Astronomy - The Basics

In the first image, the moon is seen from a large field of view.
In the second image, the moon is seen from a small field of view.

Scientists use various methods of measurement. In astronomy, very large and very small units of measurement are common. Astronomers utilize images and find the diameter of the object in the field of view. As you have seen, images may look the same size, but in reality they can be very different.

Throughout your week, you travel some sort of distance. Whether it is in a car, on a bus, running, or walking, everywhere you go takes time. A short trip to the grocery store takes a lot less time than traveling to a family get-together hours away. Now imagine trying to travel to the sun. It may be only 1 AU away, which does not sound bad at first, but knowing that 1 AU is equal to 93 million miles might change your thoughts. The size and scale of objects found within the universe requires the use of scientific notation, for it plays a vital role in being able to utilize numbers in a very manageable way.

Units and conversions are important to astronomy simply based on the immense challenge of finding units large enough to make the unimaginable size of the universe seem imaginable. Throughout this course, you will cover and uncover some thoughts and distances that you never thought you could imagine. Allow your imagination to take you to these distances.