ASTR220 Hamilton 
		    Homework #1 (12 points)
        due Wednesday Feb. 11 at the beginning of class 

Homework is due at 11 AM on the lecture date indicated.  Homework
handed in after 11 AM on the due date will be considered late (2
pts. deducted). (If you are slightly late and lecture has begun,
please look for your TA near the door and turn your homework to him.
This only applies if you are no more than 10 minutes late.) Homework
turned in after the due date will lose additional points, but partial
credit is better than a zero! Late homework will NOT be accepted after
corrected homeworks have been returned to the class.

Homework may be typed or neatly handwritten.  We must be able to read
and understand your homework for you to receive full credit.  Please
SHOW YOUR CALCULATIONS on any problems and JUSTIFY ALL WRITTEN
ANSWERS--yes or no is not enough.  DO NOT COPY FROM THE BOOK OR THE
WEB--this is plagiarism and is a violation of the honor code.  Read
the book and phrase all answers using your own words.  DO NOT COPY FROM
YOUR FRIEND--this is academic dishonesty.  You may discuss homework
with a friend, but turn in your own work.

If you use a reference other than your textbooks or handouts given in
class, you must include reference information at the end of your
assignment.  This includes any WWW site referenced.  The university's
honor code will be enforced.  Please read page 36 in your Schedule of
Classes.

QUESTION 1. Describe the historical debate over the volcanic versus
impact origin theories of what we now recognize as meteor craters on
Earth and the Moon.

QUESTION 2. Give an example of a catastrophic theory.  Give an example
of a uniformitarian theory. Compare catastrophism and
uniformitarianism.

QUESTION 3. Satellites and planets with solid surfaces show great
variation in the number of craters seen.  Describe the processes that
can modify (change) a surface that started out with many craters when
the solar system was young (4 billion years ago).

QUESTION 4. Take a look at the WWW tool "Scientific Notation"
available from the class web page. Do some practice problems. In a
sentence or two, tell me how comfortable you are with Scientific
Notation and whether this program was useful to you or not.

QUESTION 5. Use the WWW tool "Astronomical Distances" available from
the class web page to answer the following questions.

a) How long would it take you to reach the Moon if your spaceship was
as fast as a car? As fast as a 747 airplane? Choose typical values for
the speeds. If you don't know typical speeds, ask someone!

b) Dave's Intergalactic Rendezvous, located at the center of the Milky
Way is the most popular mixed species hangout in the Galaxy! Last call
for drinks is in 25,000 years. If you leave Earth now and power your
spaceship up to full speed, can you make it to Dave's in time to get a
Groffellian Whiskey? Why or why not?

c) How many times further away is Pluto than our Moon?  How many times
further away is Proxima Centauri than Pluto? How many times further
away is the center of the Milky Way than Proxima Centauri?  (HINT: you
can answer these questions by taking ratios of the time it takes to
get from Earth to these objects traveling at any speed).