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Understanding the Universe: An Introduction to Astronomy, 2nd Edition

Season 1
In 96 richly illustrated half-hour lectures you will survey the main concepts, methods, and discoveries in astronomy—from the constellations drawn by the ancients, to the latest reports from planetary probes in our Solar System and the most recent images offered by telescopes probing the farthest frontiers of space and time.
202396 episodesTV-PG
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Episodes

  1. S1 E1 - A Grand Tour of the Cosmos
    October 18, 2023
    34min
    TV-PG
    You embark on a fantastic voyage throughout the Universe, starting in this lecture with a whirlwind tour of the course, which extends from phenomena in Earth's atmosphere to events at the farthest reaches of space and time.
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  2. S1 E2 - The Rainbow Connection
    October 18, 2023
    30min
    TV-PG
    The daytime sky contains intriguing natural sights that offer a colorful introduction to astronomy. One such phenomenon is the rainbow. This lecture examines how a rainbow is created and how it appears under different circumstances.
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  3. S1 E3 - Sunrise, Sunset
    October 18, 2023
    32min
    TV-PG
    Continuing the study of the daytime sky, this lecture examines phenomena associated with sunrise and sunset, including the elusive green flash, Buddha's rays, and Earth's own shadow at sunset.
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  4. S1 E4 - Bright Objects in the Night Sky
    October 18, 2023
    31min
    TV-PG
    Many objects in the night sky can be enjoyed with the naked eye, even from the city. These include several famous constellations, bright stars, planets, and satellites such as the International Space Station.
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  5. S1 E5 - Fainter Phenomena in the Night Sky
    October 18, 2023
    31min
    TV-PG
    Far from city lights, the night sky becomes spectacular and includes such sights as the Milky Way, the Magellanic Clouds, zodiacal light, and comets. Though not technically "celestial," auroras are also wondrous spectacles.
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  6. S1 E6 - Our Sky through Binoculars and Telescopes
    October 18, 2023
    30min
    TV-PG
    A relatively inexpensive telescope and even a simple pair of binoculars greatly increase the number of celestial objects you can study, such as the craters on the Moon, the Orion Nebula, and the Andromeda Galaxy.
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  7. S1 E7 - The Celestial Sphere
    October 18, 2023
    33min
    TV-PG
    As Earth rotates on its axis and orbits the Sun, the night sky changes over a 24-hour period, as well as throughout the year. This lecture explains how to locate celestial bodies and why the sky appears different from place to place.
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  8. S1 E8 - The Reason for the Seasons
    October 18, 2023
    31min
    TV-PG
    Contrary to popular belief, the seasons are not caused by changes in the distance between Earth and the Sun over the course of a year. Instead, the tilt of Earth's axis of spin relative to the axis of its orbital plane produces seasons.
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  9. S1 E9 - Lunar Phases and Eerie Lunar Eclipses
    October 18, 2023
    30min
    TV-PG
    Lunar phases occur as the Moon orbits Earth, changing the viewing perspective of the Moon's illuminated hemisphere. Lunar eclipses take place when Earth, the Sun, and Moon are almost exactly aligned.
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  10. S1 E10 - Glorious Total Solar Eclipses
    October 18, 2023
    31min
    TV-PG
    Total solar eclipses are stunning celestial sights, which occur when the Moon comes between Earth and the Sun, totally blocking the Sun for a small portion of the Earth. These rare events reveal beautiful and thrilling phenomena.
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  11. S1 E11 - More Eclipse Tales
    October 18, 2023
    31min
    TV-PG
    Solar eclipses also come in annular and hybrid varieties, reflecting the varying distance of the Moon from Earth. A famous total solar eclipse in 1919 provided observational evidence for Einstein's general theory of relativity.
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  12. S1 E12 - Early Studies of the Solar System
    October 18, 2023
    29min
    TV-PG
    Astronomy has its roots in the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, Babylon, India, Egypt, and China. The Greeks in particular developed sophisticated and sometimes surprisingly accurate theories of the nature of the heavens.
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  13. S1 E13 - The Geocentric Universe
    October 18, 2023
    30min
    TV-PG
    The Greek philosopher Aristotle concluded that Earth is stationary at the center of the Universe, surrounded by 55 nested spheres. Ptolemy elaborated this geocentric model into a system that held sway for nearly 1,500 years.
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  14. S1 E14 - Galileo and the Copernican Revolution
    October 18, 2023
    31min
    TV-PG
    In 1543, Copernicus proposed a heliocentric system, in which Earth and other planets orbit the Sun, which is at the center of the Universe. In the early 1600s Galileo provided strong evidence for this model with the newly invented telescope.
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  15. S1 E15 - Refinements to the Heliocentric Model
    October 18, 2023
    31min
    TV-PG
    This lecture explores the refinements in the Copernican model made possible by Tycho's extremely accurate measurements of planetary positions, which were analyzed by Kepler to produce his laws of planetary motion.
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  16. S1 E16 - On the Shoulders of Giants
    October 18, 2023
    32min
    TV-PG
    According to legend, Newton saw a falling apple and realized that the force that pulled it toward Earth also pulled on the Moon, keeping it in its orbit. Building on the work of Kepler and Galileo, he revolutionized astronomy with his law of universal gravitation and laws of motion.
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  17. S1 E17 - Surveying Space and Time
    October 18, 2023
    31min
    TV-PG
    Observations of the transit of Venus across the face of the Sun in the 18th century helped determine the scale of the Solar System. In the wider Universe, distances are so vast that the finite speed of light means we are literally looking back in time.
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  18. S1 E18 - Scale Models of the Universe
    October 18, 2023
    31min
    TV-PG
    The best way to understand the size of the Universe is to investigate it in a series of steps, each 10 times larger or smaller than the one preceding. In this way, you explore the cosmos from the smallest to the largest scale.
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  19. S1 E19 - Light-The Supreme Informant
    October 18, 2023
    31min
    TV-PG
    Astronomers obtain most of their information through the analysis of light. This lecture introduces the electromagnetic spectrum and the technique of spectroscopy, in which light is dispersed into its component colors, as in a rainbow.
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  20. S1 E20 - The Wave-Particle Duality of Light
    October 18, 2023
    30min
    TV-PG
    Delving deeper into the nature of light, you explore the strange duality between electromagnetic waves (light waves) and particles (photons), which is a fundamental feature of quantum theory.
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  21. S1 E21 - The Colors of Stars
    October 18, 2023
    31min
    TV-PG
    The surface temperature of a star determines its apparent color. The hottest stars are bluish in color, and the coldest stars are reddish; stars at intermediate temperatures appear white. The Sun is a white star.
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  22. S1 E22 - The Fingerprints of Atoms
    October 18, 2023
    31min
    TV-PG
    Electrons jumping between different energy levels in atoms emit and absorb photons in a characteristic way for each element. Thus, astronomers can use the light from distant objects to deduce their chemical compositions.
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  23. S1 E23 - Modern Telescopes
    October 18, 2023
    31min
    TV-PG
    Today's telescopes are designed to provide huge light-gathering mirrors at relatively low cost. The mirrors focus light from distant objects onto sensitive electronic detectors that are far more efficient than traditional photographic film.
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  24. S1 E24 - A Better Set of Eyes
    October 18, 2023
    31min
    TV-PG
    This lecture looks at radio telescopes, adaptive optics for ground-based infrared telescopes, and NASA's Great Observatories, which include the Hubble Space Telescope, Chandra X-Ray Observatory, and Spitzer Space Telescope.
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  25. S1 E25 - Our Sun, the Nearest Star
    October 18, 2023
    30min
    TV-PG
    Beginning a sequence of lectures on the Solar System, you start with the Sun, which you explore from the interior to the surface. Sunspots are cooler regions associated with strong magnetic fields, and violent eruptions blast solar material into space.
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More info

Audio languages
EnglishEnglish Dialogue Boost: MediumEnglish Dialogue Boost: High
Subtitles
English [CC]
Producers
The Great Courses
Cast
Alex Filippenko
Studio
The Great Courses
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