An Introduction to Astronomy Our Place in the Universe Lambert E. Murray, Ph.D. Professor of Physics.

An Introduction to Astronomy

Our Place in the Universe

Lambert E. Murray, Ph.D.

Professor of Physics

The Universe Contains:

StarsGalaxies

Clusters of Galaxies

Galaxies Come in All Shapes

and Sizes

A Galaxy Like Our Own

Approaching Our Galaxy

Edge-On

Stars inside the Spiral Arms

Individual Stars are Often Far Apart

Our Nearest Neighbor is about 4.5

Light Years Away!

Our Star – The Sun

The Sun’s Familyof Planets(To Scale)

Mercury

The planet nearest to our Sun.

Venus Viewed from Space is Always Covered with Clouds

Venus Without Clouds

Earth: Our Home

Three Views of Mars from Space

Mars – Close Up and Personal

Jupiter

Jupiter’s Galilean Moons

Saturn

Uranus

Neptune

Pluto, A Planet?

Some Space Missions of Interest Galileo to Jupiter’s Moons

http://www2.jpl.nasa.gov/galileo/ (1,2,5) Missions to Mars:

Mars Orbital Surveyorhttp://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mgs/msss/camera/images/index.html Mars Rovershttp://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/

Mission to Saturn Cassinihttp://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm

Mission to Mercury Messenger

http://messenger.jhuapl.edu/

Additional Missions

LCROSS Mission to the Moonhttp://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/

LCROSS/...main/prelim_water_results.html Mars Express

http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Mars_Express/... index.html

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiterhttp://marsprogram.jpl.nasa.gov/mro/

End of Introduction