We follow our tour of our Solar System with an in-depth comparison of
the Terrestrial Planets. In particular, we want to contrast and compare
their geological and atmospheric histories. This will inform our
inquiry into whether or not we expect to find life on these worlds.
Recorded live on 2009 Oct 27 in Room 1005 Smith Laboratory on the
Columbus campus o ... Show More
Oct 2009
Lecture 24: The Jovian Planets
We turn our attention to the Giant Planets of the outer Solar System: the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn, and the ice giants Uranus and Neptune. We will review their structure and properties, and then examine their systems of moons, with special attention to the giant moons. While ... Show More
47m 50s
Oct 2009
Lecture 25: The Requirements for Life in the Solar System
Having completed our tour of the Solar System, we now turn to a discussion of the requirements for life, and where those requirements might be satisfied elsewhere in the Solar System. Some - energy, complex chemistry, and liquid water - seem obvious, but they are not the only pos ... Show More
47m 4s
Oct 2009
Lecture 26: The Deserts of Mars
For many, the most likely place in the Solar System to search for life beyond the Earth is Mars. This lecture describes the properties of Mars, a desert world with a thin, dry, cold carbon dioxide atmosphere. I will review evidence that has begun to point unequivocally to the con ... Show More
47m 26s
Mar 2006
Lecture 44: Life, the Universe, and Everything (Life Part II)
How can we search for extraterrestrial intelligence, and what are we looking for? This second part of a 2-part lecture picks up where we left off yesterday by examining SETI, the Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence, and reviews what we might look for and how. We will use thi ... Show More
45m 56s
Sep 2007
Lecture 02: Astronomical Numbers
What are our units of measure in astronomy? To begin our exploration of astronomy, we first need to develop a common language for notating large numbers, and introduce the basic units of length, mass, and time that we will use throughout the quarter. This lecture is a quick revie ... Show More
43m 58s
Sep 2007
Welcome to Astronomy 161 for Autumn Quarter 2007
Welcome to the Astronomy 161 Lecture Podcasts. This is a brief message from me explaining the podcasts, and welcoming new and old listeners. University. Lectures will begin on Wednesday, 2007 Sept 19, and run through Friday, 2007 Nov 30. New lectures will appear shortly before 6p ... Show More
7m 35s