Answer to Question #131653 in Astronomy | Astrophysics for Sphesihle Zuma

Question

2.1.talk to at least three people who speak different languages and find out the following.
2.1.1.what is the equivalent word for universe in their mother tongue? Write the words and specify the language.
2.1.2. Find out what did they learn from their parents /grandparents about the stars and other heavenly bodies.
2.2. What is the theory of relativity?
2.3. What are the two theories of relativity?
2.4. What is the difference between the two theories of relativity?

3.1. Discuss three important discoveries in astronomy by different people.

Answer 1

2.1.1 in Russian language "Вселенная" (vselennaya)

in Tatar language "Галәм" (galem)

In German language "Universum"

2.1.2 my Russian friend told her parents have told her that stars are very big and hot as our Sun. Also she was told that planets are solid bodies similar to Earth. They can be hot as Venus and cold as very far planets

My Tatar friend told his parents said that stars are made from very hot gas, but planets are made from dense material.

My German friend said his grandfather had told him that stars could be very different, giant and dwarf. He had told planets can be solid or gaseous, and also he told my friend about asteroids and meteorites.

2.2 Theory of relativity is the physical theory of space-time, that is, a theory describing the universal space-time properties of physical processes

2.3 There are the special relativity and the general relativity.

2.4 Special relativity refers to processes in the study of which the fields of gravity can be ignored; General relativity — the theory of gravity, generalizing Newtonian. In a narrow sense, the theory of relativity is called special relativity. Special relativity is applicable to the study of the motion of bodies at any speed (including near or equal to the speed of light), provided that there are no very strong gravitational fields. General relativity is applicable to the study of the motion of bodies with any velocity in gravitational fields of any intensity, if quantum effects can be ignored.

3.1 One of the greatest discoveries in astronomy is the discovery made by E. Hubble. He found out that our Universe is expanding. He discovered that more distant galaxies have larger radial velocities

Also the great discovery was made by William Hershel. He discovered the planet Uranus, that can't be observed by unaided eye.

The great discovery was made by J. Kepler. He understood that planets are moving on elliptic orbits, not on circular as had been thought by previous astronomers.