Astronomy

Updated 02-15-19

I am not teaching this course this academic year so this web page is unlikely to be updated frequently.

Reference Information for Astronomy:

Link to my Power Points: Link

Video playlists: Link - Astrophysics.

The Glencoe book, Link, covers stars in Chapter 26.

Youtube Crash Course Astronomy: Link.

Youtube Scishow Space: Link.

ASTRONOMY not ASTROLOGY!

• • What is the difference? Link. And further, Link.

  • Neil DeGrasse Tyson's take on Astrology (1994): Link.

  • Dr. Tyson did make a few small errors, debugged here: Link.

  • More about the 13 Zodiac signs: Link.

  • What is your Zodiac sign? All 13, adjusted for 2000 years of precession: Link.

The Mars Rovers and Why We Love Them!

• • The Oatmeal's Take on Insight: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/insight

  • Veratissium: Insight's Five Firsts Video: Link.

  • Interview with JPL's Insight team video: Link.

  • NASA's FAQs on Insight: https://mars.nasa.gov/insight/faq/

  • Mars Lander Timeline: https://www.space.com/16496-mars-landing-missions-timeline.html

  • XKCD on Spirit (Jan 4, 2004 - May 2011 We miss you!!!): https://xkcd.com/695/

  • XKCD on Opportunity (Jan 25, 2004 - Feb 13, 2019 You were the best rover!!!): https://xkcd.com/1504/

  • XKCD on Opportunity's mission end (Feb 13, 2019): https://xkcd.com/2111/

  • NASA on Opportunity's mission end: Link

  • XKCD on Curiosity (Aug 5, 2014): https://xkcd.com/1091/

  • NASA - Video of Curiosity landing via skycrane: Link.

  • Other Mars Rovers 2012: Link.

  • Mars 2020 Rover update (02-15-19): Link.

Formation of Stars:

- Why is the sky blue, not purple? Link. Or the shorter answer: Link. - Here is a site with a variety of great interactive demonstrations on stars: Link.

- What is a planet? Link.

- How does dust clump in space? (2:01 minutes) Link.

- How big is the solar system? This interactive site give you a size-accurate model of the solar system! Link.

- What will it look like when the Andromeda galaxy collides with our Milky Way? Link.

- Andromeda vs. Milky Way (no sound, just animation). Link.

-If you made a beach out of stars: Link.

-The Nicest Neighborhood in the Universe: Link.

-A poster of the life of our Sun. Very informative! Link.

- How big is our solar system? Link.

- Jillian's Guide to Black Holes - very comprehensive! Link.

- What happens if you fall into a black hole? Link.

- Traveling inside a black hole, video: Link.

Structure of the Universe:

- The Big Bang to now in 18 minutes: Link.

- The Big Bang to Now in 10 easy steps: Link.

- What was the early universe like? Watch this video. Link.

-New supporting evidence of the Big Bang Theory from Space.com: Link.

-Some words from Stephen Hawking on this discovery: Link.

- Veritasium addresses misconceptions about the universe: Link.

- The new (as of March 2014) ALMA radio telescope array! My uncle works with this. Link.

- Cosmic inflation explained in one comic: Link.

- We found gravitational waves! 02/22/16: Link.

- What are gravitational waves? This comic explains: Link.

- The Flatness Problem: Link.

- Relativity and time travel explained in the context of Doctor Who: Link.

- Why is the night sky dark? Olber's Paradox: Link. And a slightly more in-depth explanation, Link.

-Extra-solar planets and how they can be detected by the Kepler telescope: Link.

-We landed on a comet! Check out this adorable flip book animation 11/12/14 Link.

-Van Gogh's Starry Night and Turbulence: Link.

-An interesting TED talk from 2002 discussing ways the world could end: Link.

-How will the universe end? Link.

-The End of Everything: Link.

- NASA's Mission Science: Intro to the EM spectrum: Link.

- Zoo pictures in Infrared! Link.

- Warm and cold blooded animal, in Infrared: Link.

- Are we alone in the universe? Link.

- Where is everyone else? Link.

- So you want to go to Mars? Link.

- Will we ever visit other stars? Link.

- Are we ready for aliens? Link.

-Unit 3-4 Review! Link.

-Here is a Youtube playlist I created of interesting and informative Big Bang related videos: Link.

Gravity and The Effects of Space on Humans:

- Video playlists: Link - Gravity.

- What happens to humans in space, or other zero G environments?

- Gravity Hurts so Good - effects of zero G's on the human body. Link.

- Ten strange things that happen to your body in space: Link.

- More about the effects of long term space exposure on humans: Link.

- Astronaut eyeball problems? Link.

- What if you were born in space? Link.

- Why isn't Zero G the same thing as Zero Gravity? Link.

- Do astronauts get to vote from space? Link.

- More on a 2016 astronaut's vote: Link.

- Christmas in Space: Link.

- What do we write with in space? Link.

- What are astronauts NOT allowed to do in space? Link.

- Everybody Jump! http://what-if.xkcd.com/8/

- Did the asteroid belt used to be a planet? Destruction theory vs. Accretion theory. Link.

- First ever observed gravitational waves from a Neutron Star collision! Link.

Kepler's Laws:

- Here are some Kepler's Laws Worksheets, PPTs, and Reviews: Link.

- Video playlists: Link - Kepler's Laws.

- Link to Chapter 7, Gravitation and Kepler's Laws. Kepler is in section 7.1 Link.

- Link to the Unit 3 PowerPoint from class: Link.

- Video introduction to Kepler's Laws: Link.

- The dwarf planet, Sedna. This article also discusses the definition of dwarf planet: Link.

- About Tycho Brahe: Link.

- Can you buy a star's name? Kind of: Link.

Interesting Astronomy News:

- Commentary: The problematic media portrayals of women in science: Link