Lecture 02: Astronomical Numbers
What are our units of measure in astronomy? To begin our exploration of\nastronomy, we first need to develop a common language for notating large\nnumbers, and introduce the basic units of length, mass, and time that we\nwill use throughout the quarter. This lecture is a quick review of\nscientific notation and the metric system. For measuring the vast\ndistances in astronomy, we need to introduce two special units: the\nAstronomical Unit for interplanetary distances, and the Light Year for\ninterstellar distances. We end with a discussion of mass and weight,\nand the distinction drawn in physical measurements that differs (a\nlittle) from everyday usage. Recorded 2007 Sep 20 in 1000 McPherson Lab\non the Columbus campus of The Ohio State University.