Galileo, early 17th century)

and the discovery of the law

universal gravity

(I. Newton, late 17th century).

The great merit of the German astronomer Johannes Kepler

(1571-1630),

who discovered

kinematic

laws

movement

planets.

Stages of development of astronomy

I. Ancient world (BC)

II. Pre-telescopic (AD to 1610)

III. Telescopic (1610-1814)

IV. Spectroscopy (1814-1900)

V. Modern (1900 - present)

Modern astronomy is closely related to mathematics and physics, biology and chemistry, geography, geology and astronautics.

Astrometry - branch of astronomy that studies the position and movement of celestial bodies and their systems

Celestial mechanics - branch of astronomy that studies the laws of motion of celestial bodies

Astrophysics - a branch of astronomy that studies the nature of cosmic bodies: their structure, chemical composition, physical properties

Cosmology studies the structure and evolution of the Universe as a whole

Cosmogony studies the origin and development of cosmic bodies and their systems

We live on planet earth -

one of the planets in the solar system.

Let's “issue a passport” to the Solar System!

Remember

what do you know

about the solar system...

solar system

Age

4.57 billion years

Weight

1.0014 solar masses

Compound:

star(s)

1 - Sun

terrestrial planets

4 - Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars

giant planets

4 - Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

dwarf planets

satellites of the planets

5 - Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, Eris, Ceres

172 for planets and 243 for small bodies

small bodies

more than 700,000

comets

Space address

let's clarify...

Planetary system

Earth is located in the solar system

In the center -

the star is the Sun, and all other space objects in the system rotate around it under the influence of gravity.

Galaxy

is a gravitationally bound system of stars with their planetary systems, interstellar gas and dust.

All objects in the galaxy

moving around

common center of mass.

solar system

included in

galaxies

Milky Way.

The Milky Way (our Galaxy or simply the Galaxy) is a barred spiral galaxy

Solar system in the Orion Arm.

Galaxy cluster

Galaxies are also connected by gravity.

Three large galaxies

(Milky Way,

Andromeda and

Triangle)

and more than fifty neighboring dwarf galaxies

make up

Local group of galaxies.

Andromeda Galaxy

(1 trillion stars, which is 2.5-5 times larger than the Milky Way)

Triangulum Galaxy (5-10 times less than the Milky Way in mass. In diameter 2 times less than the Milky Way and 4 times less than the Andromeda Galaxy)

If you group clusters of galaxies, you get superclusters of galaxies!

Local supercluster of galaxies (Virgo Supercluster)

In total, the Local Supercluster includes at least 100 groups and

galaxy clusters

(with the dominant Virgo cluster at the center)

and about 30 thousand galaxies;

its mass is on the order of magnitude 10 ¹⁵ mass of the Sun (2·10 ⁴⁵ kg).

Virgo Supercluster

is just one of millions of superclusters in the entire Universe.

Virgo Cluster

consists of at least 1300

(most likely around 2000)

galaxies.

The Virgo Supercluster is attracted to a gravitational anomaly called the Great Attractor, which is located next to the Angle Cluster.

Great attractor (Great center of attraction, from the English attract -

"attract,

attract,

captivate") –

gravitational

anomaly,

located

in intergalactic

space

about 250 million light years

from the earth

in the constellation Triangle.

Laniakea (in Hawaiian - “immense heavens”) - a supercluster of galaxies

in which, in particular,

Supercluster

Virgos and

Great attractor

in which it is located

center of gravity

Laniakei.

Laniakea - part of the complex superclusters

Fish-Whale .

Complex

superclusters

Fish-Whale -

cluster

superclusters of galaxies, or hyperclusters.

The galactic filament is the largest structural concept

in the Universe.

Veronica's Hair Thread,

Perseus-Pegasus thread ,

Thread of the Big Dipper,

Thread of the Lynx-Ursa Major,

Great Wall CfA2 (Great Northern Wall),

Sculptor's Wall (Great Wall of the South),

Great Wall of Sloan,

Great Wall of Hercules-Northern Crown,

Wall Crane,

Wall Stove.

The following galactic filaments have been identified and found:

And which one of them -

“native” to us?

Perseus-Pegasus thread!

It is formed from two superclusters of galaxies: our supercluster

Fish-Whale and

neighboring Perseus-Pisces.

Laniakea (center and left) and the Perseus-Pisces supercluster (right and bottom)

"Cosmic address" of the solar system

in the Universe:

Galactic Thread of Perseus-Pegasus,

complex of Pisces-Cetus superclusters,

Laniakea,

Virgo Supercluster,

Local group of galaxies

Milky Way galaxy,

Orion's sleeve

Solar system!

Astronomers use special units of measurement for their calculations.

This is understandable, because if cosmic distances were measured in kilometers, then the number of zeros would dazzle the eyes.

Therefore, to measure cosmic distances it is customary to use much larger values...

Astronomical unit approximately equal to the average distance from the Earth to the Sun.

1 a.u. = 149,597,870,700 m = 149,597,870.7 km ≈ 150 10⁶ km

Why "about" and "average"? Because the Earth does not move around the Sun in a regular circular orbit - at the extreme points, the distance from the Earth to the Sun varies from 147.5 to 152.5 million kilometers.

One light year equal to the distance light travels in one year.

1 St. year = 9 460 730 472 580 800 m =

= 9,460,730,472,580.8 km ≈

≈ 9,47 10 ¹² km

1 St. year = 63,241.077 a. e.

Light from the Sun travels this distance in just over 499 seconds

Betelgeuse is located at a distance from us

from 495 to 640 light years.

If it explodes right now, then the inhabitants of the Earth will see this explosion only in 500-600 years.

And if you see an explosion today, then in fact the explosion occurred around the time of Ivan the Terrible...

A light year simultaneously shows both distance and time.

Parsec 1 pc = 3.2616 sv. year = 206,264.8 a.u. = 3.0856776 10 ¹⁶ m

Distance from the Sun to the nearest star Proxima Centauri

equals 1.3 parsecs,

to the center of the Galaxy -

approximately 8,000 parsecs,

to the Andromeda nebula -

770,000 parsecs.

Observations are the main source of information about celestial bodies, processes and phenomena occurring in the Universe.

Features of astronomical observations:

passive

relativity of motion

very far

Ancient astronomers had a very difficult time:

they observed the starry sky only with the naked eye.

Galileo went down in history as the scientist who was the first to observe the starry sky through a telescope (1609)

“tele” - far, “skopeo” - look

Telescope increases the angle of view from which celestial bodies are visible (resolution) and collects many times more light than the observer's eye (penetrating power).

Through a telescope you can examine the surfaces of the celestial bodies closest to the Earth, invisible to the naked eye, and see many faint stars. It all depends on the diameter of its lens.

Space telescopes

The best of the devices is the Russian Radioastron.

Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope

Very Large Telescope (VLT), Chile

Astronomical observatory located

on the peak of Mauna Kea,

on the island of Hawaii, USA.

Urania is the muse of astronomy.

Attributes –

celestial globe and compass.

Sometimes depicted in an azure robe, wearing a star crown.

Sometimes the attributes include a telescope and a sheet with celestial signs.

The asteroid Urania, discovered in 1854, is named after Urania.

Let's sum it up...

Astronomy - fundamental science that studies physical bodies, phenomena and processes occurring in the Universe.

Astronomy consists of a number of sections, for example, celestial mechanics, comparative planetology, astrophysics, cosmology, etc.

Let's sum it up...

The main way to study celestial objects is astronomical observations carried out using modern ground-based and space telescopes.

The main purpose of astronomy is formation of people's scientific worldview .

1. Astronomy is the science that studies... A. movement and origin of celestial bodies and their systems. B. development of celestial bodies and their nature. B. movement, nature, origin and development of celestial bodies and their systems.

2. At the center of the geocentric system of the world is...

A. Sun B. Jupiter V. Moon G. Earth

3. The heliocentric model of the world was developed by...

A. Pythagoras

B. Nicolaus Copernicus

V. Galileo Galilei

G. Claudius Ptolemy

4. Rotating around the Sun...

A. 6 planets

B. 7 planets

V. 8 planets

G. 9 planets

5. Terrestrial planets include...

A. Mercury, Venus, Uranus, Earth

B. Mars, Earth, Venus, Mercury

V. Venus, Earth, Mercury, Phobos

G. Mercury, Earth, Mars, Jupiter

6. The second planet from the Sun is called...

A. Venus

B. Mercury

B. Earth

G. Mars

7. Giant planets include planets...

A. Phobos, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus

B. Pluto, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus

V. Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter

G. Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus

8. The structure of our Galaxy...

A. Elliptical

B. Spiral

B. Incorrect

G. spherical

9. Interstellar space...

A. not filled with anything

B. filled with dust and gas

V. is filled with spacecraft debris

G. filled with invisible ether

10. A telescope is necessary in order to...

A. collect light and create an image of the source.

B. collect light from a celestial object and increase the viewing angle from which the object is seen.

B. obtain an enlarged image of a celestial body.

§§1; 2

Homework

Questions

1. What does astronomy study? List the most important features of astronomy.

2. How did the science of astronomy arise? Describe the main periods of its development.

3. What objects and their systems does astronomy study?

4. What branches does astronomy consist of? Briefly describe each of them.

5. What is a telescope and what is it used for?

6. What is the significance of astronomy for the practical activities of mankind?

Of all the pictures of nature unfolding before our eyes, the most majestic is the picture of the starry sky.

We can fly around or around the entire globe, our world in which we live. The starry sky is a vast, endless space filled with other worlds. Each star, even barely noticeable twinkling in the dark sky, represents a huge luminary, often hotter and brighter than the Sun. Only all the stars are very far from us and therefore glow weakly.

What kind of worlds are these, how do they move? How far are they from us? How did the heavenly bodies originate? How are stars arranged? What happened to them in the past and what will happen to them in the future?

All these questions are studied by astronomy - the science of the Universe.

Scientists were able to determine the distances to the stars, find out the weight of the Sun and its chemical composition, predict future eclipses of the Moon and the Sun, and the time of appearance of tailed luminaries - comets. But many centuries passed before this was done.

When and how did the science of the Universe begin?

Already in ancient times, people watched the appearance of the Sun above the horizon, its movement across the sky, in order to know whether it would soon descend to the horizon again and night would fall. Man learned to determine the time of day by the position of the Sun and stars.

For a long time, man has noticed groups of stars in the sky, using them as a guide to find the right direction of travel on land and sea. This knowledge turned out to be necessary when people went, for example, far from their homes during hunting and in general during any other movement on Earth. For pastoral nomadic peoples, predicting the onset of the full moon (when the Moon is visible as a full disk) was of great importance: on such very bright nights it was possible to successfully drive cattle to new pastures, avoiding the heat of the day.

The most ancient peoples considered the Earth to be flat and the sky to be a hemisphere overturned above the Earth. They considered the Earth itself motionless and thought that all the heavenly bodies circled the Earth every day. Unable to explain various natural phenomena, people began to deify the forces of nature. The whole world seemed to them full of miracles created by the gods.

Thinking about the question of where the world around us came from, people began to believe that the world was created by supernatural beings - gods. Servants of the gods appeared - priests who, in their own selfish interests, supported faith in the gods among the ignorant masses. The priests argued that the world was created by the gods and controlled by them.

But at the same time, observing celestial phenomena, humanity gradually accumulated more and more knowledge about the world of celestial bodies.

People noticed several particularly bright luminaries in the sky, moving among the constellations, now forward, now back, or standing motionless in place. The ancient Greeks called these wandering luminaries planets, in contrast to ordinary stars. Without understanding the complex picture of phenomena in the sky, without knowing the true reasons for the movement of the planets, people came to erroneous conclusions. Each of these luminaries, depending on its type, color and characteristics of movement, was assigned various properties. The planets were taken as messengers of the gods, supposedly influencing earthly events and the destinies of people. And the ruling classes of society, together with the priests, used superstitions to their advantage in order to keep the working people in fear and submission. Priests and soothsayers predicted various events based on the location of the planets in the sky. Centuries passed. Observations of celestial phenomena, including the movement of planets, were made more and more accurately.

Scientists who observed the starry sky noticed patterns in the changing positions of celestial bodies. They tried to understand and explain the reasons for the apparent movement of the stars, the Moon, the Sun, and the planets. It became clear that it was impossible to explain these phenomena if we considered the Earth to be motionless. For such thoughts, which contradicted what the church preached, scientists were severely persecuted. The clergy were especially zealous in this, defending everything old and fighting the discoveries of science.

Like a heavy sleep, the consciousness of man was shackled until he learned the true place of the Earth in the Universe and refuted the erroneous idea of the world, the center of which is supposedly the Earth.

Four centuries ago, the brilliant Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus proved that the globe is just one of the planets revolving around the Sun. The Earth is illuminated by the Sun, and it reflects sunlight into space. All other planets also do not have their own light and also reflect the rays of the Sun.

The Moon is the celestial body closest to us; it revolves around the Earth and is its satellite, accompanying the Earth in its movement around the Sun. The same satellites were later discovered for many other planets.

All planets and the Sun represent a single solar system, in the center of which is the hot, self-luminous Sun.

Countless stars are not fixed on the surface of the heavenly dome, as ancient scientists thought. Stars are at varying distances from Earth, far beyond the solar system.

Every star is a different sun, as astronomers have proven.

Russian scientist V. Ya. Struve, founder of the Pulkovo Observatory, about 120 years ago first measured the distance to one of the nearest stars. It turned out to be huge. You can get an idea of this distance if you take the highest speed in nature - the speed of light.

A ray of light travels 300,000 km in a second. It reaches us from the Sun in 8½ minutes, and from the nearest star in more than four years. There are stars in the Universe, the light from which travels to the Earth for millions and even hundreds of millions of years!

Some planets may have life. There are signs of vegetation on the planet Mars. Scientists have been observing this planet for a very long time.

By studying the sky, everyone can see that it is full of movement and constantly changing. A new star flashed and for several days eclipsed the other stars with its light.

What global catastrophe gave rise to its flash of brilliance?

A new celestial body appeared within the solar system - a comet with a large, fiery tail that covered half the sky. Flying quickly through the formation of planets, the comet smoothly circles the Sun and recedes into the unknown. And another comet, circling around the Sun, like the planets, crumbles into a swarm of tiny invisible stones.

These pebbles rush at great speed and, flying into the Earth’s atmosphere, become heated and glow. Then “shooting stars” - meteors - sparkle in the dark sky. Most of them turn into steam, but some, larger ones, reach the Earth.

Stone from the sky! This is a messenger of distant worlds. It can be seen in the museum display case. Astronomers and astronomy enthusiasts carefully collect fragments of stones that have fallen from the sky. A small piece that fell from the sky consists of the same substances as our globe.

This means that in general, celestial bodies in their chemical composition do not differ from the Earth. But, of course, the same substances on these celestial bodies may be in a completely different state than on Earth.

Sometimes in the sky. On a winter night, like the rays of colored searchlights, the rays of auroras cross and cross. At the same time, the magnetic needle oscillates strongly, and the radio begins to crackle loudly. What is the reason for these phenomena?

Scientists have done a lot to clarify all these and other grandiose and complex phenomena.

Gradually, man became more and more aware of the Universe.

More than two centuries ago, Tsar Peter I opened a school in Moscow in the Sukharev Tower where astronomy was taught. Later, an observatory at the Academy of Sciences opened in St. Petersburg.

Thanks to the works of M.V. Lomonosov and other outstanding scientists, his contemporaries and successors, astronomy in our country has long reached a high level of development.

Drawing up accurate maps of the country required an accurate determination of the position of cities on Earth, and this is only possible using the stars. To study the exact location of stars in the sky and other research, the largest observatory was built in 1839 near St. Petersburg on the Pulkovo Hills. Scientists have nicknamed Pulkovo the astronomical capital of the world. Astronomers from Western Europe and America came here to learn accurate observations.

In addition to Pulkovo, we now have many other observatories at which the study of the sky is carried out, which is necessary for people in their practical activities and helps them in the fight against religious superstitions and in developing a correct understanding of the world.

Soviet astronomers occupy a leading place in world science. On October 4, 1957, the USSR carried out the world's first successful launch of an artificial Earth satellite. The first satellite was followed by a second, a third, and others will follow, paving the way for interplanetary travel, for the fulfillment of mankind’s long-standing dream - to penetrate the depths of the Universe.

Soviet astronomers are developing the science of the Universe in collaboration with advanced scientists from other countries. In capitalist countries, ruling circles strive to use the achievements of science, and in particular astronomy, to their advantage. Some bourgeois scientists, being captive of religious ideas, draw erroneous conclusions from their research and incorrectly interpret scientific discoveries.

In August 1958, the International Congress of Astronomers took place in Moscow, in which scientists from almost 40 countries took part. At the congress, Soviet astronomers and astronomers from other countries spoke about their achievements and discussed the most complex and exciting issues of further penetration into the depths of the universe.

Astronomy not only reveals the secrets of the depths of the Universe, but also helps people in their practical activities: in drawing up accurate maps of the Earth's surface, correctly determining the direction of the path of ships and aircraft, the Precise Time Service, and much more.

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Introduction to Astronomy

3. Astronomy Division

1. The emergence and main stages of development of astronomy

Astronomy is one of the oldest sciences. The first records of astronomical observations, the authenticity of which is beyond doubt, date back to the 8th century. BC. However, it is known that even 3 thousand years BC. e. Egyptian priests noticed that the floods of the Nile, which regulated the economic life of the country, occurred soon after the brightest star, Sirius, appeared in the east before sunrise, having previously been hidden in the rays of the Sun for about two months. From these observations, the Egyptian priests quite accurately determined the length of the tropical year.

In Ancient China 2 thousand years BC. The apparent movements of the Sun and Moon were so well studied that Chinese astronomers could predict the occurrence of solar and lunar eclipses. Astronomy, like all other sciences, arose from the practical needs of man. The nomadic tribes of primitive society needed to navigate their travels, and they learned to do this by the Sun, Moon and stars.

When working in the field, the primitive farmer had to take into account the onset of different seasons of the year, and he noticed that the change of seasons is associated with the midday height of the Sun, with the appearance of certain stars in the night sky.

The further development of human society created a need for measuring time and chronology (making calendars).

All this could be and was provided by observations of the movement of celestial bodies, which were carried out at the beginning without any instruments; they were not very accurate, but completely satisfied the practical needs of that time. From such observations, the study of celestial bodies - astronomy - arose.

With the development of human society, astronomy was faced with more and more new tasks, the solution of which required more advanced observation methods and more accurate calculation methods. Gradually, the simplest astronomical instruments began to be created and mathematical methods for processing observations were developed.

In Ancient Greece, astronomy was already one of the most developed sciences. To explain the visible movements of the planets, Greek astronomers, the largest of them Hipparchus (2nd century BC), created the geometric theory of epicycles, which formed the basis of the geocentric system of the world of Ptolemy (2nd century AD). Although fundamentally incorrect, Ptolemy's system nevertheless made it possible to pre-calculate the approximate positions of the planets in the sky and therefore satisfied, to a certain extent, practical needs for several centuries. The Ptolemaic world system completes the stage of development of ancient Greek astronomy.

The development of feudalism and the spread of the Christian religion entailed a significant decline in the natural sciences, and the development of astronomy in Europe slowed down for many centuries. During the Dark Middle Ages, astronomers were concerned only with observing the apparent movements of the planets and reconciling these observations with the accepted geocentric system of Ptolemy. During this period, astronomy received rational development only among the Arabs and the peoples of Central Asia and the Caucasus, in the works of outstanding astronomers of that time - Al-Battani (850-929), Biruni (973-1048), Ulugbek (1394-1449) .) and etc.

During the period of the emergence and formation of capitalism in Europe, which replaced feudal society, the further development of astronomy began. It developed especially quickly during the era of great geographical discoveries (XV-XVI centuries). The emerging new bourgeois class was interested in exploiting new lands and equipped numerous expeditions to discover them. But long journeys across the ocean required more accurate and simpler methods of orientation and time calculation than those that the Ptolemaic system could provide. The development of trade and navigation urgently required the improvement of astronomical knowledge and, in particular, the theory of planetary motion.

The development of productive forces and the requirements of practice, on the one hand, and the accumulated observational material, on the other, prepared the ground for a revolution in astronomy, which was carried out by the great Polish scientist Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543), who developed his heliocentric system of the world, published in the year his death.

The teachings of Copernicus were the beginning of a new stage in the development of astronomy. Kepler in 1609-1618. the laws of planetary motion were discovered, and in 1687 Newton published the law of universal gravitation.

New astronomy gained the opportunity to study not only the visible, but also the actual movements of celestial bodies. Her numerous and brilliant successes in this area were crowned in the middle of the 19th century. the discovery of the planet Neptune, and in our time - the calculation of the orbits of artificial celestial bodies.

The next, very important stage in the development of astronomy began relatively recently, from the middle of the 19th century, when spectral analysis arose and photography began to be used in astronomy. These methods enabled astronomers to begin studying the physical nature of celestial bodies and significantly expand the boundaries of the space under study. Astrophysics arose, which received especially great development in the 20th century. And it continues to develop rapidly today. In the 40s XX century Radio astronomy began to develop, and in 1957, qualitatively new research methods based on the use of artificial celestial bodies were launched, which later led to the emergence of a virtually new branch of astrophysics - X-ray astronomy.

The significance of these astronomy achievements is difficult to overestimate. Launch of artificial Earth satellites. (1957, USSR), space stations (1959, USSR), the first human flights into space (1961, USSR), the first landing of people on the Moon (1969, USA) - epochal events for all mankind . They were followed by the delivery of lunar soil to Earth, the landing of descent vehicles on the surface of Venus and Mars, and the sending of automatic interplanetary stations to more distant planets of the solar system.

2. Subject and tasks of astronomy

Astronomy is the science of the Universe, studying the movement, structure, origin and development of celestial bodies and their systems. Astronomy studies the Sun and stars, planets and their satellites, comets and meteoroids, nebulae, star systems and the matter that fills the space between the stars and planets, in whatever state this matter may be in.

By studying the structure and development of celestial bodies, their position and movement in space, astronomy ultimately gives us an idea of the structure and development of the Universe as a whole. The word "astronomy" comes from two Greek words: "astron" - star, luminary and "nomos" - law.

When studying celestial bodies, astronomy sets itself three main tasks that require consistent solutions:

1. Study of the visible, and then the actual positions and movements of celestial bodies in space, determining their sizes and shapes.

2. Study of the physical structure of celestial bodies, i.e. study of the chemical composition and physical conditions (density, temperature, etc.) on the surface and in the interior of celestial bodies.

3. Solving problems of origin and development, i.e. possible further fate of individual celestial bodies and their systems.

The questions of the first problem are solved through long-term observations, begun in ancient times, and also on the basis of the laws of mechanics, known for about 300 years. Therefore, in this area of \u200b\u200bastronomy we have the richest information, especially for celestial bodies relatively close to the Earth.

We know much less about the physical structure of celestial bodies. The solution of some issues belonging to the second task first became possible a little over a hundred years ago, and the main problems only in recent years.

The third task is more difficult than the previous two. To solve its problems, the accumulated observational material is still far from sufficient, and our knowledge in this area of astronomy is limited only to general considerations and a number of more or less plausible hypotheses.

3. Astronomy Division

Modern astronomy is divided into a number of separate sections that are closely related to each other, and such a division of astronomy is, in a certain sense, conditional.

The main branches of astronomy are:

1. Astrometry is the science of measuring space and time. It consists of:

a) spherical astronomy, which develops mathematical methods for determining the visible positions and movements of celestial bodies using various coordinate systems, as well as the theory of regular changes in the coordinates of luminaries over time;

b) fundamental astrometry, the tasks of which are to determine the coordinates of celestial bodies from observations, compile catalogs of stellar positions and determine the numerical values of the most important astronomical constants, i.e. quantities that allow taking into account regular changes in the coordinates of luminaries;

c) practical astronomy, which sets out methods for determining geographic coordinates, azimuths of directions, exact time and describes the tools used in this case.

2. Theoretical astronomy provides methods for determining the orbits of celestial bodies from their apparent positions and methods for calculating the ephemeris (apparent positions) of celestial bodies from the known elements of their orbits (inverse problem).

3. Celestial mechanics studies the laws of motion of celestial bodies under the influence of the forces of universal gravity, determines the masses and shape of celestial bodies and the stability of their systems.

These three branches mainly address the first problem of astronomy and are often called classical astronomy.

4. Astrophysics studies the structure, physical properties and chemical composition of celestial objects. It is divided into:

a) practical astrophysics, in which practical methods of astrophysical research and corresponding instruments and instruments are developed and applied; b) theoretical astrophysics, in which explanations are given for observed physical phenomena based on the laws of physics.

A number of branches of astrophysics are distinguished by specific research methods.

5. Stellar astronomy studies the patterns of spatial distribution and movement of stars, stellar systems and interstellar matter, taking into account their physical characteristics.

These two sections mainly address the second problem of astronomy.

6. Cosmogony examines the origin and evolution of celestial bodies, including our Earth.

7. Cosmology studies the general laws of the structure and development of the Universe.

Based on all the knowledge acquired about celestial bodies, the last two sections of astronomy solve its third problem.

4. Practical and ideological significance of astronomy

Astronomy and its methods are of great importance in the life of modern society.

Issues related to measuring time and providing humanity with knowledge of exact time are now being resolved by special laboratories - time services, organized, as a rule, at astronomical institutions.

Astronomical orientation methods, along with others, are still widely used in navigation and aviation, and in recent years - in astronautics. The calculation and compilation of the calendar, which is widely used in the national economy, is also based on astronomical knowledge. Drawing up geographical and topographic maps, pre-calculating the onset of sea tides, determining the force of gravity at various points on the earth's surface in order to detect mineral deposits - all this is based on astronomical methods. Studies of processes occurring on various celestial bodies allow astronomers to study matter in states that have not yet been achieved in earthly laboratory conditions. Therefore, astronomy, and in particular astrophysics, which is closely related to physics, chemistry, and mathematics, contributes to the development of the latter, and they, as we know, are the basis of all modern technology. Suffice it to say that the question of the role of intra-atomic energy was first raised by astrophysicists, and the greatest achievement of modern technology - the creation of artificial celestial bodies (satellites, space stations and ships) would generally be unthinkable without astronomical knowledge. Astronomy is of exceptionally great importance in the fight against idealism, religion, mysticism and clericalism. Its role in the formation of a correct dialectical-materialistic worldview is enormous, for it is it that determines the position of the Earth, and with it man, in the world around us, in the Universe. Observations of celestial phenomena themselves do not give us grounds to directly discover their true causes. In the absence of scientific knowledge, this leads to their incorrect explanation, to superstition, mysticism, and to the deification of the phenomena themselves and individual celestial bodies. For example, in ancient times the Sun, Moon and planets were considered deities and were worshiped. The basis of all religions and the entire worldview was the idea of the central position of the Earth and its immobility. Many people’s superstitions were associated (and even now not everyone has freed themselves from them) with solar and lunar eclipses, with the appearance of comets, with the appearance of meteors and fireballs, the fall of meteorites, etc. So, for example, comets were considered the harbingers of various disasters befalling humanity on Earth (fires, disease epidemics, wars), meteors were mistaken for the souls of dead people flying into the sky, etc. Astronomy, by studying celestial phenomena, exploring the nature, structure and development of celestial bodies, proves the materiality of the Universe, its natural, regular development in time and space without the intervention of any supernatural forces. The history of astronomy shows that it has been and remains the arena of a fierce struggle between materialistic and idealistic worldviews. Currently, many simple questions and phenomena no longer determine or cause a struggle between these two basic worldviews. Now the struggle between materialistic and idealistic philosophies is taking place in the area of more complex issues, more complex problems. It concerns the basic views on the structure of matter and the Universe, on the emergence, development and further fate of both individual parts and the entire Universe as a whole.

5. Basis and source of astronomical research

The basis of astronomy is observation. Observations provide us with basic facts that allow us to explain this or that astronomical phenomenon. The fact is that to explain many astronomical phenomena, careful measurements and calculations are necessary, which help to clarify the actual, true circumstances that caused these phenomena. So, for example, it seems to us that all celestial bodies are at the same distance from us, that the Earth is motionless and is in the center of the Universe, that all the luminaries revolve around the Earth, that the sizes of the Sun and the Moon are the same, etc. Only careful measurements and their in-depth analysis help to get rid of these false ideas.

The main source of information about celestial bodies are electromagnetic waves that are either emitted or reflected by these bodies. Determining the directions along which electromagnetic waves reach the Earth makes it possible to study the apparent positions and movements of celestial bodies. Spectral analysis of electromagnetic radiation makes it possible to judge the physical state of these bodies.

A feature of astronomical research is also the fact that until recently, astronomers did not have the opportunity to set up an experiment (except for studies of meteorites that fell to the Earth and radar observations), and all astronomical observations were made only from the surface of the Earth.

However, with the launch of the first artificial Earth satellite in our country in 1957, the era of space research began, which made it possible to apply methods of other sciences (geology, geochemistry, biology, etc.) in astronomy. Astronomy continues to be an observational science, but the day is not far off when astronomical observations will be made not only from interplanetary stations and orbital observatories, but also from the surface of the Moon or other planets.

Presentation for the lesson introduction to astronomy. Presentation for the lesson “Introduction to Astronomy”

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