What is the shape and size of the Earth? This lecture traces historical
ideas about the shape of the Earth, from ancient ideas of a Flat-Earth
to Aristotle's compelling demonstrations in the 3rd century BC that the
Earth was a sphere. We then discuss two famous classical measurements
of the circumference of the Earth by Eratosthenes of Cyrene in the 3rd
c ... Show More
Sep 2007
Lecture 03: The Starry Night
What are the constellations? We will review the most basic feature of
the night sky, the 6000 visible stars sprinkled about the sky, and
introduce the idea of constellations, reviewing their history and uses
by various cultures. Recorded 2007 Sep 21 in 1000 McPherson Lab on the
C ... Show More
35m 19s
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