Why do we have different seasons? This lecture explores the
consequences of the tilt of the Earth's rotation axis relative to its
orbital plane combined with the apparent annual motions of the Sun
around the Ecliptic. The most important factor for determining whether
it is hot or cold at a given location at different times in the year is
"insolation": how ... Show More
Sep 2007
Lecture 08: The Phases of the Moon
What are the Phases of the Moon? This lecture introduces the Moon and describes the monthly cycle of phases. Topics include synchronous rotation, apogee and perigee, the cycle of phases, and the sidereal and synodic month. Recorded 2007 Sep 28 in 1000 McPherson Lab on the Columbu ... Show More
42m 34s
Oct 2007
Lecture 09: Eclipses of the Sun and Moon
Among the most amazing sights in the sky, eclipses of the Sun and Moon have long fascinated us. This lecture describes the eclipses of the Sun and Moon, their types, and how often they occur. Recorded 2007 Oct 1 in 1000 McPherson Lab on the Columbus campus of The Ohio State Unive ... Show More
40m 23s
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