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Astronomy: Track 1

Posted under Physics and Astronomy
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12 Apr
2010


Thanks to cutting-edge radio and infra-red astronomy, our understanding of the universe is moving very fast. Ideas about black holes and cosmic jets are constantly being refined as new discoveries are made using new, more powerful telescopes. This album explores the incredible discoveries and theories developed in recent years and introduces the astronomical observatories, space missions and satellites that have made it possible. The 12 video tracks reveal that our sun, though essential for our existence, is an unremarkable member of the stellar menagerie. They describe how astronomers study the structure and dynamics of our galaxy, the Milky Way and they introduce the challenges inherent in mapping the geometry and expansion of the universe. This material forms part of the course S282 Astronomy.

Track 1: Astronomy

A short introduction to this album.


© The Open University

Tracks in this podcast:

Track  TitleDescription
1Astronomy  A short introduction to this album. Read more Astronomy
2Our Invisible Sun  Scientists investigate sun spots, solar flares and arcs using x-ray telescopes, featuring the Big Bear Observatory in LA. Read more Our Invisible Sun
3VLA, HEIDI & YOKOH  What would the sun look like if we had magnetically sensitive eyes? How the most sensitive radio telescopes on earth work. Read more VLA, HEIDI & YOKOH
4Is Our Sun Normal?  Astronomers compare events on other stars to helps us better understand our sun. Read more Is Our Sun Normal?
5Mapping the Milky Way  The discovery of radio emissions from the Milky Way, and the theory of dark-matter. Read more Mapping the Milky Way
6The Shape of Our Galaxy  Infra-red satellites. The DIRBE experiment on NASA's Cosmic Explorer opened a new window into the Milky Way. Read more The Shape of Our Galaxy
7The Scale of Our Galaxy  A route map to the stars. The Hipparcos satellite measured the position of stars with better precision than ever before. Read more The Scale of Our Galaxy
8Radio Telescopes and Stellar Jets  The advent of radio astronomy. How radio telescopes like the Maxwell telescope in Hawaii work and what they can tell us about cosmic jets. Read more Radio Telescopes and Stellar Jets
9Detecting Galactic Jets  How do radio astronomers see jets far outside our galaxy? Introducing the MERLIN array in the UK and the VLA in New Mexico. Read more Detecting Galactic Jets
10Measuring Black Holes  What is the connection between black holes and cosmic jets? Scientists measure the mass and gravitational energy of black holes. Read more Measuring Black Holes
11What Causes Jets?  What goes on deep in the centre of galaxies? Revealing the power source for stars and galactic jets. Read more What Causes Jets?
12The Expanding Universe  Russell Stannard uses simple analogies to explain difficult concepts. The expansion of space, and the cosmological red-shift, or doppler shift. Read more The Expanding Universe
13Geometry of the Universe  Russell Stannard explains why standard Euclidean geometry doesn't apply when considering the geometry of outer space. Read more Geometry of the Universe


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