Education

Astronomy - for iPod/iPhone

The Open University

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.

  • 26 episodes
  • Updated Apr 12, 2010

Episodes26

  • Jan 23, 2009 · 3 min

    What Causes Jets?

    What goes on deep in the centre of galaxies? Revealing the power source for stars and galactic jets.

  • Jan 23, 2009

    Transcript -- What Causes Jets?

    Transcript -- What goes on deep in the centre of galaxies? Revealing the power source for stars and galactic jets.

  • Jan 23, 2009 · 6 min

    The Expanding Universe

    Russell Stannard uses simple analogies to explain difficult concepts. The expansion of space, and the cosmological red-shift, or doppler shift.

  • Jan 23, 2009

    Transcript -- The Expanding Universe

    Transcript -- Russell Stannard uses simple analogies to explain difficult concepts. The expansion of space, and the cosmological red-shift, or doppler shift.

  • Jan 23, 2009 · 11 min

    Geometry of the Universe

    Russell Stannard explains why standard Euclidean geometry doesn't apply when considering the geometry of outer space.