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Week 7 Lecture & Reading Discussion_Introduction to General Astronomy

Week 7 Lecture

Q Part 1: Note the key "pattern" created by experimenting with light as multiple waves, which is not possible when measured as a particle. Next, explain why dangerous X-rays and gamma rays from space do not reach the Earth's surface. Part 2: Describe what Wien's Law means in regards to a star's overall energy output. Finally, which variable is a larger factor for luminosity according to the equation: Surface Area or Temperature? (Detail exactly why doubling one of these has a larger impact on an object's luminosity).

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Dangerous X-rays and gamma rays from space are forms of electromagnetic radiation that are of the highest frequency and the shortest wavelength, because of which they do not fall on the range of light that supports visibility. The Earth’s atmosphere, which is thick enough, absorbs these rays and cannot be seen from the surface as they do not reach till here, and can only be seen through satellites. All this is possible because the light is treated as composed of waves, as suggested by Huygens, and not particles, as suggested by Newton, which is a result of the acceleration of magnetically charged electrons and protons.