26 episodes

Thanks to cutting-edge radio and infra-red astronomy, our understanding of the universe is moving very fast. Ideas about black holes and cosmic jets are constantly being refined as new discoveries are made using new, more powerful telescopes. This album explores the incredible discoveries and theories developed in recent years and introduces the astronomical observatories, space missions and satellites that have made it possible. The 12 video tracks reveal that our sun, though essential for our existence, is an unremarkable member of the stellar menagerie. They describe how astronomers study the structure and dynamics of our galaxy, the Milky Way and they introduce the challenges inherent in mapping the geometry and expansion of the universe. This material forms part of the course S282 Astronomy.

Astronomy - for iPod/iPhone The Open University

- Education
- 4.0 • 37 Ratings

- APR 12, 2010
Astronomy

Astronomy

A short introduction to this album.
- 1 min
- APR 12, 2010
Transcript -- Astronomy

Transcript -- Astronomy

A short introduction to this album.
- JAN 22, 2009
- video
Our Invisible Sun

Our Invisible Sun

Scientists investigate sun spots, solar flares and arcs using x-ray telescopes, featuring the Big Bear Observatory in LA.
- 10 min
- JAN 22, 2009
Transcript -- Our Invisible Sun

Transcript -- Our Invisible Sun

Scientists investigate sun spots, solar flares and arcs using x-ray telescopes, featuring the Big Bear Observatory in LA.
- JAN 22, 2009
- video
VLA, HEIDI & YOKOH

VLA, HEIDI & YOKOH

What would the sun look like if we had magnetically sensitive eyes? How the most sensitive radio telescopes on earth work.
- 9 min
- JAN 22, 2009
Transcript -- VLA, HEIDI & YOKOH

Transcript -- VLA, HEIDI & YOKOH

What would the sun look like if we had magnetically sensitive eyes? How the most sensitive radio telescopes on earth work.

4.0 out of 5

37 Ratings

Episodes freeze iTunes and cannot be dowloaded!

Every time I try downloading the episode "Geometry of the Universe", it freezes iTunes and I have to do a Force Quit.

Several others episodes do this, too. In fact, the only things I can download of this iTunes course are the transcripts! Which is hardly sufficient!

Hope you all can fix this!

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OK, further trouble-shooting... and advice to future travelers... it may not be the Open University's fault; it looks as if there's a glitch in the iTunes Store!

If you try downloading this from the search screen, the one with a white background, it fails. Here's how to replicate it. Do a search for "Astronomy for iPod" from the main iTunes Stores window and two courses appear (this one and another). It gives a list of episodes for this course. Those fail!

So, you need to click the title of the episode and go to its main screen to do the downloading. Oddly that's the only way this works.

I hope this helps someone. I'm leaving the rating at a 4 until Apple or the Open University can fix this! That way others may spot it and understand what's happening! The course sounds great from what I've read.

Russel Stannard

This is a great series. I especially like the two with Russel Stannard; he does a great job of explaining these things in a simple, fun, easy to understand manner. Check out the collection from Open University featuring him discussing "the boundaries of the knowable" (or the limitations of science), I highly recommend it.