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17 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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archaeostronomy
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the study of the astronomy of ancient cultures
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uniform circular motion
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the classical belief that the perfect heavens could move only by the combination of constant motion along circular orbits
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geocentric universe
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a model universe with Earth at the center, such as the Ptolemaic universe
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eccentric
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in astronomy, an off-center circular path
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heliocentric universe
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a model of the universe with the sun at the center, such as the Copernican universe
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parallax
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the apparent change in the position of an object due to a change in the location of the observer. Astronomical ____ is measured in seconds of arc.
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retrograde motion
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the apparent backward (westward) motion of planets as seen against the background of stars
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epicycle
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the small circle followed by a planet in the Ptolemaic theory. The center of the epicycle follows a larger circle (deferent) around Earth
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deferent
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In the Ptolemaic theory, the large circle around Earth along which the center of the epicycle moved
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equant
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the point off-center in the deferent from which the center of the epicycle appears to move uniformly
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paradigm
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a commonly accepted set of scientific ideas and assumptions
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ellipse
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a closed curve enclosing two points (foci) such that the total distance from one focus to any point on the curve back to the other focus equals a constant
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semimajor axis
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(a) Half of the longest axis of an ellipse
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eccentricity
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(e) A measure of the flattening of an ellipse. An ellipse of e=0 is circular. The closer to l e becomes, the more flattened the ellipse
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hypothesis
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a conjecture, subject to further tests, that accounts for a set of facts
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theory
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a system of assumptions and principles applicable to a wide range of phenomena that have been repeatedly verified
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natural law
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A conjecture about how nature works in which scientists have overwhelming confidence
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