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Astronomy

Source: Junior IOAA Syllabus — IOAA

20 topics · 0 materials · 0 editorials

Theory

Basic Astronomy and Astrophysics4 topics

  1. Celestial mechanics

    Newton’s law of gravitation; Kepler’s laws for circular and non-circular orbits; the ellipse, its main points, semi-major and semi-minor axes, eccentricity; movements of planets, asteroids and comets; Roche limit, barycentre, two-body problem, Lagrange points.

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  2. Electromagnetic theory

    Electromagnetic waves; visible light and its wavelengths; Doppler effect; Wien’s law; the electromagnetic spectrum (radio, UV, X-ray).

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  3. Thermodynamics

    Ideal gas; thermal equation of state; the caloric equation.

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  4. Spectroscopy and atomic physics

    Absorption (Q); emission; spectra of celestial objects (Q).

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Coordinates and Times2 topics

  1. The celestial sphere

    Spherical trigonometry; celestial coordinates and their applications; equinox and solstice; circumpolar stars; constellations and zodiac. Diurnal motion of stars and culmination; the planes, lines and notable points of the celestial sphere; horizontal and equatorial coordinate systems; altitude of the celestial pole above the horizon; diurnal motion of stars at different latitudes; altitude of a star at culmination; circumpolar stars and stars that rise and set.

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  2. The concept of time

    Solar time; sidereal time; Julian date; heliocentric Julian date; time zones; Universal Time; local mean time; different definitions of “year”; equation of time. Time measurement, calendars, and the bases of time measurement.

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Solar System3 topics

  1. The Sun

    Solar structure; solar surface activity; solar rotation; solar radiation and the solar constant; Sun–Earth relations; role of magnetic fields (Q); solar wind and radiation pressure; heliosphere (Q); magnetosphere (Q).

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  2. The Solar System

    The Sun–Earth–Moon system: phases, eclipses of the Moon and Sun, the Earth’s motion around the Sun and the Moon’s around the Earth, precession of the Earth’s axis. Formation and evolution of the Solar System (Q); structure and components (Q); structure and orbits of Solar System objects; sidereal and synodic periods and the relation between them; retrograde motion; outer reaches of the Solar System (Q). Parallax and distances; size, shape, mass and average density of bodies; albedo; the astronomical unit; angular dimensions and small angles. Apparent motions of the planets and the Sun on the celestial sphere; planetary configurations; variation of the Sun’s declination and right ascension through the year; seasonal variations in the appearance of the starry sky.

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  3. Phenomena

    Tides; seasons; eclipses; aurorae (Q); meteor showers; atmospheric refraction and its effect on observations.

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Stars2 topics

  1. Stellar properties

    Methods of distance determination; annual parallax; radiation, luminosity and magnitude; determination of radii and masses; stellar motion; irregular and regular stellar variability (broad classification and properties); Cepheids and the period–luminosity relation.

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  2. Stellar evolution

    Stellar formation; Hertzsprung–Russell diagram; pre-main-sequence, main-sequence and post-main-sequence stars; supernovae; planetary nebulae; end states of stars.

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Stellar Systems4 topics

  1. Binary star systems

    Different types of binary stars; mass determination in binary systems; light and radial-velocity curves of eclipsing binaries; Doppler shifts in binary systems; interacting binaries; peculiar binary systems.

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  2. Star clusters

    Classification and structure; mass, age, luminosity and distance determination.

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  3. The Milky Way

    Structure and composition; rotation; satellites of the Milky Way (Q).

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  4. Galaxies

    Classification by structure, composition and activity; mass, luminosity and distance determination; rotation curves; the Sun’s motion and general notions about our Galaxy; the Solar System’s movement in the Galaxy.

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Cosmology1 topic

  1. Elementary cosmology

    Expanding Universe and Hubble’s law; clusters of galaxies; Big Bang (Q); the Schwarzschild radius formula. Speed of light; the distance ladder; length units from the metre to the gigaparsec; general knowledge of the structure of the Universe.

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Basic Space Sciences4 topics

  1. Exoplanets

    Techniques used to detect exoplanets.

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  2. Cosmonautics

    Cosmic velocities; forms of orbits; the ecliptic coordinate system; tilt and line of nodes; speed at perihelion and aphelion; determination of circular orbits; perturbations of planetary motion; tidal effects; determining the masses of celestial bodies; elementary calculations of Earth’s orbits to nearby planets.

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  3. Space exploration

    Satellite trajectories and Hohmann transfers; human exploration of the Solar System (Q); planetary missions (Q); gravitational sling-shot effect; space-based instruments (Q).

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  4. Instrumentation

    Fundamentals of geometric optics; the eye as an optical device; construction of the simplest observing tools; refractors and reflectors; photo camera; binoculars; image formation in optical devices; angular magnification.

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