Interactive activity
Changing Concepts of theUniverse
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The solar system is far bigger than Copernicus could ever have imagined. In 2012, the space probe Voyager 1 finally reached the outermost edge of the solar system, far beyond the planet Neptune. It took the space probe 35 years to reach this point, travelling a distance of 17 billion km from Earth. Imagine what Copernicus would have made of that!
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Nowadays, astronomers have powerful tools and modern technologies to help them study the universe. Earlier scientists such as Copernicus and Galileo had far more basic tools, and had to depend a lot on the power of the mind! Even so, their theories still provide the basis for what we know about our solar system and the universe. Remember them the next time you look up at the night sky!
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Launch of the Voyager 1 space probe, 1977
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1 Why did ancient peoples think that the Earth was at the centre of the solar system? 2 Why was Copernicus’s book not published until after his death? 3 List Galileo’s discoveries. Which one provided the most support for Copernicus’s theory of the solar system? 4 Why was Lemaître’s idea of an expanding universe ignored at first? 5 What did Hubble discover and why was this important to Lemaître? 6 In your opinion, which scientist discussed in the chapter made the most important discoveries? Why? 7 In your opinion, would it be possible to come up with theories about the universe without knowledge of the solar system? Why or why not?
1 Look up the origin of the prefix ‘helio’ and explain why it was used by the Ancient Greeks. 2 Pair work: Research and write about how Galileo’s discovery of the phases of Venus helped to support the idea that the Earth revolved around the sun and not the other way around. Remember to record the sources used in your research. 3 Group work: Research developments made in space travel since it began. Design a simple presentation, including a timeline, to share your findings.
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