| Unit 1 Telescopes, Light, Special Relativity, General Relativity, Sun | |
| Telescopes History Refractor Reflector Hubble | Lecture (19 minutes) This video discusses some history of the use of telescopes. The video explains the differences between refracting telescopes and reflecting telescopes. A brief discussion of the Hubble telescope is given. This material relates to chapter 8 of astronomynotes.com. PHY121 SCIE1300 Introductory Astronomy 101 |
| Telescopes Light Gathering Power, Resolution, Magnification | Lecture (8 minutes) This video discusses some numerical comparisons for telescopes. The light gathering power is proportional to the square of the diameter of the objective. The resolving power increases as the diameter of the objective increases. The magnification is controlled by the ratio of the focal lengths of the objective and eyepiece. This material relates to Chapter 8 of astronomynotes.com. PHY121 SCIE1300 Introductory Astronomy 101 |
| Blue Sky Red Sunsets, Space Telescopes, Infrared, XRay images | Lecture (7 minutes) This video explains why the sky is blue and why sunsets are red. The video discusses the benefits of having telescopes in space to make observations in the infrared and x-ray portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. This material relates to Chapter 8 of astronomynotes.com. PHY121 SCIE1300 Introductory Astronomy 101 |
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| Light, Electromagnetic Spectrum, Types of Spectra, Information from Light | Lecture (26 minutes) This video discusses the electromagnetic wave model for light and the electromagnetic spectrum. The speed of light is compared to the speed of sound. Continuous, Emission, and Absorption spectra are discussed. The reason for identical wavelengths for emission and absorption spectra is explained. Astronomers can determine the temperature and composition of objects by studying the light from the object. This material relates to Chapter 7 of astronomynotes.com. PHY121 SCIE1300 Introductory Astronomy 101 |
| Bohr Model of Atom, Electron Energy, Light, Doppler Effect | Light (24 minutes) This video discusses the characteristics of atoms and the Bohr Model of the atom. The reason certain wavelengths of light are emitted and absorbed by atoms is described. The use of the Doppler effect to determine the speed of an object is discussed. This material relates to Chapter 7 of astronomynotes.com. PHY121 SCIE1300 Introductory Astronomy 101 |
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| Special Relativity: Postulates, Time, Length, Speed Limit, E=mc2 | Lecture (23 minutes) This video discusses Special Relativity (motion at a constant speed). Special Relativity predicts that moving clocks run slow, moving lengths are shorter, objects that have mass cannot move as fast as the speed of light, and mass can become energy. No experiments disagree with the predictions. This material relates to Chapter 6 of astronomynotes.com Some slides from OpenStax College Physics are used. Introductory Astronomy 102 |
| General Relativity, Equivalence, Warped Spacetime, Bending of Light, etc. | Lecture (20 minutes) This video discusses some basic concepts of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity. The Principle of Equivalence is discussed. A thought experiment of shining a laser across an accelerating elevator and shining a laser across an elevator stationary on the Earth is discussed. Geodesics are discussed. The shift in positions of stars on the sky due to their light passing by the Sun is discussed. Other effects of special relativity are briefly mentioned. Introductory Astronomy 102 |
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| Sun: Basic Facts, Structure, "Surface" activity | Lecture (15 minutes) This video gives some basic facts about the Sun. The Sun is compared to planets for mass and size. The discussion includes composition and age of the Sun, the structure of the Sun, "surface" features and activity including the sunspot cycle. This material relates to Chapter 12 of astronomynotes.com. Introductory Astronomy 102 |
| Sun Energy Source Hypotheses, Fusion, Neutrinos | Lecture (22 minutes) This video discusses the source of energy for the Sun. Old hypotheses (combustion, impacts, gravitational energy) are discussed. Fission and Fusion are discussed. The fusion process is summarized. Evidence from neutrinos that the Sun is fusing hydrogen to helium is discussed. Introductory Astronomy 102 |
| Helioseismology, Models of the Interior of Stars, Hydrostatic Equilibrium | Lecture (11 minutes) This video summarizes the use of sound waves to reveal information about the interior of a star. (temperature, density, pressure, composition) The video discusses computer models of stellar interiors. Hydrostatic Equilibrium is discussed. This material relates to Chapter 12 of astronomynotes.com Introductory Astronomy 102 |
| .......The following Sun videos were made for Astronomy 101 ............................... | |
| Sun: Size, Mass, Structure | Lecture (8 minutes) This video describes the size, mass, and structure of the Sun. The Sun is compared to the planets and the size of the orbit of the Moon. Another video will discuss the generation of energy in the Sun. This video relates to Chapter 12 of astronomynotes.com. PHY121 SCIE1300 Introductory Astronomy 101 |
| Sun: Age, 2 Peter 3:8, Energy Production Theories, Hydrostatic Equilibrium, Thermostat | Lecture (17 minutes) This video discusses the theories of energy production of the Sun from the 1800's to the 1900's. The mechanism of fusion and E=mc2 are discussed. The balance between weight of outer layers and force from core pressure is discussed. The reason the Sun does not increase or decrease its energy output at this time is discussed. This material relates to Chapter 12 of astronomynotes.com. PHY121 SCIE1300 Introductory Astronomy 101 |
| Sun Outer Layers, Chromosphere, Corona, Sunspots Maunder Minimum | Lecture (22 minutes) This video discusses the outer layers of the Sun and interactions of hte Sun with the Earth. The chromosphere and corona are discussed. The nature of sunspots is discussed. The Maunder Minimum (low sunspot count) and average temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere is discussed. This material relates to Chapter 12 of astronomynotes.com PHY121 SCIE1300 Introductory Astronomy 101 |
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| Unit 2 Stars: Distance, Brightness, Color, Composition, Velocity, Mass, Size, Types, HR Diagram | |
| Stellar Distances, Parallax, Brightness | Lecture (15 minutes) This video tries to give the viewer an appreciation for the great distances to stars. The effect of parallax is described. The measurement of parallax for stars is described. The parsec and LightYear units of distance are described. The video explains why more distant objects (of equal brightness) are dimmer. Introductory Astronomy 102 |
| Star Magnitude, Luminosity | Lecture (17 minutes) This video discusses the brightness of stars. The magnitude system that is used to label the brightness is discussed. The dependence of luminosity (energy output) on the radius of the star and the temperature of the star is discussed. Introductory Astronomy 102 |
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| Colors of Stars, Temperatures, B-V, Absorption Lines | Lecture (13 minutes) This video discusses how a star's temperature is related to its color appearance. The video explains the measurement of Blue and Visual magnitudes and how the B-V number is related to temperature. The video discusses absorption spectra and what they indicate regrading composition, temperature, and structure of stars. This material relates to Chapter 11 of astronomynotes.com. PHY122 SCIE1300 Introductory Astronomy 102 |
| Star Velocity, Doppler Effect, Proper Motion | Lecture (7 minutes) This video reviews the Doppler Effect and redshift and blueshift. The video also discusses the sideways (from our point of view) velocity called Proper Motion. This material relates to Chapter 11 of astronomynotes.com. PHY122 SCIE1300 Introductory Astronomy 102 |
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| Mass and Size of Stars | Lecture (19 minutes) This video discusses how astronomers determine the masses and sizes of stars. Gravity and orbits of binary stars are discussed. Spectroscopic and Eclipsing Binary Stars are discussed. This material relates to Chapter 11 of astronomynotes.com. Introductory Astronomy 102 |
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| Stars Spectral Classification, HR Diagram | Lecture (18 minutes) This video discusses how the stars are labeled with spectral classes. The effect of temperature on the darkness of the hydrogen absorption lines is discussed. OBAFGKM is discussed. The luminosity classes I, III, V are discussed. The HR Diagram is discussed. This material relates to Chapter 11 of astronomynotes.com. Introductory Astronomy 102 |
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| Unit3 Stars: Interior Structure, Mass Luminosity Relationship, Star Birth, Main Sequence, After Main Sequence, Nucleosynthesis, Degenerate Matter, White Dwarfs, Supernovae, Neutron Stars, Black Holes | ||
| Helioseismology, Models of the Interior of Stars, Hydrostatic Equilibrium (This link duplicates the link in Unit 1) | Lecture (11 minutes) This video summarizes the use of sound waves to reveal information about the interior of a star. (temperature, density, pressure, composition) The video discusses computer models of stellar interiors. Hydrostatic Equilibrium is discussed. This material relates to Chapter 12 of astronomynotes.com Introductory Astronomy 102 | |
| Mass Luminosity Relationship, Max and Min Stellar Masses | Lecture (11 minutes) This video discusses the Mass-Luminosity relationship and the range of masses for stars. The sources of data for mass and luminosity are discussed. The impact of stellar mass on the core density and core temperature is discussed. The approximate minimum and maximum values for the mass of a star are discussed. This material relates to Chapter 12 of astronomynotes.com Introductory Astronomy 102 | |
| Lifetime of a Star | Lecture (7 minutes) This video discusses a simple calculation for the lifetime of a star based on its mass and an approximation for the Luminosity (mass to the 4th power instead of mass to the 3.5 power). I use this approximation to make the calculation easier for students who are not proficient with calculations. This material relates to Chapter 13 of astronomynotes.com. Introductory Astronomy 102 | |
| ProtoStar, Gas Cloud to Main Sequence | Lecture (13 minutes) This video describes the process of how stars form from large molecular clouds. The reason gravity wins over internal pressure is presented. Infrared and visible light Photographs of gas clouds where stars are forming are presented and discussed. When fusion begins in the core of the object we can call it a star. This material relates to Chapter 13 of astronomynotes.com. Introductory Astronomy 102 | |
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| Life of a Star: After Main Sequence to Red Giant | Lecture (17 minutes) This video discusses why stars become larger and cooler after their long lives "on" the Main Sequence. The formation of the inert helium core and the shell where hydrogen is fusing to helium is discussed. The increase in internal pressure and expansion of the star is discussed. This video relates to Chapter 13 of astronomynotes.com. Introductory Astronomy 102 | |
| Life of a Star: After Red Giant Phase | Lecture (11 minutes) This video discusses the changes that take place to the size of a star when helium begins to fuse in the core. The fusion of helium creates carbon. The core expands and pushes the hydrogen fusion region to a region where the temperature is too low for hydrogen fusion. The reduced energy production causes lower internal pressure and the star decreases in size. The "triple alpha" process and helium flash are mentioned. The helium main sequence is mentioned. This material relates to Chapter 13 of astronomynotes.com. Introductory Astronomy 102 | |
| Life of A Star: Red Giant to Planetary Nebula | Lecture (14 minutes) This video reviews the Red Giant stage and Helium Main Sequence. The video discusses how the stars expand again after using up helium in the core. This video just discusses stars that have masses less than 8 times the mass of the Sun. Loss of the outer layers of the star are discussed. The hot core produces UV light that ionizes the outflowing gas that was the outer layers of the star. The "track" of the star on the HR diagram and Planetary Nebulae are discussed. A variety of photographs of Planetary Nebulae are shown. This material relates to Chapter 13 of astronomynotes.com. Introductory Astronomy 102 | |
| Death of a Star, Supernova | Lecture (16 minutes) This video outlines the supernova process for stars more massive than 8 times the mass of the Sun. The iron core cannot produce energy but rather absorbs energy in its nuclear reactions. The core collapses and the outer material of the star falls towards the center. Protons and electrons merge to form a neutron star. Neutrinos are released and push the very dense inner portion of the star outward. Nucleosynthesis occurs. Most of the star explodes outward creating material with a large surface area and a high temperature. The luminosity of the supernova exceeds 1 billion times the luminosity of the Sun for a short period of time. Photos of supernova remnants are shown in the video. Animatedd gif files of the Crab Nebula are shown. Supernova 1987a is discussed. This material relates to Chapter 13 of astronomynotes.com. Introductory Astronomy 102 | |
| Star Clusters, Verifying Computer Models of the Lives of Stars | Lecture (12 minutes) This video discusses star clusters. The emphasis is on Open (Galactic) Star Clusters. These clusters provide somewhat of a controlled experiment for astronomers to test theories of how stars age. Photos of star clusters are shown. The "turn-off" point on the Main Sequence on the HR Diagram is discussed as an indicator of the age of a star cluster. This material relates to Chapter 13 of astronomynotes.com. Introductory Astronomy 102 | |
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| White Dwarf Stars, Novae, Type Ia Supernovae | Lecture (18 minutes) This video discusses White Dwarf "stars," Novae, and Type Ia Supernovae. The formation and characteristics of White Dwarf "stars" are discussed. The Chandrasekhar mass limit for White Dwarf stars is discussed. The process that creates a Nova is discussed. The mechanism for Type Ia Supernovae is discussed. The difference between Type Ia and Type II Supernovae is discussed. The importance of Type Ia Supernovae in determining distances to galaxies is discussed. This material relates to Chpater 13 of astronomynotes.com. Introductory Astronomy 102 | |
| Degenerate Matter and Neutron Stars | Lecture (6 minutes) This video discusses degenerate matter and neutron stars. This material is related to Chapter 13 of astronomynotes.com. Introductory Astronomy 102 | |
| Pulsars | Lecture (15 minutes) This video discusses Pulsars. The video includes the discovery and explanation of the radio signals. The connection to neutron stars is given. Some sounds of pulsars are included in the video. This material relates to Chapter 13 of astronomynotes.com. Introductory Astronomy 102 | |
| Black Holes: Characteristics, Evidence They Exist | Lecture (19 minutes) This video discusses black holes. The characteristics of black holes are given. The video explains why light and other objects cannot escape from a black hole. The video gives evidence for black holes from mass calculations in binary star systems and motions of stars near the center of the Milky Way galaxy. This video relates to Chapter 13 of astronomynotes.com. Introductory Astronomy 102 | |
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| Unit 4 Milky Way, Spiral Arms, Populations, Galaxy Types, Hubble's Law, Clusters of Galaxies, Distance Scale Ladder | |
| Milky Way Introduction, Star Counts, Dust, Gas | Lecture (17 minutes) This video is the first in a series of videos on the description of the Milky Way Galaxy. The basic shape of the galaxy is given. The video discusses star counts that were done in the late 1700's by Herschel. The video presents the work of Trumpler on diameters of open star clusters and their distances. The video discusses the effects of interstellar dust and gas on light from stars. This material relates to Chapter 14 of astronomynotes.com. Introductory Astronomy 102 |
| Milky Way Spiral Arms, Stellar Populations, Open and Globular Clusters | Lecture (16 minutes) This video discusses: 1) Density Wave Theory of Spiral Arm Formation, 2) Population I and II Stars, 3) Open and Globular Clusters. This material relates to Chapter 14 of astronomynotes.com. Introductory Astronomy 102 |
| Center of the Milky Way Galaxy | Lecture (7 minutes) This video discusses: 1) the location of center of the Milky Way galaxy on the sky, 2) Infrared observations of motions of stars near the center of the galaxy, 3) the supermassive black hole at the center of the galaxy. This material relates to Chapter 14 o astronomynotes.com. Introductory Astronomy 102 |
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| Messier Catalog, Zone of Avoidance, Island Universe | Lecture (11 minutes) This video discusses: 1) Messier Catalog of Star Clusters, Galaxies, Planetary Nebulae; 2) Region of the sky where galaxies are not seen with visible light; 3) Island Universe Debate. The Messier catalog was created by Messier (!) in the late 1700s during his search for comets. He found fuzzy patches on the sky that did not move through the starfield. Using visible light, galaxies are not seen in a band on the sky that matches the location of the Milky Way on the sky. However, infrared surveys are able to find galaxies in this area of the sky. In the early 1900s Astronomers debated as to the location of nebulae. Some nebulae are inside the Milky Way. But Cepheid stars were used to prove that many nebulae are much further from the Sun than the size of the Milky Way. This material relates to Chapter 15 of astronomynotes.com. Introductory Astronomy 102 |
| Types of Galaxies, Importance of Distance Data | Lecture (16 minutes) This video discusses spiral, barred spiral, elliptical, and irregular galaxies. Photographs of the types of galaxies are shown. The Hubble "Tuning Fork" diagram is discussed. The use of distance to calculate energy output and diameters for galaxies is discussed. The concept of the "standard candle" is discussed. This material relates to chapter 15 of astronomynotes.com. Introductory Astronomy 102 |
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| Hubble's Law | Lecture (13 minutes) This video discusses the expansion of space that causes us, and any observer in any galaxy, to observe that galaxies are moving away from the observer. Hubble's Law is shown and used to calculate an estimate of distance to a galaxy. This material relates to Chapter 15 of astronomynotes.com. Introductory Astronomy 102 |
| Mass of Galaxy, Dark Matter, Clusters of Galaxies | Lecture (11 minutes) This video discusses: 1) the rotation curve for a galaxy, 2) mass of a galaxy and Dark Matter, 3) Clusters of Galaxies including the Local Group, the Virgo Cluster and the Coma Cluster. This material relates to Chapter 15 of astronomynotes.com. Introductory Astronomy 102 |
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| Galaxy Collisions | Lecture (8 minutes) This video describes why collisions of stars are unlikely but collisions between galaxies do occur. The video shows photographs of colliding galaxies. The future collision between the Andromeda Galaxy and the Milky Way galaxy is described. The formation of elliptical galaxies through the collision process is described. This material relates to Chapter 15 of astronomynotes.com. Introductory Astronomy 102 |
| Active Galaxies, Quasars | Lecture (17 minutes) This video discusses Quasars: discovery, location in the universe, source of energy, life cycle. This material relates to Chapter 15 of astronomynotes.com Introductory Astronomy 102 |
| Distance Ladder of Astronomy | Lecture (12 minutes) This video describes the method astronomers use to determine distances to galaxies. The best determination of distance is done with the parallax method. Then standard candles are developed using Spectroscopic Parallax, Cepheid stars, Type Ia Supernovae and other methods. This material relates to Chapter 15 of astronomynotes.com. Introductory Astronomy 102 |
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| Unit 5 Cosmology, Olbers' Paradox, Big Bang, Steady State, Cosmic Microwave Background, Fate of Universe, Dark Matter, Dark Energy, Live in Universe, Drake Equation, Habitable Planets | ||
| Cosmology, Olber's Paradox, Age of Universe | Lecture (21 minutes) Topics: Galaxy Motion and Location; Olber's Paradox; Age of the Universe. The video describes the observation that the galaxies are not all in one lump and states some possible reasons for this fact. The video describes a puzzle that if the universe is infinite we should observe the brightness of a star at every point in the sky night and day. The solution to this paradox is explained. The video shows how the value of Hubble's Constant can be used to estimate the age of the universe. This video does not give the final answer to these topics. The video is an introduction to cosmology. The material relates to Chapter 16 of astronomynotes.com. Introductory Astronomy 102 | |
| Cosmology, Homogeneous, Isotropic, Cosmological Principle, Curvature | Lecture (14 minutes) Topics: Homogeneous Universe, Isotropic Universe, Cosmological Principle, Curvature of the Universe. This material relates to Chapter 16 of astronomynotes.com Introductory Astronomy 102 | |
| Cosmology Steady State, Big Bang, Cosmic Microwave Background, Bible | Lecture (21 minutes) Topics: Steady State Theory, Big Bang Theory, Cosmic Microwave Background, Microwave data from satellites, Curvature of space, Genesis 1 and Big Bang. This material relates to Chapter 16 of astronomynotes.com (except for Bible references). Introductory Astronomy 102 | |
| Cosmology, Critical Density, Big Crunch, Oscillating Universe, Accelerating Expansion, Dark Energy | Lecture (16 minutes) Topics; Density and gravity for the universe, Open or Closed Universe, Dark Matter, Type Ia Supernovae, Dark Energy and Acceleration of Recession Velocity. Measurements of Dark Matter and stars, gas, dust show the density of the universe is only about 28% of the critical density so the expansion of the universe will not stop. The Type Ia Supernovae are dimmer than what is expected based on distance calculated by Hubble's Law V = Hd. This implies that the universe was expanding at a slower rate in the past and is now expanding at a higher rate. Dark Energy is proposed as the cause of the acceleration. Dark Energy has a connect to the cosmological constant proposed by Einstein. This material relates to Chapter 16 of astronomynotes.com. Introductory Astronomy 102 | |
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| Planets in Habitable Zones, Life, Genesis | Lecture (13 minutes) Topics: Habitable Zone, Star Mass, Evolution, Creation in Genesis The video discusses the location of planets where liquid water would be present. The video discusses the effect of mass on the lifetime of a star on the Main Sequence and the need for stable luminosity while life develops. The video discusses characteristics of life and briefly compares Evolution and the Creation account in Genesis. 2 Peter 3:8 provides some guidance on time of events. This material (except for Bible references) relates to Chapter 17 of astronomynotes.com. Introductory Astronomy 102 | |
| Habitable Planets, Water, Bio-Markers, Intelligent Design | Lecture (15 minutes) Topics: Habitable Planets, Water, Bio-Markers, Intelligent Design. The video discusses why it is more likely to have life on a planet that is in orbit around a star than on a planet drifting through interstellar space. The video discusses why water is a better liquid for life than methane, ethane, or ammonia. The video discusses bio-markers of oxygen, methane and pollution that may be detected by analyzing absorption lines in light that passes through the atmosphere of a planet. The video gives a brief discussion of Intelligent Design as the cause of life rather than evolution. This material (except for Intelligent Design) relates to Chapter 17 of astronomynotes.com. Introductory Astronomy 102 | |
| Life in Universe, Drake Equation, Exoplanets, Doppler, Transit Methods | Lecture (18 minutes) Topics: Drake Equation, Discovery of Exoplanets, Doppler and Transit methods. The video discusses the Drake Equation and shows a calculation of the number of communicating civilizations in our galaxy by making science based estimates of parameters. The discovery of planets around other stars by Doppler shift and transit methods are discussed. Some results from the Kepler spacecraft mission are discussed. This material relates to Chapter 17 of astronomynotes.com. Introductory Astronomy 102 | |
| Life in the Universe, Communication | Lecture (8 minutes) Topics: Travel to a star, Voyager; Message in a Bottle; Radio Communication. The video discusses the problem of traveling to a star with speeds available for current rockets. There are four spacecraft (robotic) leaving the solar system. These spacecraft will take tens of thousands of years to reach the distances of nearby stars. The spacecraft do carry information about Earth mounted to the outside of the spacecraft. Radio communication and the SETI listening project are discussed. This material relates to Chapter 17 of astronomynotes.com. Introductory Astronomy 102 | |
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