IGNIS December, 2013 | Page 12

Space Space on the Tube! There are thousands of awesome videos on YouTube relating to Space – we have selected just a few to get you started! The Open University’s 60 Second Adventures in Astronomy (playlist) Minute Physics – What Is The Universe? Milky Way Galaxy and other galaxies. The course includes discussion of recently discovered phenomena such as quasars, pulsars, cosmic blackbody radiation, and infrared stars. It also includes a short unit on the solar system. Laboratory exercises allow students to gain familiarity with the science of astronomy.’ There is an amazing amount of free educational content on on the iTunesU library. To download and use iTunesU, please go here. iTunes U is a feature of iTunes, which can be downloaded on both Mac and Windows computers. SPACE Astronomy and Astrophysics By Yale University ‘Yale Professors, Lecturers and distinguished guests speak on astronomy and astrophysics: black holes, dark matter and citizen scientists who help researchers look at the stars.’ Introduction to Planetary Astronomy By Harrisburg Area Community College ‘Introduces the solar system with an emphasis on the sun, major and minor planets, the earth-moon system, asteroids, comets, meteors, the Kuiper Belt, and the Oort Cloud. This course covers the physical laws of motion and the properties of light, the origin of the Solar System, and formation of the planets. Laboratory exercises reinforce the concepts discussed in the lectures pertaining to the location and motion of objects in the sky. Nominal use of math is required.’ Life in the Universe by The Ohio State University Over the next few pages you will find an array of cosmic clicks and astronomical apps, so delve straight in and get exploring our selection of space oddities! We hope there is something for everyone, and remember – these are here to get you started, we hope they send you off on your own journey into a black hole of exploration! ‘Twenty years ago we knew of exactly one planetary system: our own.  Today in late 2012 we know of more than 800 confirmed planets around other stars, with a few thousand candidate systems awaiting confirmation.   The topics covered in this course lie at the interfaces between Astronomy, Chemistry, Biology, and the Earth and Planetary sciences. We will learn about scientists’ ongoing quest for answers to some of the most fundamental human questions: How did life originate on Earth? Is there life on other worlds? Are we alone in the universe? What is the long-term future of life in the universe?’   Introduction to Stellar Astronomy by Harrisburg Area Community College ‘Physical features of stars, including the sun as a star, stellar distances and motion, evolution and star types, study of the 12 | IGNIS The Sun: Our Local Star by The Open University ‘In astronomical terms, our local star the Sun is quite close by. It’s only about 150 million kilometres (93 million miles) from Earth. The stars that are visible at night are much further away. The next nearest is about 40 millio n million kilometres from Earth, and most are much more distant than that. This learning pathway is an introduction to our local star, and looks briefly and simply at this range of astronomical tools and techniques, and what they produce. Astronomers have captured a breathtaking array of images and video sequences that allow them to understand what is happening on the surface of the sun. The pathway also briefly looks at the outputs of telescopes and other instruments that detect radio waves, X rays and gamma rays. These techniques allow scientists to explore our ‘invisible’ sun, and understand its inner workings.’ Astronomy: Frontiers and Controversies by Yale University ‘This course focuses on three particularly interesting areas of astronomy that are advancing very rapidly: Extra-Solar Planets, Black Holes, and Dark Energy. Particular attention is paid to current projects that promise to improve our understanding significantly over the next few years. The course explores not just what is known, but what is currently not known, and how astronomers are going about trying to find out.’ Stargazing By Oxford University ‘Find out more about our night sky, from new planets to far-off galaxies and the vastness of the Universe. A series of short talks and presentations for the general public from leading astronomy researchers at the Oxford University Physics department’ You can also find more courses at the following links: Udemy Academic Earth Studyastronomy.com 5 Sources for Free Astronomy Education Online 13 | IGNIS