Survey of Astronomy (ASTR 1050) Standards

1.  Cycles: Describe and explain how the sky changes throughout the day, month, and year. 

2.  Coordinates: Identify and describe schemes for specifying locations in the sky.  Includes the astronomical constellations and coordinate systems, including altazimuth, equatorial, ecliptic, galactic, and ICRS.

3.  Shaded: Identify the characteristics of, and conditions creating, Solar and Lunar eclipses, planetary transits, and occultations.  Nodal points, types of eclipses, parts of an object's shadow.

4.  Orbits: Describe the orbits of the planets, including direction and shapes of their paths.  Includes inclination to the ecliptic, orbital direction, and Kepler's laws. 

5.  Gravity: Explain and apply Newton’s formula for the gravitational force.  What do all the symbols mean in the formula F = Gm₁m₂/r²?  How does the force respond to changes in any of the quantities?

6.  Heliocentric: Explain evidence supporting the heliocentric model of the Sun and planets.  Includes Occam's principle, the scale of the heavens, Kepler's laws, and Newton’s gravitational formula.  Also includes understanding why the geocentric model was reasonable to the Ancients.