In our course, we cover Black Holes only as the final product of a collapsed super-massive star but if you want to know more about these fascinating objects then I highly recommend the ten-minute video by Perimeter Institute. To view the video, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfdviKnUZOA&list=PL1608DAAD37A04B35 The same collection of videos also has a great six-minute … Continue reading Black Holes
Light and Heat
It is obvious to say that hot objects emit (give off) both visible light (a glow) and heat (that we can feel but not actually see). This is true of bonfires, light-bulbs and even our Sun. The connection between heat and light is taken completely for granted in everyday life: the glow of a hot … Continue reading Light and Heat
EMS Short Study Course
NASA has created an excellent self-contained short study course that covers the electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) from an astronomy perspective. This resource therefore has double value for GCSE Physics as it supports learning across the topics of both waves and space. The course comprises four introductory sections, eight units on parts of the electromagnetic spectrum and … Continue reading EMS Short Study Course
Using the EMS to Observe Earth
When we look down on the Earth from an aircraft, we are observing the surface of the planet using visible light in a qualitative way - which means that we are simply sensing (seeing) rather than measuring the amount of light reflected. By using instrumentation, we can extract much more meaning from our observations by … Continue reading Using the EMS to Observe Earth
Telescopes in Space
Why do we put telescopes in space? The reason is not to get "closer" to the things we are trying to observe! Although the Earth's atmosphere extends much further, we generally think of space as starting about 100 km above the Earth's surface (see here for more details) and that's a tiny distance compared even … Continue reading Telescopes in Space
Hubble’s best pictures
The Hubble Space Telescope will reach its 30th birthday on 24th April 2020. To celebrate this milestone, the Physics World website is counting down its Top 10 Hubble Images. At number 10... Hubble's image of the Horsehead Nebula, which was announced on 15th April, can be viewed by clicking here. At number 9... Hubble's image … Continue reading Hubble’s best pictures
Astronomy in a Nutshell
There are no equations in our Astronomy module - just a bundle of facts, models and theories. To make learning (and revising) easier, the knowledge that you need can be linked into seven pairs of ideas as listed below; 1. Models of the Universe: Geocentric versus Heliocentric 2. Observing the Universe: Naked Eye versus Using … Continue reading Astronomy in a Nutshell
How did the Universe begin?
As was the case when we considered models of how the Universe is structured, when it comes to explaining the beginning of the Universe you again need to know about two competing ideas. You also need to know about the evidence that either supports or questions each theory. One theory is the Steady State Theory. … Continue reading How did the Universe begin?
Online Astronomy Resources
There are many great resources available online to support your learning in the astronomy module of the course. In this post, which I'll update as we go along, I'm going to list a few of my personal favourites, some of which link directly to the required course content but others are included as a way … Continue reading Online Astronomy Resources
Mr Tarrant's physbang 'blog 