A new podcast, Astronomy 141, Life in the Universe, is available for those interested in continuing an exploration of topics in modern astronomy.

Are we alone in the Universe? This lecture explores the question of how we might go about finding life on planets around other stars. Rather than talk...

Are there planets around other stars? Are there Earth-like planets around other stars? Do any of those harbor life? Intelligent life? We'd like to kno...

Comets are chance visitors from the icy reaches of the outer Solar System. In this lecture I describe the properties of comets, their historical impor...

Beyond the orbit of Neptune lies the realm of the icy worlds, ranging in size from Neptune's giant moon Triton and the dwarf planets Pluto and Eris, a...

Asteroids are the leftover rocky materials from the formation of the Solar System that reside primarily in a broad belt between the orbits of Mars and...

All Jovian planets have rings. We are most familiar with the bright, spectacular rings of Saturn, but the other Jovian planets have rings systems arou...

Saturn is attended by a system of 60 known moons and bright, beautiful rings. Today we will explore the moons of Saturn. Among the highlights are Satu...

Jupiter has its own personal solar system in miniature of 63 known moons. Most are tiny, irregular bodies that are a combination of captured asteroids...

The Ice Giants Uranus and Neptune are the outermost major planets of our Solar System. Internally they small rocky cores surrounded by deep, slushy ic...