History of the Universe Project:
Introduction to Cosmology
Cosmology is the study of the universe at extremely large scales, beyond the events related to stars and planets. At these scales physicists model the universe by treating galaxies very much like the molecules of a gas.
PART 1
With your group mates, watch the following video clip:
The Observable Universe (6:30)
Respond to the video by recording any questions ("wonderings") on the document you've been provided.
PART 2
Your group will look closely at the "eXtreme Deep Field" (XDF) image from the Hubble Space Telescope. While it was difficult to create, the XDF is simply a zoomed-in photograph of a tiny portion of the night sky:
PART 1
With your group mates, watch the following video clip:
The Observable Universe (6:30)
Respond to the video by recording any questions ("wonderings") on the document you've been provided.
PART 2
Your group will look closely at the "eXtreme Deep Field" (XDF) image from the Hubble Space Telescope. While it was difficult to create, the XDF is simply a zoomed-in photograph of a tiny portion of the night sky:
The XDF reveals a finely detailed picture of the universe, with thousands of galaxies visible in this tiny sliver of sky. Follow the link below to see the XDF with overlaid grid:
What do you notice in the XDF? Record your observations on the document you've been provided.
PART 3 (CHALLENGE)
In the early twentieth century, astronomers were gathering the first clear images of distant galaxies. Edwin Hubble noticed a trend that can also be observed in the XDF. The farther the galaxy the redder it appears compared to its natural color. Therefore the faster that galaxy is moving. What are the implications for cosmology?
In the early twentieth century, astronomers were gathering the first clear images of distant galaxies. Edwin Hubble noticed a trend that can also be observed in the XDF. The farther the galaxy the redder it appears compared to its natural color. Therefore the faster that galaxy is moving. What are the implications for cosmology?