Astronomy: The Solar System

Astronomy is one of mankind's oldest and most fascinating fields. For centuries, humans looked to the night sky and wondered what they saw, but astronomers today can provide answers based on the methods of science. How does that happen? Observations of planets, stars, galaxies, and the universe are just the first step in understanding them. Much work is required to move from observation to understanding. Astronomers must (1) gather data from observations, (2) analyze it numerically and objectively, (3) draw sound conclusions from the data, and (4) communicate the findings in a clear, understandable way. But while it is interesting to learn information others have discovered, greater satisfaction comes from discovering for oneself. The lab exercises in this manual are designed to enable you to experience this process. Each has been carefully developed to enable you to see how astronomers know what they know. While many methods and procedures have been greatly simplified, they are good examples of how astronomy is done.