Producers: Coast Learning Systems

Students will discover the interactions of atoms and light and what spectra can tell us about a star. The fascinating history of spectral classes and the intriguing group of women who were responsible for much of our stellar classification system today is also presented.

This lesson describes the thermonuclear process in the core of the sun, identifying the layers of the interior and atmosphere showing spectacular pictures of surface features, such as granulation and sunspots. The magnetic cycle and magnetic effects on the surface are also introduced. Discussions of how the sun affects Earth’s climate conclude the lesson.

To determine how bright a star actually is, we need to know how far away it is. This lesson illustrates how to find distance to nearby stars and how to plot them on an H-R diagram. It also shows why binary stars are important for the study of stars and their mass-luminosity relation.

The study of stellar evolution is presented by examining the birth of stars. Different types of nebulae are introduced and the necessary ingredients to produce a star: dust, gas, gravity, and maybe a little push are discussed. The mass-luminosity relation is reintroduced and suggests the role that mass will play in the life and death of a star.

This lesson details the life and the death of stars. The fact that stars spend most of their lives on the main sequence consuming their nuclear fuel in a stable manner is detailed and illustrated, as well as how a star’s mass determines how quickly it consumes its fuel, how long it will live and how it will die. A presentation of the study of stellar remnants, the leftover products after a star dies, concludes the lesson and leads us to the topic of the next lesson, neutron stars and black holes.

This lesson describes the fascinating objects that remain after the deaths of large stars-neutron stars and black holes. Gamma-ray bursts and hypernovae are presented as some of the most energetic objects in the universe.

Most discussions of galaxies begin with our very own Milky Way. This lesson presents the history of the study of the size and scale of our galaxy and our place in it. The anatomy of the galaxy is introduced and the mapping techniques are unveiled.

This video lesson looks at the classification of galaxies in general, and discusses the fact that, when these “island universes” were discovered, how the perceived size of our universe increased immensely. It goes on to describe distance indicators and introduces the Hubble Law. The lesson ends with interaction and evolution of galaxies and with a sneak peek into the furthest depths of the universe

Scientists discuss the possibility that the early seeds of life on Earth were delivered by comet impacts and the reasons why it is believed that the first life began on the deep seafloor near hydrothermal vents. The discussion continues with a look at Europa’s subsurface ocean and the pros and cons of life forming in that hostile location. The life zone or habitable zone of a star is defined and the efforts to detect signatures of that life using future spacecraft missions are described. The efforts and difficulties of communicating with an intelligent extraterrestrial civilization are discussed.

This lesson takes students on a journey from planet Earth to the distant galaxies and superclusters. It is illustrated with stunning computer animation and photographs from NASA, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and astronomical observatories. This journey introduces the planets, stars, and galaxies that will be presented and discussed throughout the course.