Astronomy 162 - Stars, Galaxies, & the Universe

Richard Pogge
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Astronomy 162 - Stars, Galaxies, & the Universe

Astronomy 162, Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe, is part 2 of a 2-quarter introductory Astronomy for non-science majors taught at The Ohio State University. This podcast presents lecture audio from Professor Richard Pogge's Winter Quarter 2006 class. All of the lectures were recorded live in 1008 Evans Laboratory on the OSU Main Campus in Columbus, Ohio.

  1. 01/09/2006

    Lecture 05: Distances of the Stars

    How do we measure the distances to the stars? This lecture introduces the method of trigonometric parallaxes and the units of the Parsec and Light Year. Recorded 2006 January 9 in 1008 Evans Laboratory on the Columbus campus of The Ohio State University.

  2. 01/10/2006

    Lecture 06: The Motions of the Stars

    The "fixed stars" are really in constant motion, but these motions are too small to see with the human eye in a human lifetime. This lecture introduces proper motions (apparent angular motion of the stars in the sky), radial velocities (motion towards or away from us measured using the Doppler Shift of the star's spectral lines), and true space velocities, measured by combining three key observables: the proper motion, radial velocity, and distance to the star. Recorded 2006 January 10 in 1008 Evans Laboratory on the Columbus campus of The Ohio State University.

  3. 01/11/2006

    Lecture 07: Stellar Brightness

    How do we quantify stellar brightness? This lecture introduces the inverse square-law of apparent brightness, the relation between Luminosity and Apparent Brightness, introduces the stellar magnitude system, and discusses photometry and the how we measure apparent brightness in practice. Recorded 2006 January 11 in 1008 Evans Laboratory on the Columbus campus of The Ohio State University.

  4. 01/12/2006

    Lecture 08: Stellar Masses & Radii

    How do we measure the masses and radii of stars? This lecture describes the three basic types of binary stars, and how each are used to measure the masses of stars. Details of how to measure stellar radii are beyond the scope of this class, but we briefly describe the direct measurements of stellar radii. Recorded 2006 January 12 in 1008 Evans Laboratory on the Columbus campus of The Ohio State University.

  5. 01/13/2006

    Lecture 09: Stellar Spectra

    What do the spectra of stars look like, and what can they tell us about stellar properties? This lecture introduces the idea of stellar color, gives a brief overview of the history of stellar spectroscopy, and introduces spectral classification and the main stellar spectral types OBAFGKMLT. Recorded 2006 January 13 in 1008 Evans Laboratory on the Columbus campus of The Ohio State University.

  6. 01/17/2006

    Lecture 10: Synthesis: The Herzsprung-Russell Diagram

    How are all of the observed properties of stars (Luminosity, Mass, Radius, Temperature and Spectral Type) related to one another? This lecture introduces the Herzsprung-Russell Diagram, a plot of Luminosity versus Temperature for stars that is our most powerful tool for unlocking the secrets of the stars. Recorded 2006 January 17 in 1008 Evans Laboratory on the Columbus campus of The Ohio State University.

  7. 01/18/2006

    Lecture 11: The Internal Structure of Stars

    What are the physical laws that determine the internal structure of stars? We first introduce the Mass-Luminosity Relation for Main Sequence stars, as well as seeing how the mean density of stars differs for stars on different parts of the H-R diagram. We then introduce the Ideal Gas Law, which relates pressure, density, and temperature, and show how the internal structure of a star is determined by a continuous tug-of-war between internal pressure trying to blow the star apart, and self-gravity trying to make it collapse. The balance between the two is the state of Hydrostatic Equilibrium. How the balance is maintained, and what happens when it is tipped in favor of either will determine the appearance and subsequent evolution of the star. Recorded 2006 January 18 in 1008 Evans Laboratory on the Columbus campus of The Ohio State University.

  8. 01/19/2006

    Lecture 12: As Long as the Sun Shines

    How long can the Sun continue to shine, and what source of energy does it tap to keep shining? This lecture answers this question by introducing two important energy sources for stars: Gravitational Contraction otherwise known as the Kelvin-Helmholz Mechanism, and Nuclear Fusion. We will show that fusion of 4 Hydrogen nuclei into a Helium nucleus via the proton-proton chain liberates enough energy to provide for the Sun's Luminosity needs for about 10 Billion Years. Recorded 2006 January 19 in 1008 Evans Laboratory on the Columbus campus of The Ohio State University. Note: the recording mistakenly says January 18th. Oops.

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Astronomy 162, Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe, is part 2 of a 2-quarter introductory Astronomy for non-science majors taught at The Ohio State University. This podcast presents lecture audio from Professor Richard Pogge's Winter Quarter 2006 class. All of the lectures were recorded live in 1008 Evans Laboratory on the OSU Main Campus in Columbus, Ohio.

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