Ep. 48: Tidal Forces Across the Universe
Last week we talked about tidal forces within our solar system. This week we’re going to expand our view and encompass the entire universe. Some of the most dramatic events originate from tidal forces caused by gravity: other worlds, galaxies, black holes and even entire clusters of galaxies are under this influence.
Ep. 47: Tidal Forces
Consider the following: we’ve got tides here on Earth, the Moon only shows one face to the Earth, we’ve got volcanoes on Io, and ice geysers on Enceladus. All these phenomena originate from a common cause: the force of gravity stretching across space to tug at another world.
Ep. 46: Stellar Nurseries
We’ve discussed star formation in the past, but now we wanted to talk about the different kinds of stellar nurseries we see across the Universe. We know where our Sun came from because we can look out and see different stellar neighborhoods at every stage of development. It takes a village of gas and dust to raise a star.
Ep. 45: The Important Numbers in the Universe
This week we wanted to give you a basic physics lesson. This isn’t easy physics, this is a lesson on the basic numbers of the Universe. Each of these numbers define a key aspect of our Universe. If they had different values, the Universe would be a changed place, and life here on Earth would never have arisen.
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Ep. 44: Einstein's Theory of General Relativity
If you remember way back to Episode 9, we covered Einstein’s Theory of Special Relativity. Well, that’s only half of the relativity picture. The great scientist made an even more profound impact on physics with his theory of general relativity, replacing Newton with a better model for gravity.
Ep. 43: Questions Show #5
It’s time to answer the questions again. And this time we’ve got some doozies. Is the Universe rotating? Is space something, or is it nothing? Is dark energy evenly distributed? What would happen if an astronaut went out the airlock, without a spacesuit. Want to know the answers? Well, you’ve got to listen.
Ep. 42: Magnetism Everywhere
You probably don’t realise it, but magnetic fields are everywhere. We’re not talking about the magnets in your speakers, your electronic equipment or on the fridge door. We’re talking about the gigantic magnetic fields that surround planets, stars, galaxies and some of the most exotic objects in the Universe.
Ep. 41: The Rise of the Supertelescopes
The last decade has been the golden age of astronomy, with new observatories and space telescopes pushing out our understanding of the Universe. We can see billions of light years away, watch dynamic events unfold in almost real-time, and see into every corner of the electromagnetic spectrum. Just you wait: things will only get better. Here come the supertelescopes!
Ep. 40: American Astronomical Society Meeting, May 2007
Once again, Pamela does her duty as an astronomer and joins her colleagues at the American Astronomical Society’s meeting, held in May, 2007 on Honolulu, Hawaii. With all that sand, surf and sun, how did anyone get any science done? Pamela tracked down the interesting stories, and brought them back so we could analyze them.