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 