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Seasons
96. Reflections on Life and the Cosmos
October 19, 2023
The course ends on a philosophical note, with reflections on intelligent life in the cosmos and of our place in its grand structure. Perhaps the most astonishing thing about the Universe is that we are able to contemplate and understand it through systematic studies.
95. A Universe of Universes
October 19, 2023
If a quantum fluctuation gave rise to our Universe, must ours be the only one? Are others possible, perhaps even with different rules? This lecture examines reasons for suspecting the existence of other universes, though we do not know how to test for their presence.
94. The Ultimate Free Lunch?
October 19, 2023
Why should inflation have occurred? Theorists have proposed several intriguing ideas, including that the Universe, whose total energy is quite possibly equal to zero, formed from a random quantum fluctuation that grew to gargantuan proportions.
93. The Inflationary Universe
October 19, 2023
The remarkable large-scale uniformity and "flatness" of the Universe pose a problem for the standard Big Bang theory. A startling but powerful suggested explanation is that the Universe went through an initial period of exponential expansion, called inflation.
92. In the Beginning
October 19, 2023
This lecture turns back the clock to almost the moment of creation
91. The Shape, Size, and Fate of the Universe
October 19, 2023
Is the Universe a finite bubble in a higher-dimensional space? Or, is it infinite regardless of whether it's imbedded in extra dimensions? Will it expand forever or ultimately recollapse? If it does expand forever, how will this limitless future unfold?
90. Searching for Hidden Dimensions
October 19, 2023
The leading contenders for a theory of everything are string theories, which postulate that fundamental particles act like tiny, vibrating strings of energy. This approach requires at least 10 dimensions, most of which are curled up on minuscule size scales.
89. Grand Unification & Theories of Everything
October 19, 2023
A major effort is underway to unify the mutually inconsistent theories of general relativity and quantum mechanics into a theory of everything. Successfully explaining dark energy might serve as an observational test for such a theory.
88. Dark Energy-Quintessence?
October 19, 2023
This lecture looks at problems with the quantum fluctuations explanation for dark energy. One alternative is called quintessence
87. Dark Energy-Quantum Fluctuations?
October 19, 2023
According to one idea, repulsive dark energy having a negative pressure might be the result of a non-perfect cancellation of quantum fluctuations in space
86. The Stuff of the Cosmos
October 19, 2023
The dark energy that is causing the expansion of the Universe to accelerate makes up about 75 percent of the cosmos. Visible matter accounts for less than 1 percent. The bulk of the remainder is dark matter, most of which may consist of exotic subatomic particles.
85. Ripples in the Cosmic Background Radiation
October 19, 2023
The cosmic microwave background radiation preserves intriguing details about the Universe around 380,000 years after the Big Bang, when the temperature had cooled enough so that neutral atoms formed, allowing photons to pass freely through space.
84. The Afterglow of the Big Bang
October 19, 2023
An accidental discovery in 1965 overturned the steady-state theory of the Universe, an alternative to the Big Bang theory. The detection of a uniform microwave glow in all directions was exactly what was expected if the Universe was hot and dense long ago.
83. Einstein's Biggest Blunder?
October 19, 2023
The unexpected finding that the Universe is expanding at an ever-faster rate lends support for the existence of a non-zero cosmological constant, a formerly discredited idea of Einstein's, which he once called his "biggest blunder."
82. The Mass Density of the Universe
October 19, 2023
This lecture explores methods used by astronomers to determine the mass density and expansion history of the Universe. To make this measurement, a race developed between two teams of astronomers searching for Type Ia supernovae in distant galaxies.
81. When Geometry Is Destiny
October 19, 2023
According to general relativity, the fate of the Universe is tied to its global geometry. If the Universe has positive curvature, like a sphere, it must eventually collapse in a "Big Crunch." If it is flat or has negative curvature, however, it will expand forever.
80. The Age of the Universe
October 19, 2023
How old is the Universe? The Hubble Space Telescope was designed, in part, to answer this question. You follow the chain of reasoning that has led astronomers to conclude that the Universe began 13.7 billion years ago.
79. The Paradox of the Dark Night Sky
October 19, 2023
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.
78. Feeding the Monster
October 19, 2023
This lecture explores the disks of gas around supermassive black holes. Material escaping from the vicinity of these objects often follows a highly focused jet along the rotation axis of the disk, sometimes approaching or even appearing to surpass the speed of light.
77. Supermassive Black Holes
October 19, 2023
Astronomers now have strong evidence that quasars and other active galactic nuclei are powered by supermassive black holes, voraciously swallowing surrounding material. Less active galaxies also appear to harbor these monsters.
76. Cosmic Powerhouses of the Distant Past
October 19, 2023
The high luminosity of quasars puzzled astronomers in the 1960s. How could these peculiar, star-like objects be so bright and yet so far away? Only a few light years across, they are in fact even more powerful than entire galaxies.
75. Active Galaxies and Quasars
October 19, 2023
The central regions of many galaxies go through an active, very luminous phase early in their development. The most powerful of these active galaxies, called quasars, shine like beacons across billions of light years of space.
74. The Evolution of Galaxies
October 19, 2023
How do galaxies form and evolve over time? Is it possible to determine what nearby galaxies, or even the Milky Way, once looked like? The answers can be found by examining distant galaxies that formed when the Universe was young.
73. Searching for Distant Galaxies
October 19, 2023
The finite speed of light allows observers to look back in time and see the unfolding history of the Universe. This lecture shows how astronomers search for distant galaxies to compare with better understood, nearby galaxies.
72. Expansion of the Universe and the Big Bang
October 19, 2023
The Universe can be thought of as expanding into a mathematical dimension to which we have no physical access. Even an infinite Universe can expand, becoming less dense. The expansion suggests that there was a hot, dense beginning long ago
71. Cosmology-The Really Big Picture
October 19, 2023
This lecture starts the study of the Universe as a whole
70. The Dark Side of Matter
October 19, 2023
Until a few decades ago, astronomers thought that galaxies were composed primarily of stars. There is now strong evidence that most of the mass of galaxies may be invisible dark matter. Clusters of galaxies are also dominated by dark matter.
69. Other Galaxies-"Island Universes"
October 19, 2023
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.
68. Structure of the Milky Way Galaxy
October 19, 2023
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.
67. Our Home-The Milky Way Galaxy
October 19, 2023
Starting a series of lectures on galaxies, you begin with our home galaxy, the Milky Way. The band of light by that name is simply the Galaxy seen edge-on from our place within it. You also explore the nebulae in our Galaxy, many of which are regions of stellar birth.
66. Birth Cries of Black Holes
October 19, 2023
Until recently, astronomers had no smoking gun to identify the precise location and cause of gamma-ray bursts. Now they have assembled an abundance of clues pointing to two separate mechanisms: the collapse of a massive star, and the merging of two neutron stars
65. Enigmatic Gamma-Ray Bursts
October 19, 2023
Roughly once per day, somewhere in the sky, there is a short, intense burst of gamma rays. Most of these events originate in very distant galaxies, making them among the most powerful explosions in the Universe
64. Quantum Physics and Black-Hole Evaporation
October 19, 2023
Originally, astronomers thought that black holes were truly black, but physicist Stephen Hawking has calculated that black holes slowly evaporate through a quantum mechanical process. Very small black holes should literally explode as a burst of gamma rays!
63. Wormholes-Gateways to Other Universes?
October 19, 2023
Rotating black holes appear to connect our Universe to others or provide shortcuts
62. Imagining the Journey to a Black Hole
October 19, 2023
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.
61. The Quest for Black Holes
October 19, 2023
Because they don't emit any light, black holes can't be seen directly. But they reveal their presence through their gravitational influence on other objects. This lecture looks at the methods astronomers use to track them down.
60. Black Holes-Abandon Hope, Ye Who Enter
October 19, 2023
If a neutron star exceeds two to three solar masses, it becomes unstable and collapses. The resulting object is called a black hole
59. Warping of Space and Time
October 19, 2023
This lecture explores observational tests of general relativity. Astronomers exploit its effects by searching for distant objects that are gravitationally lensed, which occurs when an object's light is bent and focused by foreground masses such as galaxy clusters.
58. Einstein's General Theory of Relativity
October 19, 2023
Understanding the enormous gravitational fields of neutron stars requires Einstein's general theory of relativity, which postulates that gravity is a manifestation of the warping of space and time produced by matter and energy.
57. The Corpses of Massive Stars
October 19, 2023
The imploding core of a Type II supernova typically forms a bizarre, enormously compact object called a neutron star, consisting entirely of tightly packed neutrons, a teaspoon of which would weigh about a billion tons.
56. The Brightest Supernova in Nearly 400 Years
October 19, 2023
In 1987 a Type II supernova only 170,000 light years away became visible. Earlier photos of the region showed that the exploded star was a blue supergiant, a previously unsuspected candidate for this fate. Ghostly neutrinos were detected from this supernova.
55. Core-Collapse Supernovae-Gravity Wins
October 19, 2023
Type II supernovae, whose spectra exhibit hydrogen, come from massive supergiant stars whose core suddenly collapses, ejecting the rest of the star. This mechanism also applies to "stripped" stars that had previously lost their outermost layers through winds and transfer to companions.
54. White Dwarf Supernovae-Stealing to Explode
October 19, 2023
Supernovae come in several types, based primarily on their spectra. This lecture focuses on the important, hydrogen-deficient subclass called Type Ia, in which a white dwarf robs gas from its companion star and then becomes violently unstable.
53. Exploding Stars-Celestial Fireworks!
October 19, 2023
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.
52. White Dwarfs and Nova Eruptions
October 19, 2023
The burned out Sun will eventually contract into a white dwarf. This is the fate of all stars between roughly 0.08 and 8 solar masses. A white dwarf in a binary system may steal matter from its companion star and flare up in an eruption called a nova.
51. Our Sun's Brilliant Future
October 19, 2023
As it gradually uses up the hydrogen in its core, fusing it to helium, the Sun will expand to form a red giant star. Through a series of relatively nonviolent eruptions, it will expel its outer layers of gas, producing a beautiful, glowing nebula around the dying core.
50. Brown Dwarfs and Free-Floating Planets
October 19, 2023
Brown dwarfs are low-mass objects whose dim glow is caused by slow gravitational contraction and the fusion of deuterium, a heavier but far less abundant isotope of hydrogen. Free-floating planets have even less mass than brown dwarfs and are not associated with any star.
49. Solar Neutrinos-Probes of the Sun's Core
October 19, 2023
Physicists had long assumed that nuclear fusion occurred in the Sun's core, though without a way to physically measure or observe this. Ghostly particles called neutrinos provide direct evidence of events in the Sun's nuclear furnace.
48. How Stars Shine-Nature's Nuclear Reactors
October 19, 2023
When the central temperature of a contracting cloud of gas grows sufficiently high, it becomes a star
47. Star Clusters, Ages, and Remote Distances
October 19, 2023
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.
46. Binary Stars and Stellar Masses
October 19, 2023
Many stars are members of binary systems, in which two stars orbit a common center of mass. Our best estimates of how much mass stars have come from observations of binaries. We find that massive stars have far shorter lives than low-mass stars.
45. The Diverse Sizes of Stars
October 19, 2023
This lecture discusses the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, a plot of stellar surface temperature versus luminosity that contains a wealth of information. Stars spend most of their existence on the diagram's well-defined main sequence; outliers include supergiants and white dwarfs.
44. The Intrinsic Brightnesses of Stars
October 19, 2023
Apparent brightness is the observed brightness of a star. Because stars are at different distances, astronomers need a standard reference by which to compare stars in absolute terms, as if they're all at the same distance. This standard is called intrinsic brightness, or luminosity.
43. Stars-Distant Suns
October 19, 2023
A voyage to another star would require exact information on distances and properties of the stars. This lecture shows how astronomers measure the distance to nearby stars and how they determine their surface temperatures, which are the basis for stellar classification.
42. Special Relativity and Interstellar Travel
October 19, 2023
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.
41. The Search for Extraterrestrials
October 19, 2023
Are there intelligent extraterrestrials elsewhere in our Galaxy? One way to search is to scan the radio spectrum for evidence of their electronic signals. The Drake equation suggests ways to estimate their prevalence.
40. Life Beyond the Earth
October 19, 2023
The recent discovery of extra-solar planets rekindles the age-old question of whether there is life beyond Earth. This lecture examines the possibility of rudimentary life on other planets and moons in the Solar System.
39. Extra-Solar Planets Galore!
October 19, 2023
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.
38. The Quest for Other Planetary Systems
October 19, 2023
In 1995, the first extra-solar planet was discovered around a Sun-like star. Since then, about 200 have been found. The easiest to detect are those with large masses, close to their host stars, and with brief orbital periods.
37. The Formation of Planetary Systems
October 19, 2023
Planets form inside a rotating cloud of dust and gas, which flattens as it contracts. At the center, the temperature is high enough to create a star; farther from the center, leftover material collects into planets.
36. Catastrophic Collisions
October 19, 2023
Comets and asteroids have struck Earth throughout its history. One such collision 65 million years ago probably caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. Astronomers now search for asteroids that could be a potential threat to Earth.
35. Comets-Gorgeous Primordial Snowballs
October 19, 2023
Comets are "dirty snowballs" from beyond the orbit of Neptune. As they approach the Sun, they begin to evaporate and produce gaseous tails. In 2005, a space probe impacted Comet Tempel 1, revealing the nature of its interior.
34. Asteroids and Dwarf Planets
October 19, 2023
Under a new definition adopted in 2006, planets are more narrowly defined and a new class called dwarf planets has been created, which includes Pluto, Eris (a Kuiper-belt object larger than Pluto), and Ceres (the largest asteroid).
33. Pluto and Its Cousins
October 19, 2023
Discovered in 1930, Pluto was long considered a planet. However, the detection of more and more objects in the same region strongly suggests that it is a member of a reservoir of comet-like bodies in the Kuiper belt.
32. Uranus and Neptune, the Small Giants
October 19, 2023
Though less massive than Jupiter and Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are similar in that they consist mostly of hydrogen and helium. Both have bizarre magnetic fields that are highly tilted relative to the planet's rotation axis and offset from the planet's center.
31. Magnificent Saturn
October 19, 2023
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.
30. Jupiter and Its Amazing Moons
October 19, 2023
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.
29. Of Mars and Martians
October 19, 2023
Recent missions to Mars provide evidence for an early water-rich era that may have fostered primitive life. Today, Mars is a cold, apparently lifeless world. Evidence for fossil life in a Martian meteorite remains controversial.
28. Mercury and Venus
October 19, 2023
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.
27. Our Moon, Earth's Nearest Neighbor
October 19, 2023
This lecture covers the wealth of knowledge about the Moon, a heavily cratered world with extensive lava-filled basins on the Earth-facing side and yet few such features on the far side
26. The Earth, Third Rock from the Sun
October 19, 2023
Earth is one of the four innermost, or terrestrial, planets; the others are Mercury, Venus, and Mars. All are relatively small, rocky, and dense. This lecture examines Earth's structure, properties, and the forces that affect it.
25. Our Sun, the Nearest Star
October 19, 2023
Beginning a sequence of lectures on the Solar System, you start with the Sun, which you explore from the interior to the surface. Sunspots are cooler regions associated with strong magnetic fields, and violent eruptions blast solar material into space.
24. A Better Set of Eyes
October 19, 2023
This lecture looks at radio telescopes, adaptive optics for ground-based infrared telescopes, and NASA's Great Observatories, which include the Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-Ray Observatory, and Spitzer Space Telescope.
23. Modern Telescopes
October 19, 2023
Today's telescopes are designed to provide huge light-gathering mirrors at relatively low cost. The mirrors focus light from distant objects onto sensitive electronic detectors that are far more efficient than traditional photographic film.
22. The Fingerprints of Atoms
October 19, 2023
Electrons jumping between different energy levels in atoms emit and absorb photons in a characteristic way for each element. Thus, astronomers can use the light from distant objects to deduce their chemical compositions.
21. The Colors of Stars
October 19, 2023
The surface temperature of a star determines its apparent color. The hottest stars are bluish in color, and the coldest stars are reddish; stars at intermediate temperatures appear white. The Sun is a white star.
20. The Wave-Particle Duality of Light
October 19, 2023
Delving deeper into the nature of light, you explore the strange duality between electromagnetic waves (light waves) and particles (photons), which is a fundamental feature of quantum theory.
19. Light-The Supreme Informant
October 19, 2023
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.
18. Scale Models of the Universe
October 19, 2023
The best way to understand the size of the Universe is to investigate it in a series of steps, each 10 times larger or smaller than the one preceding. In this way, you explore the cosmos from the smallest to the largest scale.
16. On the Shoulders of Giants
October 19, 2023
According to legend, Newton saw a falling apple and realized that the force that pulled it toward Earth also pulled on the Moon, keeping it in its orbit. Building on the work of Kepler and Galileo, he revolutionized astronomy with his law of universal gravitation and laws of motion.
15. Refinements to the Heliocentric Model
October 19, 2023
This lecture explores the refinements in the Copernican model made possible by Tycho's extremely accurate measurements of planetary positions, which were analyzed by Kepler to produce his laws of planetary motion.
14. Galileo and the Copernican Revolution
October 19, 2023
In 1543, Copernicus proposed a heliocentric system, in which Earth and other planets orbit the Sun, which is at the center of the Universe. In the early 1600s Galileo provided strong evidence for this model with the newly invented telescope.
13. The Geocentric Universe
October 19, 2023
The Greek philosopher Aristotle concluded that Earth is stationary at the center of the Universe, surrounded by 55 nested spheres. Ptolemy elaborated this geocentric model into a system that held sway for nearly 1,500 years.
12. Early Studies of the Solar System
October 19, 2023
Astronomy has its roots in the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, Babylon, India, Egypt, and China. The Greeks in particular developed sophisticated and sometimes surprisingly accurate theories of the nature of the heavens.
11. More Eclipse Tales
October 19, 2023
Solar eclipses also come in annular and hybrid varieties, reflecting the varying distance of the Moon from Earth. A famous total solar eclipse in 1919 provided observational evidence for Einstein's general theory of relativity.
10. Glorious Total Solar Eclipses
October 19, 2023
Total solar eclipses are stunning celestial sights, which occur when the Moon comes between Earth and the Sun, totally blocking the Sun for a small portion of the Earth. These rare events reveal beautiful and thrilling phenomena.
9. Lunar Phases and Eerie Lunar Eclipses
October 19, 2023
Lunar phases occur as the Moon orbits Earth, changing the viewing perspective of the Moon's illuminated hemisphere. Lunar eclipses take place when Earth, the Sun, and Moon are almost exactly aligned.
8. The Reason for the Seasons
October 19, 2023
Contrary to popular belief, the seasons are not caused by changes in the distance between Earth and the Sun over the course of a year. Instead, the tilt of Earth's axis of spin relative to the axis of its orbital plane produces seasons.
7. The Celestial Sphere
October 19, 2023
As Earth rotates on its axis and orbits the Sun, the night sky changes over a 24-hour period, as well as throughout the year. This lecture explains how to locate celestial bodies and why the sky appears different from place to place.
6. Our Sky through Binoculars and Telescopes
October 19, 2023
A relatively inexpensive telescope and even a simple pair of binoculars greatly increase the number of celestial objects you can study, such as the craters on the Moon, the Orion Nebula, and the Andromeda Galaxy.
5. Fainter Phenomena in the Night Sky
October 19, 2023
Far from city lights, the night sky becomes spectacular and includes such sights as the Milky Way, the Magellanic Clouds, zodiacal light, and comets. Though not technically "celestial," auroras are also wondrous spectacles.
4. Bright Objects in the Night Sky
October 19, 2023
Many objects in the night sky can be enjoyed with the naked eye, even from the city. These include several famous constellations, bright stars, planets, and satellites such as the International Space Station.
3. Sunrise, Sunset
October 19, 2023
Continuing the study of the daytime sky, this lecture examines phenomena associated with sunrise and sunset, including the elusive green flash, Buddha's rays, and Earth's own shadow at sunset.
2. The Rainbow Connection
October 19, 2023
The daytime sky contains intriguing natural sights that offer a colorful introduction to astronomy. One such phenomenon is the rainbow. This lecture examines how a rainbow is created and how it appears under different circumstances.
1. A Grand Tour of the Cosmos
October 19, 2023
You embark on a fantastic voyage throughout the Universe, starting in this lecture with a whirlwind tour of the course, which extends from phenomena in Earth's atmosphere to events at the farthest reaches of space and time.
Description
In 96 richly illustrated half-hour lectures you will survey the main concepts, methods, and discoveries in astronomy—from the constellations drawn by the ancients, to the latest reports from planetary probes in our Solar System and the most recent images offered by telescopes probing the farthest frontiers of space and time.
Understanding the Universe: An Introduction to Astronomy, 2nd Edition is a series that ran for 1 seasons (95 episodes) between October 19, 2023 and on The Great Courses
Where to Watch Understanding the Universe: An Introduction to Astronomy, 2nd Edition
Understanding the Universe: An Introduction to Astronomy, 2nd Edition is available for streaming on the The Great Courses website, both individual episodes and full seasons. You can also watch Understanding the Universe: An Introduction to Astronomy, 2nd Edition on demand at Apple TV Channels and Amazon Prime and Amazon.
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Premiere DateOctober 19, 2023
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