How do objects orbit if more than 2 massive bodies are involved?
Newton's versions of Keplers 3 Laws of Planetary Motion are only
strictly valid for 2 massive bodies. The Solar System, however, clearly
has more than 2 massive objects within it. How do we handle this
many-body problem? This lecture discusses some of the multi-body
gravitational effects see ... Show More
Oct 2007
Lecture 23: Worlds Within - Atoms
What is ordinary matter made of? This lecture reviews the basic properties of matter from subatomic to atomic scales, introducing atomic structures, atomic number and chemical elements, isotopes, radioactivity, and half-life, ending with a brief overview of the four fundamental f ... Show More
41m 25s
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 2006
Lecture 2: Astronomical Numbers
Before we can begin our exploration of astronomy, we 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.
We will first re-introduce the basic metric system, explaining how t ... Show More
43m 29s