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1) Understanding the Universe: An Introduction to Astronomy, 2nd Edition: Episode 31Magnificent Saturn
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2024.
Language
English
Description
Best known for its extensive ring system, Saturn has come into focus recently thanks to the Cassini spacecraft, which landed a probe on Saturn's largest moon, Titan; and also discovered evidence of liquid water on the moon Enceladus.
2) Understanding the Universe: An Introduction to Astronomy, 2nd Edition: Episode 28Mercury and Venus
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2024.
Language
English
Description
Though broadly similar to Earth, Mercury and Venus differ in detail. Mercury has a negligible atmosphere and is heavily cratered. Venus has an incredibly thick atmosphere and suffers from an extreme greenhouse effect that makes it intensely hot.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2024.
Language
English
Description
Astronomers obtain most of their information through the analysis of light. This lecture introduces the electromagnetic spectrum and the technique of spectroscopy, in which light is dispersed into its component colors, as in a rainbow.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2024.
Language
English
Description
How do you map the structure of a galaxy when you live inside it? Astronomers have used various clues to infer the spiral structure of the Milky Way, the orbital speed of its stars, and the existence of a supermassive black hole at its center.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2024.
Language
English
Description
The discovery of other galaxies beyond the Milky Way was one of the great scientific detective stories of the early 20th century. Astronomers now know that there are hundreds of billions of galaxies, spanning billions of light years of space.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2024.
Language
English
Description
A few stars end their lives with cataclysmic explosions, expelling gas at huge speeds. At its peak, such a supernova can rival the brightness of an entire galaxy, and its remnants can be seen for centuries. The Crab Nebula is one such remnant.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2024.
Language
English
Description
Beyond Mars lie the four gas giants: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Jupiter is the Solar System's largest planet by far. Its moons include Io, which is volcanically active, and Europa, which may have an ocean of liquid water below its frozen surface.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2024.
Language
English
Description
Are interstellar voyages possible within a single human lifetime? According to Einstein's special theory of relativity, the answer is "yes" in principle but "no" in practice, given current technology. You explore the reasons for both answers.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2024.
Language
English
Description
Why is the sky dark at night? In an infinitely old and large Universe the sky should be ablaze with light at all times. There are several possible answers to this paradox, each of which has profound cosmological implications. The relative youth of the Universe is now known to be the main explanation.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2024.
Language
English
Description
Star clusters are gravitationally bound groups of stars that are all about the same age and the same distance from Earth. Astronomers can determine the approximate ages of clusters. This lecture also explains how the distance of extremely remote stars is found.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2024.
Language
English
Description
Because extra-solar planets are too dim to be seen directly, they are detected using a variety of ingenious techniques. Two examples: Minute variations in a star's spectrum and tiny changes in its brightness can signal the presence of planets.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2024.
Language
English
Description
What's a black hole really like? Without taking the fatal journey into one, astronomers can calculate the bizarre experiences that would ensue, including dramatic distortions in visual phenomena as a traveler approached the event horizon.
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