Showing results for "Stars" in Astronomy & Space Science

Are we on the brink of discovering the first ever evidence that aliens exist? Join astronomer Professor Alan Duffy on his search to answer this question, as he speaks to a new generation of alien hunters embarking on the greatest hunt for extraterrestrials that’s ever been undertaken.

It was not easy being a woman of ambition in early 20th-century England, much less one who wished to be a scientist. Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin overcame prodigious obstacles to become a woman of many firsts: the first to receive a PhD in astronomy from Radcliffe College, the first promoted to full professor at Harvard, the first to head a department there. And, in what has been called "the most brilliant PhD thesis ever written in astronomy", she was the first to describe what stars are made of.

We understand the stars at a much deeper level, not as legendary figures connected with constellations, but as engines of matter, energy, and the raw material of life itself. The Life and Death of Stars introduces you to this story in 24 half-hour lectures that lead you through the essential ideas of astrophysics - the science of stars. Your guide is Professor Stassun, an award-winning teacher and noted astrophysicist. He provides lively, eloquent, and authoritative explanations at a level suitable for science novices as well as for those who already know their way around the starry sky.

Light of the Stars is science at the grandest of scales, and it tells a radically new story about what we are: one world in a universe awash in planets. Building on his widely discussed scientific papers and New York Times op-eds, astrophysicist Adam Frank shows that not only is it likely that alien civilizations have existed many times before, but also that many of them have driven their own worlds into dangerous eras of change.

Signs are meant to point us toward something: Jesus. Story in the Stars takes an in-depth look at the Bible and all the signs God mapped out through constellations, planets, and even the way the Earth is tilted. We are uniquely designed by God, and he loves us so much that he ensured a way for all inhabitants of the Earth, through all of time, to see the messages of salvation and redemption that he painted in the stars.

An ideal introduction for beginner and seasoned stargazers alike from the astronomers of the Royal Observatory Greenwich. Astronomy expert Tom Kerss offers complete advice from the ground up, introducing the world of telescopes, planets, stars, dark skies and celestial maps, explaining the best...

How big is the universe? In the early twentieth century, scientists took sides. One held that the entire universe was contained in the Milky Way galaxy. Their champion was the strong-willed astronomer Harlow Shapley. Another camp believed that the universe was so vast that the Milky Way was just one galaxy among billions—the view that would prevail, proven by the equally headstrong Edwin Hubble.

One of Kenyon College’s most honored professors, Timothy B. Shutt is widely renowned as a gifted polymath and lecturer. The night sky was the ancient world’s cinema, and storytellers have used this panorama to weave fascinating tales since the earliest days of mankind. This captivating series of lectures explores the mythological sagas found in the night sky and the history behind the names of the great constellations.

A retelling of the classic myths and timeless tales by bestselling author Annette Giesecke that underlie the 88 named constellations in the night sky--from Andromeda to Orion to Ursa Major. Classical Mythology of the Constellations is a stargazer's guide to the wondrous stories of the gods...

This year marks the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s use of the first telescope. On this week’s show, we reflect on how telescopes have changed our perception of our place in the universe, how small we are in size, space, and time. Our guests include Dava Sobel, author of The Planets, Vatican Astronomer Father Chris Corbally, and astronaut Paul Richards.

The stars and constellations are among the few remaining objects that appear to us just as they appeared to our distant ancestors. From anywhere on Earth, a person may view the celestial panorama simply by stepping outside at night and gazing upward. This nonfiction narrative presents the tales of the 48 classical constellations, compiled from literature spanning a thousand years from Homer to Claudius Ptolemy. These age-old tales have captured the human imagination from ancient times to the present.

Les Johnson takes you on a thrilling tour of the physics and technologies that may enable us to reach the stars. He discusses the latest exoplanet discoveries, promising interstellar missions on the not-so-distant horizon, and exciting new developments in space propulsion, power, robotics, communications, and more. But interstellar travel will not be easy, and it is not for the faint of heart. Johnson describes the harsh and forbidding expanse of space that awaits us, and he addresses the daunting challenges that we need to overcome in order to realize tomorrow's possibilities.

Trained as a musician, amateur scientist William Herschel found international fame after discovering the planet Uranus in 1781. Though he is still best known for this finding, his partnership with his sister Caroline yielded groundbreaking work, including techniques that remain in use today. The duo pioneered comprehensive surveys of the night sky, carefully categorizing every visible object in the void. Caroline wrote an influential catalogue of nebulae, and William discovered infrared radiation.

Unlock the universe's hidden mysteries with Star Secrets, a podcast blending cosmic storytelling and cutting-edge astronomy. Each episode dives into celestial phenomena—from supermassive black holes to exoplanet biosignatures—featuring interviews with astrophysicists, space mission specialists, and science communicators. Discover why neutron stars spin faster than blender blades, how dark matter shapes galaxies, and what alien atmospheres might smell like. Perfect for stargazers and science enthusiasts craving mind-bending concepts served with humor and wonder. New episodes every Thursday,...

Die Sterne zeigen dir die Liebe. Nova glaubt an Horoskope, überzeugt von der Weisheit der Sterne. Auch Weston widmet sich den Sternen, allerdings streng wissenschaftlich. Als Rockstar der Astronomie hält er Astrologie für reine Illusion. Wenig überraschend, dass bei ihrem ersten Aufeinandertreffen die Funken fliegen. Einige Jahre später braucht Nova ausgerechnet Westons Hilfe, als es um ihre Vergangenheit geht. Deshalb nimmt sie unter einem falschen Vorwand einen Job in dem Freizeitcamp an, in dem Weston mittlerweile lehrt.

In 1869, a great mystery was born. As astronomers observed a total solar eclipse, for the first time they saw the faint glow of the solar corona, the sun's outer atmosphere. Measurements of a previously unknown wavelength that made up this solar light sparked hot debate among scientists, but it was another 60 years before they discovered that this wavelength was in fact iron being burned at a staggering three million degrees Celsius. With the sun's surface only 6,000 degrees, this shouldn't be possible.

An extraterrestrial colony, in some form, may already exist, just awaiting discovery. But the greatest impediment to such an important scientific discovery may not be technological, but political. No scientific endeavor can be launched without a budget, and matters of money are within the arena of politicians. Dr. Ben Bova explores some of the key players and the arguments waged in a debate of both scientific and cultural priorities.

Investigating aliens and more

The astronomy podcast from the makers of BBC Sky at Night Magazine.

Brought to you by Stargazing✦London, Star Signs is a podcast all about the night sky. Tune in each month for stargazing guides, as well as interviews with fascinating people whose lives overlap with the stars. Find out more at stargazing.london