Topic 11 - Exploring the Solar System Specification:
• Be able to use data about the names and relative locations of bodies in the Solar System, including:
🡒 planets
🡒 dwarf planets
🡒 Small Solar System Objects (SSSOs): asteroids, meteoroids and comets
• Understand the structure of comets (nucleus, coma and tails)
• Understand the orbits of short-period comets and their likely origin in the Kuiper Belt
• Understand the orbits of long-period comets and their likely origin in the Oort Cloud
• Understand the location and nature of the Kuiper Belt, Oort Cloud and the heliosphere
• Understand the following principal characteristics of the planets:
🡒 relative size
🡒 relative mass
🡒 surface temperature
🡒 atmospheric composition
🡒 presence of satellites
🡒 presence of ring systems
• Understand the main theories for the formation and current position of the gas giant planets in our Solar System
• Be able to use information about the size of the Solar System
• Be able to use the astronomical unit (1 AU = 1.5 × 108 km), light year (l.y.) and parsec (pc)
• Understand the origin and structure of meteoroids and meteorites
• Know that most bodies in the Solar System orbit the Sun in, or close to, a plane called the ecliptic
• Understand the use of transits of Venus (as proposed by Halley) to determine the size of the astronomical unit and thus the absolute size of the Solar System
• Understand the main theories for the origin of water on Earth
• Know that the human eye is limited in astronomical observations by its small aperture and limited sensitivity in low light
• Understand how the objective element of a telescope captures and focuses light so that the image can be magnified by an eyepiece
• Know that convex (converging) lenses and concave (diverging) mirrors can be used to collect and focus light from astronomical objects
• Understand how simple telescopes can be made by combining an objective (lens or mirror) with an eyepiece
• Understand the basic design of the following in terms of their key elements:
🡒 Galilean refracting telescope
🡒 Keplerian refracting telescope
🡒 Newtonian reflecting telescope
🡒 Cassegrain reflecting telescope (detailed ray diagrams not required)
• Understand that the ‘light grasp’ of a telescope is directly proportional to the area of the objective element and thus the square of the diameter of the objective element
• Know that the aperture of a telescope is related to the diameter of the objective element
• Know that the field of view is the circle of sky visible through the eyepiece, measured in degrees or arcmin
• Understand the resolution of a telescope is:
🡒 proportional to the diameter of the objective element
🡒 reduced by observing at a longer wavelength
• Be able to use the formula for the magnification of a telescope
• Understand the importance of Galileo's early telescopic observations in establishing a heliocentric (Sun-centred) model of the Solar System
• Understand the advantages of reflecting telescopes compared to refracting telescopes, in terms of:
🡒 chromatic aberration
🡒 very long focal lengths
🡒 using large aperture objectives
🡒 use of multiple mirrors
• Understand the advantages and disadvantages of the major types of space probe:
🡒 fly-by
🡒 orbiter
🡒 impactor
🡒 lander
• Know an example of each type of space probe, including target body and major discoveries, including:
🡒 fly-by – New Horizons (Outer Solar System)
🡒 orbiter – Juno (Jupiter) or Dawn (asteroids Vesta and Ceres)
🡒 impactor – Deep Impact (comet Tempel 1)
🡒 lander – Philae (comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko)
• Understand that a space probe must reach the Earth’s escape velocity, the energy requirements of which can be met only by the use of rockets
• Understand the advantages and disadvantages of direct observation via manned missions
• Understand the main features of the Apollo programme to land astronauts on the Moon
⭐️ 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘀 ⭐️
☕️ Like what I'm doing? Consider supporting me: [ Ссылка ]
🔗 Join my Discord Server: [ Ссылка ]
🔗 Find me on Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
🔗 Send me a message: [ Ссылка ]
🔗 Main website: [ Ссылка ]
🔗 YouTube Channel: [ Ссылка ]
