nevertheless, it leads to interesting corollary -- panspermia,
did life on Earth come from Mars or a comet or the
Leonid meteor shower?
What is the Scientific Method?
- example: how the motions of the planets were finally understood
- example: life on Mars debate
- observation: life on Earth exists
- analysis: life on Earth exists in volcanic rocks
- hypothesis: life exists (or existed) on Mars in volcanic rocks
- prediction: living or dead bacteria similar to Earth bacteria might
be found in Martian meteorites that have landed on Earth
- test: show that structures, grains, and PAHs not from Earth and are consistent with only
organic origin
- more observations, more problems (see notes above)
What is Astronomy?
Astronomy is not just about
constellations...
- study of light and matter beyond Earth
- inter-disciplinary science (as we've seen in the life on Mars example above!)
- physics: how material interacts and behaves
- geology: composition of planets
- chemistry: elements combine in rocks and space
- biology: can life evolve elsewhere?
- mathematics: language of science
Our Cosmic Address:
Classroom N210, Tucson, US, Sol 3 (Earth), Solar System, Milky Way Galaxy (2/3's of the way
outside center), Local Group of Galaxies, Virgo Supercluster of Galaxies, Universe
Go here and
click on the play arrow for a brief, cosmic journey.