Astronomy - for iPod/iPhone
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About
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.
Our Invisible Sun
Scientists investigate sun spots, solar flares and arcs using x-ray telescopes, featuring the Big Bear Observatory in LA.
VLA, HEIDI & YOKOH
What would the sun look like if we had magnetically sensitive eyes? How the most sensitive radio telescopes on earth work.
Is Our Sun Normal?
Astronomers compare events on other stars to helps us better understand our sun.
Mapping the Milky Way
The discovery of radio emissions from the Milky Way, and the theory of dark-matter.
The Shape of Our Galaxy
Infra-red satellites. The DIRBE experiment on NASA's Cosmic Explorer opened a new window into the Milky Way.
The Scale of Our Galaxy
A route map to the stars. The Hipparcos satellite measured the position of stars with better precision than ever before.
Radio 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.
Detecting 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.
Measuring Black Holes
What is the connection between black holes and cosmic jets? Scientists measure the mass and gravitational energy of black holes.