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