 |
|
The Astronomer's Universe takes you to the places in the cosmos where astronomers are doing their research. The work ranges from planetary science in our own solar system to the study of starbirth and stardeath in the Milky Way and other galaxies, all the way out to the formation of the first objects after the Big Bang.
Tune in each month for a new exploration!
In between times, here are a few links to take you out into the astronomer's universe:
What professional astronomers are looking at and what they are learning! This month Carolyn looks again at The Big Picture.
Click playlist to view all.
Click play to view. Best seen Full Screen
The Astronomer's Universe with Carolyn Collins Petersen
This month another look at star birth from the viewpoint of what interests astronomers about this most fundamental process. The first stars came into existence just over 13 billion years ago and the procedures for making stellar objects have been occurring ever since then. We see it happening in nearly every direction of the universe, in nearly every galaxy that exists.
You would think that such a ubiquitous process would be very well understood by astronomers. In very general terms, we do know the basic outlines of how it is that stars form from a nebula (a cloud of gas and dust) and ultimately end up as bright. self-luminous objects. But, as they always say, the devil is in the details.
What causes that cloud of gas and dust to start down the long road to star formation? Why do some clouds produce huge numbers of clouds while others form just a few? Where did the gases and dust in the star forming nebula come from? What was the event that kicked off the formation of our own solar system? What really happens in those very dense clouds of gas and dust that we can’t see into, such as those in the famous Pillars of Creation image from HST?
These questions and many others drive astronomers to study star birth regions in the Milky Way and beyond, using new technologies that allow them to peer beyond the clouds of gas and dust nearly to the hearts of stellar nurseries. It’s an exciting field of study that encompasses not just astronomy but astrophysics and chemistry (particularly the chemical interactions in the clouds where stars form). The study of star birth ultimately also leads to the study of star death because for all the star forming regions we see today, stars had to die and contribute material in order for new generations of stars to form. This is one of the many reasons that starbirth fascinates astronomers.
The Big Picture: Space as an Exhibit - Carolyn's Blog
The Astronomer’s Universe for July is a re-post about a wonderful image of the cosmos disguised as an astronomy exhibit and I find such exhibits fascinating.
One of the most challenging of Griffith exhibits to write was the Big Picture, which I describe in the first segment of The Astronomer’s Universe. This fantastic image that covers one whole huge wall in the Gunther Depths of Space at Griffith was actually first conceptualized some years ago by a team of designers who currently work at C&G Partners, a group that designs exhibits. Their idea was discussed and refined over several years, through many conversations about the proper way to visualize scientific data — particularly on a wall 150 feet long!
Embed The Astronomer's Universe in your site!
Check out all our shows!
 |
 |
 |
| The Astronomer's Universe. | Our Night Sky |
Subscribe to Astrocast.TV by Email
The International Year of Astronomy
The International Year of Astronomy is a world-wide celebration of the beauty of astronomy and the fascination that this science has for everyone. For more information about IYA 2009, visit the main web page at: http://www.astronomy2009.org/