Aristarchus - Study guides, Class notes & Summaries

Astronomy Exam #1 Questions With Complete Solutions. What is a star? A star is a large luminous ball of gas that generates heat and light through nuclear fusion. What is a planet? A planet is a moderately large object that orbits a star. It shines by reflected light. Planets may be icy or rocky What is a moon? A moon (or satellite) is an object that orbits the planet. What is an asteroid? An asteroid is a small and ROCKY object that orbits a star. What is a comet? A comet is small a...

astronomy the study of stars and heavenly bodies to learn more about them astrology the study of stars to predict the future Aristarchus first person to think that the sun was the center of the universe Ptolemy thought the sun was the center of the universe Copernicus thought the sun was the center of the universe and the Earth orbits between Venus and Mars Tycho Brahe discovered a nova and a commet, thought the Earth was the center of the universe ...

What is the heliocentric model? - Answer - Sun is at the center of the Solar System What is the geocentric model? - Answer - Earth is at the center of the Solar System Define perihilon - Answer - The point of nearest approach of a planet to the Sun Define aphelion - Answer - The point of greatest separation How did Aristarchus contribute to the heliocentric model? - Answer - he experimented with placing Sun at the centre. Satisfied that the geometry seemed to work - and seemed able t...