Astronomy Minute
Science Podcasts
Learn the basics of astronomy in one-to-two minute packets of concise information about specific topics. You are a busy person with a short attention span, and you want to learn about astronomical topics in a short amount of time. Your host Professor Ata is a PhD research astronomer and astrophysicist and a noted authority on stellar and galactic astronomy. I welcome your feedback at ata.sarajedini@gmail.com. See the web site astronomyminute.org for more. The podcast logo is courtesy of Zachary Greathouse and shows a globular cluster photo taken by the author with the Hubble Space Telescope.
Location:
United States
Genres:
Science Podcasts
Description:
Learn the basics of astronomy in one-to-two minute packets of concise information about specific topics. You are a busy person with a short attention span, and you want to learn about astronomical topics in a short amount of time. Your host Professor Ata is a PhD research astronomer and astrophysicist and a noted authority on stellar and galactic astronomy. I welcome your feedback at ata.sarajedini@gmail.com. See the web site astronomyminute.org for more. The podcast logo is courtesy of Zachary Greathouse and shows a globular cluster photo taken by the author with the Hubble Space Telescope.
Language:
English
Episodes
What is an Astronomical Observatory?
7/20/2023
A brief description of what constitutes and astronomical observatory with a few examples in the real world that you have probably heard of.
Duration:00:01:44
What is Occam's Razor?
7/19/2023
A brief description of the philosophical concept known as Occam's Razor, which asserts that “the simplest explanation of a particular natural phenomenon is usually the correct one.”
Duration:00:01:50
Why is the Webb Telescope Optimized to Observe Infrared Light?
1/4/2023
A brief description of why the Webb Telescope is optimized to observe infrared light. Hint: it has to do with the four main science areas that it will be studying: “Other Worlds,” “Star Lifecycle,” “Galaxies Over Time,” and “Early Universe.”
Duration:00:01:59
What are the Main Science Goals of the Webb Telescope?
1/4/2023
A brief description of the four main science goals of the James Webb Space Telescope - “Other Worlds,” “Star Lifecycle,” “Galaxies Over Time,” and “Early Universe.”
Duration:00:02:17
What is the James Webb Space Telescope?
12/20/2022
A brief description of the James Webb Space Telescope and how it's different than the Hubble Space Telescope.
Duration:00:01:35
What is the Hubble Space Telescope?
12/14/2022
A brief description of the Hubble Space Telescope and its scientific capabilities.
Duration:00:01:38
Why Do We Put Telescopes in Space?
12/14/2022
A brief description of the two primary reasons why we send telescopes into space to observe and study celestial objects.
Duration:00:01:27
What is Meant by Spiral Nebula?
6/19/2022
A brief historical summary of what we mean when we refer to "Spiral Nebulae."
Duration:00:01:08
What is the Big Crunch?
5/31/2022
A brief description of what will happen if the universe stops expanding and collapses back on itself - this is known as the Big Crunch.
Duration:00:01:36
What are the Basic Properties of Astronomical Objects?
5/18/2022
A brief description of the basic properties of astronomical objects such as mass, radius, distance, luminosity, and temperature.
Duration:00:02:14
What is the Local Group of Galaxies?
5/10/2022
A brief description of the Local Group of galaxies which contains the Milky Way, the Andromeda galaxy, and dozens of dwarf galaxies all gravitationally bound to each other.
Duration:00:01:18
What Does it Mean to “Know” Something in Science?
4/10/2022
A brief description of what scientists mean when they say we "know" something.
Duration:00:01:57
How Can Atoms and Thus Matter be Mostly Empty Space?
4/8/2022
A brief description of the structure of atoms - how they are mostly empty space - and why the everyday objects you use don't collapse and fall in on themselves.
Duration:00:01:57
What are Interacting Galaxies?
3/9/2022
A brief description of what we mean when we talk about interacting galaxies.
Duration:00:01:34
How do the Sun and Other Stars Shine?
3/9/2022
A brief description of nuclear fusion, which is the process by which stars produce light so that they can shine.
Duration:00:01:49
What are Giant Molecular Clouds?
2/25/2022
A brief description of giant molecular clouds and why they are important for stars.
Duration:00:01:08
How do We Know that the Milky Way Galaxy is Spiral in Shape?
2/24/2022
A brief description of the observational evidence we have supporting our assertion that the Milky Way galaxy is spiral in shape.
Duration:00:01:17
What is Meant by the 21 Centimeter Radiation of Hydrogen?
2/4/2022
A brief description of the 21 centimeter radiation (light) that the Hydrogen atom emits and the mechanism behind this emission.
Duration:00:02:26
How are Neutron Stars and Pulsars Related?
12/19/2021
A brief description of what astronomers mean when they say that "all pulsars are neutron stars but not all neutron stars are pulsars."
Duration:00:01:43
What is a Neutron Star?
8/3/2021
A brief description of neutron stars, which are essentially the end state of massive stars some of which become pulsars.
Duration:00:01:57