Astronomy - for iPod/iPhone
By The Open University
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Description
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.
| Name | Description | Released | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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1 |
Astronomy | A short introduction to this album. | 4/12/2010 | Free | View in iTunes |
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2 |
Transcript -- Astronomy | Transcript -- A short introduction to this album. | 4/12/2010 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 3 | VideoOur Invisible Sun | Scientists investigate sun spots, solar flares and arcs using x-ray telescopes, featuring the Big Bear Observatory in LA. | 1/22/2009 | Free | View in iTunes |
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4 |
Transcript -- Our Invisible Sun | Transcript -- Scientists investigate sun spots, solar flares and arcs using x-ray telescopes, featuring the Big Bear Observatory in LA. | 1/22/2009 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 5 | VideoVLA, HEIDI & YOKOH | What would the sun look like if we had magnetically sensitive eyes? How the most sensitive radio telescopes on earth work. | 1/22/2009 | Free | View in iTunes |
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6 |
Transcript -- VLA, HEIDI & YOKOH | Transcript -- What would the sun look like if we had magnetically sensitive eyes? How the most sensitive radio telescopes on earth work. | 1/22/2009 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 7 | VideoIs Our Sun Normal? | Astronomers compare events on other stars to helps us better understand our sun. | 1/22/2009 | Free | View in iTunes |
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8 |
Transcript -- Is Our Sun Normal? | Transcript -- Astronomers compare events on other stars to helps us better understand our sun. | 1/22/2009 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 9 | VideoMapping the Milky Way | The discovery of radio emissions from the Milky Way, and the theory of dark-matter. | 1/22/2009 | Free | View in iTunes |
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10 |
Transcript -- Mapping the Milky Way | Transcript -- The discovery of radio emissions from the Milky Way, and the theory of dark-matter. | 1/22/2009 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 11 | VideoThe Shape of Our Galaxy | Infra-red satellites. The DIRBE experiment on NASA's Cosmic Explorer opened a new window into the Milky Way. | 1/22/2009 | Free | View in iTunes |
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12 |
Transcript -- The Shape of Our Galaxy | Transcript -- Infra-red satellites. The DIRBE experiment on NASA's Cosmic Explorer opened a new window into the Milky Way. | 1/22/2009 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 13 | VideoThe Scale of Our Galaxy | A route map to the stars. The Hipparcos satellite measured the position of stars with better precision than ever before. | 1/22/2009 | Free | View in iTunes |
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14 |
Transcript -- The Scale of Our Galaxy | Transcript -- A route map to the stars. The Hipparcos satellite measured the position of stars with better precision than ever before. | 1/22/2009 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 15 | VideoRadio 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. | 1/22/2009 | Free | View in iTunes |
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16 |
Transcript -- Radio Telescopes and Stellar Jets | Transcript -- The advent of radio astronomy. How radio telescopes like the Maxwell telescope in Hawaii work and what they can tell us about cosmic jets. | 1/22/2009 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 17 | VideoDetecting 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. | 1/22/2009 | Free | View in iTunes |
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18 |
Transcript -- Detecting Galactic Jets | Transcript -- How do radio astronomers see jets far outside our galaxy? Introducing the MERLIN array in the UK and the VLA in New Mexico. | 1/22/2009 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 19 | VideoMeasuring Black Holes | What is the connection between black holes and cosmic jets? Scientists measure the mass and gravitational energy of black holes. | 1/22/2009 | Free | View in iTunes |
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20 |
Transcript -- Measuring Black Holes | Transcript -- What is the connection between black holes and cosmic jets? Scientists measure the mass and gravitational energy of black holes. | 1/22/2009 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 21 | VideoWhat Causes Jets? | What goes on deep in the centre of galaxies? Revealing the power source for stars and galactic jets. | 1/22/2009 | Free | View in iTunes |
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22 |
Transcript -- What Causes Jets? | Transcript -- What goes on deep in the centre of galaxies? Revealing the power source for stars and galactic jets. | 1/22/2009 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 23 | VideoThe Expanding Universe | Russell Stannard uses simple analogies to explain difficult concepts. The expansion of space, and the cosmological red-shift, or doppler shift. | 1/22/2009 | Free | View in iTunes |
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24 |
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. | 1/22/2009 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 25 | VideoGeometry of the Universe | Russell Stannard explains why standard Euclidean geometry doesn't apply when considering the geometry of outer space. | 1/22/2009 | Free | View in iTunes |
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26 |
Transcript -- Geometry of the Universe | Transcript -- Russell Stannard explains why standard Euclidean geometry doesn't apply when considering the geometry of outer space. | 1/22/2009 | Free | View in iTunes |
| 26 Items |
Customer Reviews
Episodes freeze iTunes and cannot be dowloaded!
Every time I try downloading the episode "Geometry of the Universe", it freezes iTunes and I have to do a Force Quit.
Several others episodes do this, too. In fact, the only things I can download of this iTunes course are the transcripts! Which is hardly sufficient!
Hope you all can fix this!
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OK, further trouble-shooting... and advice to future travelers... it may not be the Open University's fault; it looks as if there's a glitch in the iTunes Store!
If you try downloading this from the search screen, the one with a white background, it fails. Here's how to replicate it. Do a search for "Astronomy for iPod" from the main iTunes Stores window and two courses appear (this one and another). It gives a list of episodes for this course. Those fail!
So, you need to click the title of the episode and go to its main screen to do the downloading. Oddly that's the only way this works.
I hope this helps someone. I'm leaving the rating at a 4 until Apple or the Open University can fix this! That way others may spot it and understand what's happening! The course sounds great from what I've read.
Russel Stannard
This is a great series. I especially like the two with Russel Stannard; he does a great job of explaining these things in a simple, fun, easy to understand manner. Check out the collection from Open University featuring him discussing "the boundaries of the knowable" (or the limitations of science), I highly recommend it.
sir andrei
We need more kowledge and interest in knowledge like this to stimulate what brain cells are already left in the average American mind.
