Links to supplemental material for Astronomy 107


DISCLAIMER: It is difficult to keep track of all the links which break when websites move or are deleted. From time to time this list will be pruned. However, until the next pruning (which will only be done during semester breaks), please be patient with any broken links. New material will eventually be posted which is better! Gerard Williger

Chap 1: Overview
Why astronomy remains relevant today , Paul Sutter, SUNY-Stony Brook, Flatiron Institute, space.com, 29 Dec 2020
A Private Universe (20' video): misconceptions in science/astronomy and how they persist in the classroom , Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 1987, ISBN 1-57680-404-6, Annenberg Learner
Radio Wave Errors: Students Mistaking Radio Transverse Electromagnetic Light Waves as Longitudinal Sound Waves , Tabor-Morris, Briles & Schiele, 2017, Intl J of Learning, Teaching and Educational Res., vol 16, No 8
Misconceptions as Barriers to Understanding Science , National Academies Press, c. 2021, linked 16 Dec 2021, suggested by L. Fugate
Designing Technology-Enhanced Science Inquiry Instruction to Scaffold Student Choice through Explanation and Reflection , Jennifer King Chen, 2016, PhD Thesis, UC-Berkeley (114 pages, PDF file), suggested by L. Fugate, 16 Dec 2021
(contains a few pages of reflection on "A Private Universe")
The Seven Sins of Statistical Misinterpretation , Cassandra Chapman and Winnifred Louis, realclearscience.com, 29 Mar 2017
Weber's Law: People Think and Feel Logarithmically , Steven Pomeroy, realclearscience.com, with mathematician Hannah Fry, 26 May 2018
People Who Fall for Pseudoscience Use Less Evidence to Reach Conclusions , Ross Pomeroy, realclearscience.com, 3 Jan 2022
Our Place in the Universe: a REAL Scale Model of the Solar System (8' video, in the Nevada desert) , The Atlantic, 30 Nov 2015
India's mysterious gateway to the stars: Created 300 years ago, Jaipur's Jantar Mantar is an outdoor complex filled with gargantuan astronomy tools designed to be used by the naked eye -- and they're still accurate. , Shalbha Sarda, BBC, 31 May 2022
Satellite Streak Watcher - help NASA track Starlink etc. satellites to monitor telescope interference , Dr. Sten Odenwald, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, www.anecdata.org/projects/view/687
Heavens Above , find out when the Int'l Space Station, Hubble Space Telescope, Starlink satellites etc. pass by you
Astronomy Minute Podcast Series: quick explanations of many topics! , Ata Sarajedini, Florida Atlantic U, linked 9 July 2020
The Alien-Haunted World: science vs science denialism , Caleb Scharf, Columbia U, 15 Feb 2021
Why astronomy is considered the oldest science , Eric Betz, Astronomy Magazine, 6 Oct 2020
American Astronomical Society YouTube Channel, contains recent press conferences/discoveries , AAS, linked 3 June 2021
These are science's Top 10 erroneous results - we forget science's errors in the march toward the truth , Tom Siegfried, Science News, 10 Nov 2020
Are You Cherry Picking Data? Stop Trying to Prove You're Right! (evidence matters) , Our Pets Health (a reputable channel), 11 Sep 2018 (6' video)
Neil Tyson scolds cherry picking climate science , CNN, 17 Sep 2017 (5' video)
Why I teach my students about scientific failure , Jennifer Lanni, Science Magazine, 23 Dec 2021
Why getting things wrong is good for science , When new facts emerge does it mean science can't be trusted? Quite the opposite. Here's why questioning established understanding is good.
BBC and The Royal Society, 24 June 2021, 5' video
CNN's version of Top 10 Days in History of Astronomy , CNN, 20 Feb 2008
Great Astronomy/Space photos with Music: a prelude to things you'll see in this course, greatdanepro.com, 2005
Too Much of a Good Thing at NASA: The agency’s culture of optimism is essential for launching people and robots into space. But it can lead to problems with budgets and deadlines. Marina Koren, 1 Aug 2018, Atlantic Magazine
Who Would Kidnap a Space Telescope? 'We hope pirates will not take it' Marina Koren, 12 Mar 2021, Atlantic Magazine
Armstrong Museum in OH Aims to End Lunar Landing Conspiracy Theories 9 Apr 2007, space.com
REAL dates for when Sun is in constellations of the Zodiac
Comparison of astronomy and astrology (both kinds, Western and Vedic (Indian), with discussion of precession etc.
Grab-bag of astronomy videos (VERY USEFUL!) from Rick Pogge's Astro 161 Course from Ohio State
Grab-bag of astronomy videos (VERY USEFUL!) from Rick Pogge's Astro 162 Course from Ohio State
Excellent Scale Model+graphic of Solar System sizes, distances (1 AU=3m, Earth = 0.25mm grain of salt, =1mm BB)
Why astrology is not science (from badastronomy.com)
Large Numbers of People (unfortunately) Believe in Pseudoscience 27 Oct 2006
Simulator: Rotating Sky Explorer to understand the celestial sphere
Musical Parodies and Limericks from the Big Bang Band
Why Astronomy? Interview with new Vatican Observatory director , Science Magazine, Sep 2009
Buying Stars and Star Names , International Astronomical Union

Chap 2: Nature of Light
What is an Electromagnetic Wave? , Edouard Reny, 3.7' video, 6 Sep 2020
Light waves, visible and invisible, TED-Ed , Lucianne Walkowicz, Adler Planetarium, Chicago, 19 Sep 2013, 6' video
Understanding Electromagnetic Radiation! | ICT #5 , Learn Engineering, 22 Sep 2019, 7.5' video (a bit more in depth)
The Spectral Spectrum | How do Photons & Electromagnetic Waves Work? , Everyday Engineer, 29 Feb 2020, 13' video, very good and detailed, excellent background on much of Chap. 2
Light: Crash Course Astronomy #24: wave nature, electromagnetic fields, blackbody radiation, Bohr atom, Doppler shifts, spectra , Phil Plait (Dr W's officemate at NASA/Goddard), 9 Jul 2015, 11' video, excellent background on much of Chap. 2
The Electromagnetic Spectrum with wavelengths , Eric Blackman, U. Rochester (posted 2020 May)

Chap 3: Light and Telescopes
Telescopes from the Ground Up (great review material)
Was the Telescope invented in Spain?, BBC, 16 Sep 2008
Fr. Niccolo Zucchi, SJ (1586-1670), inventor of the first reflecting telescope, Encyclopedia Britannica online
James Gregory (1638-1675), inventor of the first practical (Gregorian) reflecting telescope, Encyclopedia Britannica online
The Telescope that Ate Astronomy: JWST promises much, but cost over-runs are astronomical, Nature, 27 Oct 2010
Astro-Tourism: a Great View for Big Donors
Journey to Palomar: website for a documentary describing three revolutionary telescopes of the 19th-20th-21st centuries
Hubble Space Telescope Repair for Spherical Aberration, spacetelescope.org
The Very Large Array: Astronomical shapeshifter , National Radio Astronomy Observatory, 22 Jan 2021 - GREAT BACKGROUND, compares Configurations A-B-C-D
ALMA takes first image , space.com, 3 Oct 2011
Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) submm telescope Wikipedia
Jodrell Bank: Hat box inspired Lovell Telescope design, engineer claimed BBC, 30 May 2022 (claim by Isabel Hunt, daughter of engineer Barry Wade, designer in 1950s)
MAGIC Telescope, Canary Islands, detects particles made when gamma rays hit our atmosphere , Wikipedia
BBC video piece on the Vatican Observatory in Arizona
An assortment of observatory homepages, both on the ground and in space
Video: Adaptive Optics Permits ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) to observe Jupiter in Best-Ever Detail from Ground, space.com, Oct 2008 and ESO
Details (text+photos) on ESO's Best-Ever Images from Ground of Jupiter, using new Adaptive Optics Instrument, European Southern Observatory, 2 Oct 2008
Neat website on Effects of Airglow in near-IR Bands (pictures + movies) - , Joe Adams & Mike Skrutskie, U Virginia
The Effect of Adaptive Optics
Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT) in Mexico Inaugurated, 23 Nov 2006
Edwin Hubble's Connection to Louisville; search for article also in Louisville Courier-Journal, 21 Mar 2007
Hubble Space Telescope Wikipedia page , linked 2022 Aug 31
NASA Hubble Space Telescope page , from NASA, linked 2022 Aug 31
ESA Hubble Space Telescope site , from ESA, linked 2022 Aug 31
Light pollution around Louisville KY
List of a few major astronomical satellites: past, present, future (local site)
Comprehensive list of astronomical satellites (Caltech site)
ESA about to Launch Herschel Space IR Telescope , Jonathan Amos, BBC, 9 Feb 2009
ESA Herschel Space Observatory website , European Space Agency, linked 2022 Oct 27
Caltech Herschel Space Observatory website , Caltech, linked 2022 Oct 27
Herschel Space Observatory , Wikipedia, linked 2022 Oct 27
New Generation of Giant Telescopes To Be Constructed , The Guardian, 9 Jan 2011
NASA NuSTAR mission site , NASA, linked 19 Nov 2021
Caltech NuSTAR mission site , Caltech, linked 19 Nov 2021
Wikipedia NuSTAR site , Wikipedia, linked 19 Nov 2021
Chandra X-ray Observatory website at Harvard , Harvard University
Chandra X-ray Observatory Wikipedia site , Wikipedia, linked 6 Apr 2022

Chap 4: Observing the Stars and Planets
Transit of Mercury 2019: Observing Tips from NASA , Society for Popular Astronomy, Oct 2019
Transit of Mercury 2019: Observing Tips from the Society for Popular Astronomy , Society for Popular Astronomy, Oct 2019
Retrograde Motion - good 6' video , U Nebraska using planetarium software - very good How Far Away Is The Sun? A Transit Of Mercury Next Month Will Allow Citizen Scientists To Check , Jamie Carter, 10 Oct 2019, Contributor to Forbes Magazine
Fred Espenak of NASA's Eclipse Website - the ultimate information source , NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Animation of Why We Have Seasons, U Nebraska Physics & Astronomy Dept.
Animation of Why We Have Seasons, U Illinois Astronomy Dept.
Excellent Animation of Lunar Phases, U Illinois Astronomy Dept.
Great Explanation of Star Motions Seen from Different Latitudes
Facts and Myths about the Equator
Why is the Sky Blue? (because the scattered light in air is blue!)
Total Eclipse in Africa & Asia, 29 Mar 2006
Annular Eclipse in South America, 22 Sep 2006
BBC animation of a solar eclipse, BBC
youtube.com schematic animations of lunar/solar eclipses , youtube.com
classzone.com animations of views of total, partial and annulur solar eclipses, classzone.com
animation of lunar eclipse view with realistic colors, Frank Reddy, Celestial Delights

Chap 5: Gravitation & Motion
Myth-buster: How Tycho Brahe really died (mercury poisoning!), Steno and Orion Planetaria, Denmark, reprinted from Jacobsen, A.R. & Petersen, L., Planetarian, Vol 30, #4, Dec 2001
Another (more detailed) explanation of Retrograde Motion
Video: Retrograde motion
Another Simulator: Kepler's Laws
Simulator: Planetary Orbits and Kepler's Laws, U. Nebraska
Conservation of Energy: Total Energy = Potential + Kinetic = Constant, physicsclassroom.com
Gravity, Newton's Laws and the Orbits of Planets, John Webb, U. New South Wales, Australia, PHYSCLIPS
Scientists Have Unlocked the Secrets of the Ancient 'Antikythera Mechanism' [a planetarium simulator] , Becky Ferreira, Motherboard, vice.com, 12 Mar 2021
Illustration of planet orbits using CodePen , by Malik Dellidj; link contributed by Susan Pallman, Astro 107, Au 2019

Chap 6: Terrestrial Planets & Motion
General
Explanation/animation of tides, Office of Naval Research
Detailed Explanation/animation of tides, PBS, WGBH, Boston
Excellent explanation/animation of precession from Germany
Smart Dust May Explore Planets, BBC, 18 Apr 2007
Wikipedia article on Precession/Nutation
Earth
Active map of Plate Tectonics, geology.com
Earth is shaped like a lumpy potato , BBC, 5 Apr 2011
Earth's core far hotter than thought: 6000 C , BBC, 26 Apr 2013
Three minutes to the centre of the Earth , BBC, 26 June 2023, Paula Koelemeijer, 3' great animated video
Earth's Core is Asymmetric, as it's Coupled with the Asymmetric Mantle , Physics Today, Back Scatter, Sep 2008
Why are there continent-sized 'blobs' in the deep Earth? [Possibly remnants of Theia which crashed into Earth?] , Zaria Gorvett, BBC, 11 May 2022
Time-lapse Aurorae from Norway, Terje Sorgjerd, New Scientist, April 2011
Picture of Earth's Aurora from Space (Image Satellite)
Picture of Earth's Aurora from Space (ISS)
Another Picture of Earth's Aurora from Space (ISS), with Manicougan Impact Crater,
European Spacecraft Find Electric Fields Control Aurorae on Earth, space.com, 26 Feb 2007
Ozone Hole Over Antarctica RETARDS Warming, Science Daily, 24 Apr 2008
BBC Report on http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/default.stmFeb. 2, 2007 UN Global Warming Announcement
BBC Report on Feb. 2, 2007 UN Global Warming Announcement: Climate Change in Graphics
BBC Report on Feb. 2, 2007 UN Global Warming Announcement: Modelling the Climate
One of many guides to Greenhouse Effect on Earth
Animated guide to greenhouse effect, BBC, 28 Aug 2008
Water Vapor is Most Important Greenhouse Gas on Earth , CNN, 17 Oct 2006
Why water is one of the weirdest things in the universe , Alok Jha, BBC, 3.2' video, 14 Jan 2019
Sun Acquitted of Causing Global Warming, 15 Sep 2006
Moon
Great Explanation of Lunar Motions, including Libration (nodding/rocking) due to Elliptical, Inclined Orbit
Excellent Moon page (very detailed!), Thomas Harrison, New Mexico State U
Collision which formed Moon made terrestrial Magma Ocean (2 GREAT videos!) , space.com, 2013 Nov 8
The moon is about 85 million years younger than we thought, new study finds , Scottie Andrew, CNN, 2020 July 16
Moon May Disintegrate when Sun Becomes Red Giant, space.com, 22 Jan 2007
Moon's Interior Could Contain Lots of Water , 24 July 2017, space.com, Samantha Mathewson
LCROSS project homepage , NASA (historical page, may have broken links)
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission page, NASA
Mercury
ESA page for BepiColombo, Mission to Mercury European Space Agency
NASA Mercury Messenger homepage (1st fly-by 14 Jan 2008, 2nd 6 Oct 2008, 3rd 29 Sep 2009, in orbit 2011-2015)
Top 10 Mysteries from Mercury, space.com, Mar 2008, from NASA Mercury Messenger
Strange Path of Sun across Sky Viewed from Mercury , based on NASA video
Sunrise/Sunset on Mercury: details about the NASA Flash animation , Dr. Courtney Seligman (Long Beach City College, retired), with many details about Mercury and the animation
Venus
JAXA (Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency) Akatsuki homepage (Venus orbiter, launched 2010, in orbit 2015)
Akatsuki Wikipedia page (Venus orbiter, launched 2010)
ESA Venus Express homepage (orbiter, operated 2006-2015)
ESA Venus Express links to news (orbiter, operated 2006-2015)
ESA Venus Express: Venus' Atmosphere More Chaotic than Thought, space.com, 10 Apr 2007
Aurorae on Venus, from NASA
Venus' Slow Retrograde Rotation likely due to Early Collision History , Bulletin Amer. Astron. Soc, 2006
Yes, There Really Could Be Life In The Cloud Tops Of Venus , Ethan Siegel, Starts With A Bang, Forbes, 6 Jul 2020
Faint Green Glowing Aurorae on Venus from Solar Wind Impact, space.com, 22 Jan 2001
Mars
Mars Insight End of Mission, Andy Tomaswick, Universe Today, 7 Nov 2022, includes GREAT 4' video describing the mission
NASA Mars Odyssey homepage
ESA Mars Express homepage (orbiter, arrived 2003)
NASA Science Mars Perseverance homepage (rover, arrived 2021)
NASA Mars Curiosity homepage (rover, arrived 2012)
NASA Mars Spirit/Opportunity Rover homepage
NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter homepage, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Dramatic Mars Rover Photos, including Dust Devil Animations
Video of Flight through Valles Marineris, NASA JPL, 13 Mar 2006
Strange gas signature on Mars may help explain methane mystery , Meghan Bartels, space.com, 28 July 2020
Weak, Patchy Aurorae Discovered on Mars, different from Venus' , ESA Mars Express, 9 June 2005
More Aurorae from Mars, ESA Mars Express, 20 Feb 2006
Spirit Finds Evidence of Hot Springs on Mars, BBC, 11 Dec 2007
Mars Heats Up by 0.6C due to Albedo Changes, CNN, 4 Apr 2007
Solar Wind Rips Chunks out of Martian Atmosphere, Science Daily, 29 Nov 2008
Frozen Sea on Mars May Harbor Life, BBC, 29 Jan 2007
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Starts High Resolution Observations, NOAA site
Giant Underground Ice Reservoir Discovered at Mars' South Pole, space.com, 15 Mar 2007
Ice Geysers Discovered on Mars, BBC, 20 Aug 2006


Chap 7: Jovian Planets
General
Good source for solar system animations, ciclops.org
Giant Planet Satellite and Moon Page (updates satellite counts), Scott Sheppard (DTM)
Solar System animations from JPL, JPL
JPL Solar System page (updated continuously), JPL
Jupiter

Jupiter's Rocky-Metallic Core Bigger than Thought , space.com, 25 Nov 2008
Beta Pic's New Planet, Jupiter's Fuzzy Core and An Ancient Star , Monica Young, Sky & Telescope, 19 Aug 2019, includes 2.6' video on Jupiter's fuzzy (little-differentiated) core
MORE DETAILED: Jupiter's Rocky-Metallic Core Bigger than Thought , U California, Berkeley, 25 Nov 2008
Giant Storms Erupt on Jupiter , space.com, 28 Jan 2008
Space mysteries: Why are there no gas moons? , details of core accretion vs. disk instability models; Keith Cooper, space.com, 4 Dec 2023
Galileo Mission Legacy Site, NASA
Juno Mission page, NASA
Juno Mission page, Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL)
Juno Mission page, Southwest Research Institute (SWRI)
Good 1' Video: Origin of Jupiter, Southwest Research Institute (SWRI)
Saturn
Cassini Mission Homepage, JPL
Saturn Has a Fuzzy Core, Too , Monica Young, Sky & Telescope, 17 Aug 2021
Huygens Probe Descent Animation, low-res, narrated , JPL
Huygens Probe Descent Animation, high-res, unnarrated , JPL
The Seven Most Interesting Discoveries We've Made by Exploring Saturn , Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 16 Sep 2024
Saturn cloud animations, merging vortices, JPL
Saturn cloud animations, merging vortices, full-disk view, JPL
Titan animation showing different wavelength views, JPL
Weird object hints at Saturn's moon-making skill, New Scientist, 10 Dec 2013
Saturn's Rings may be Very Old and Constantly Recycling,BBC, 13 Dec 2007
Cassini Probe Discovers New Partial Rings around Saturn , space.com, 5 Sep 2008
After 350 years, astronomers still can't explain the solar system's strangest moon: Iapetus has three bizarre features that science still can't fully explain , Ethan Siegel, 5 Oct 2021, Starts with a Bang, bigthink.com
Saturn's Black/White Moon Iapetus may be Picking Up Dust , BBC, 9 Oct 2007
Hydrocarbon Lakes Discovered on Titan, BBC, 14 Mar 2007
Saturn Moon Enceladus Plumes May have Liquid Water, space.com, 26 Nov 2008
Saturn Moon Enceladus Good Place to Look for Life, 10 Apr 2006
Saturn's Moon Enceladus Sprays E-Ring, Other Moons with Icy Material , BBC, 8 Feb 2007
Ice Volcanoes of Enceladus Replenish Saturn's E-ring , Discovery Channel video, 19 Mar 2013
Cassini Discovers Comet-like Organic Molecules in Enceladus Geysers, space.com, 26 Mar 2008
Shepherd Satellites Pan, Atlas have Equatorial Ridges from Accretion, www.physorg.com, 6 Dec 2007
High Resolution Mosaic of Saturn's Rings, APOD, 24 Oct 2007
"Propeller" features in Saturn's Rings caused by Missing Link Moonlets, Jet Propulsion Lab Cassini press release, 29 Mar 2006
New Ring Discovered Around Saturn, space.com, 20 Sep 2006
New Ring Discovered Around Saturn, BBC, 20 Sep 2006
Saturn Moon Titan has Dusty Ethane Dunes, 11 Oct 2006
Saturn's Moon Titan Shows Surprising Seasonal Changes, 28 Sep 2012, Science Daily
New Shepherd Moons Found near Newly Discovered Rings of Saturn , 11 Oct 2006
Titan's Organic Haze may be like Earth's Primordial Atmosphere, 7 Nov 2006
Enormous Storm 8000km wide found on Saturn, 9 Nov 2006 (thanks to Roger Riddell for pointing it out)
Uranus
The Many Mysteries of Uranus - a good summary on the planet , The Atlantic, 2 Feb 2016
Stinky "mushball" hailstones on Uranus may explain an atmospheric anomaly there (and on Neptune, too) , Tereza Pultarova, 1 Oct 2021
Rings of Uranus show changes as they are seen edge-on , BBC, 23 Aug 2007
Bizarre Shape of Uranus' "Frankenstein" Moon Miranda Explained , space.com, 3 Oct 2014
Herschel May have Seen Rings around Uranus in 1797, BBC, 18 Apr 2007
Uranus Develops First Recorded Dark Spot, 26 Oct 2006
Series of Bumps Sent Uranus Into Its Sideways Spin, New Research Suggests 26 Oct 2011, Science Daily
Uranus Auroras Glimpsed from Earth 13 Apr 2012, Science Daily
Neptune
40 years after Voyager, scientists push for new missions to Uranus and Neptune: Trident proposed Neptune fly-by, lots of detail about Uranus and Neptune, Joel Davis, 17 Dec 2020, Astronomy Magazine

Chap 8: Pluto, Comets and Space Debris
Asteroids & Meteorites
DAWN Mission Page: Journey to Vesta and Ceres , NASA/JPL
Asteroid Family of Dinosaur-Killer Identified, Toronto Globe & Mail, 5 Sep 2007
Software Models Consequences of Asteroid Impacts on Earth, space.com, 10 Apr 2007
Amateurs Help Professionals Map Out Binary (rubble pile) Asteroid 90 Antiope, space.com, 29 Mar 2007
Light Pressure from Sun Makes Asteroids Rotate Faster, BBC, 7 Mar 2007
One Asteroid, not Several, Killed Dinosaurs, 1 Dec 2006
40 Year Old Mars Meteor Mystery said solved, 23 Aug 2006
Pallasite (Crystals Embedded in Iron) Meteorite found in Kansas, CNN 16 Oct 2006
Simulated Giant 150-200km diameter Asteroid Impact on Earth (8 minutes), NHK video via a blog site
The Day the Mesozoic Died: How the story of the dinosaurs' demise was uncovered (included 30 min video) , Sean B. Carroll, Nautilus, 21 Jan 2016
Comets
ROSETTA Mission Page: Journey to Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P) , ESA
A Crash Landing Revealed Comet Ice Is Fluffier Than Cappuccino Froth , Becky Ferreira, 30 Oct 2020, Nature, includes 5.5' video
Despite Glitch, European Spacecraft Rosetta's Asteroid Flyby a Success, space.com, 6 Sep 2008
Stardust Comet Sample Return Mission, (successfully landed 15 Jan 2006)
Pluto System
New Horizons Mission Page: Journey to Pluto and Kuiper Belt , NASA/JHU Applied Physics Lab
New Discoveries from NASA's New Horizons Pluto Flyby -- 5-year Update , Astrum, Great Courses Plus, 24 Nov 2020
New Horizons' Next Flyby Target, MU69, has at Least One Moon , Nola T. Redd, space.com, 18 Dec 2017
New Pluto Satellites named Nix, Hydra, 1 Dec 2006
Best Photo of Pluto from Earth Snapped by Hawaii Telescope, 26 Sep 2012, space.com
Dwarf Planet Could Become Comet , BBC, 17 Jan 2007
We Don't Talk about Pluto - Parody Song , Jon Pumper, 16 Feb 2022 (3.6' video)
Eris
Eris page of Mike Brown, Eris' discoverer, 14 Sep 2006
New (Dwarf) Planet Named Eris, moon Dysnomia, 23 Jun 2006
Latest News on Eris from ALMA mm Telescope, Herschel IR Space Telescope: Eris bright, Dysnomia dark space.com, 27 Nov 2017
Kuiper Belt
Great page on Kuiper Belt Objects and Oort Cloud, spacetoday.org
Another Great page on Kuiper Belt, NY Times, 12 Sep 2006
Fifth Dwarf Planet Named: Haumea, space.com, 19 Sep 2008
Sedna, the most distant Dwarf Planet, Wikipedia page


Chap 9: Our Solar System and Others
Continuously updated List Information about known Exoplanets from All Methods, Extrasolar Planets Encyclopedia (European site)
Exoplanet Data Explorer: Interactive Table and Plotter from Exoplanet Orbit Database (continuously updated), California & Carnegie Planet Search, exoplanets.org
NASA Exoplanet Archive , NASA, includes both confirmed and candidate exoplanets
Habitable Exoplanets Catalog , U Puerto Rico, 60 total (sizes of Mars, Earth or super-Earths) as of 18 Feb 2021
Excellent Site Explaining how to Find Exoplanets, Nat'l Ctr for Atmospheric Research
Wikipedia Site Explaining how to Find Exoplanets, Wikipedia
Page of Animations describing Exoplanet Formation and Discovery, U. Arizona Dept of Astronomy
Animations of Exoplanet Discovery Methods, rml3.com
Water Found in Atmosphere of Extra-Solar Planet, space.com, 10 Apr 2007
Proto-planetary Disks around Double Stars Common, space.com, 29 Mar 2007
Hot Jupiter Atmospheres Lack Water, space.com, 23 Feb 2007
French CoRoT Planet-finding Mission Homepage, launched 27 Dec 2006
NASA Kepler Mission Homepage , launched 6 Mar 2009, deactivated 15 Nov 2018
NASA TESS Mission Homepage , launched 18 Apr 2018, has information about TESS, exoplanets, discoveries
MIT TESS Mission Homepage , news, mission, science, observations, discoveries
CHEOPS Mission Homepage , ESA/Uni.-Bern CHEOPS site
CHEOPS Wikipedia page , Wikipedia, linked 2022.02.22
Discovery Magazine article on finding an Exo-Earth, about the CoRoT and Kepler satellites, Discover Magazine, Nov 2008
Discovery Magazine article on finding an Exo-Earth, about the CoRoT and Kepler satellites, Discover Magazine, text only, Nov 2008
Rotation-Locked Hot Jupiter is Fire on One Side, Ice on Other, space.com, 12 Oct 2006
New Planet Discovered, only 25% as Dense as Water, 15 Sep 2006
Nearest Planet to Solar System May Be Close Enough to Image, 9 Oct 2006
Distorted Solar System Found (planet, star, brown dwarf), 19 Sep 2006
Distant Hot Jupiters found by Transit Method, 26 Sep 2006
Hubble Team Observing Galactic Bulge Finds New Class of Ultra-short Period Exoplanets, 4 Oct 2006
First Direct Image of an Exo-Planet, from ESO VLT, 30 Apr 2005
Video of formation of Planets around a Pulsar, NASA JPL, 5 Apr 2006
French CoRot Satellite Discovers Smallest Exoplanet yet ("Hot Super-Earth", <2 Earth diameters) , BBC, 3 Feb 2009
Sun's complex orbit due to Jupiter and Saturn pulling on it - shows challenge to radial velocity method , Interplanetary, 2020, 1' video (very illustrative)

Chap 10: Our Star: The Sun
SELECTED PROBES, NASA Solar Physics etc.
PARKER SOLAR PROBE
Parker Solar Probe Center , Johns Hopkins U. Applied Physics Lab
Parker Solar Probe Center , NASA
Parker Solar Probe Wikipedia page , Wikipedia, linked 26 Oct 2021
SOHO
SOlar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) page , NASA (a joint NASA and ESA mission)
Movies from SOHO satellite (lots of explosions/eruptions!) , NASA
Hinode
US Hinode site, (a joint Japanese-British-US mission) NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Japan Launches Hinode Satellite to Observe Solar Flares , 23 Sep 2006
Japanese Satellite Hinode Returns First Observations, 29 Nov 2006
STEREO
STEREO site, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
NASA Launches Twin Satellites to Observe Coronal Mass Ejections in Stereo, 25 Oct 2006
X-ray Images from NASA Stereo mission show more Turbulent Magnetic Field on Sun than thought, 21 Mar 2007
NASA Solar Physics
World Book at NASA of the Sun - good, technical, NASA
NASA Marshall Solar Physics site, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville AL
Other Articles
Nice overview of Sun , Stanford U Solar Center
Stunning NASA Video Shows 3 Years of the Sun in 3 Minutes , space.com, 2013 Apr 26
Solar Flare vs. CME - What's The Difference? | Video , space.com, 2014 Sep 22, from NASA Goddard Space Flight Ctr
Solar Wind Termination Shock (Edge) is Squashed by Interstellar Magnetic Field, space.com, 11 Dec 2007
Sun not Responsible for Recent Climate Change, 15 Sep 2006
Glossary of Solar Terms


Chap 11: Stars: Distant Suns
The Nuns Who Charted the Stars , Atlantic Monthly, May 23, 2016
Various Animated Hertzprung-Russell Diagram, including 10,000 Star Simulation (Quick Time videos) , 2017, U. Illinois
Star art: Kaleidocosmo -- Stars are colorful, and this one weird trick shows how to photograph it , 21 Sep 2023, Phil Plait, badastronomy.substack.com
Animated Hertzprung-Russell Diagram , 2017, Las Cumbres Observatory
Interactive Hertzprung-Russell Diagram , 2017, U Nebraska
Stellar Populations, animations, History of Universe , 2012, Bob O'Connoll, UVA
Hipparcos Overview , European Space Agency
The Hipparcos Space Astrometry Mission , European Space Agency
Hipparcos Wikipedia page , Wikipedia, linked 20 Oct 2022
Gaia satellite overview , European Space Agency
Gaia mission homepage , European Space Agency
Nearest Stars and Brown Dwarfs to Sun , space.com, 11 Jan 2014
Swift Satellite Detects Giant Flare on II Pegasi, 7 Nov 2006
Nomenclature for Variable Stars, British Astronomical Association
The Largest Known Star (in radius): VV Cephei, 19AU: , NASA Goddard "Ask an Astrophysicist" (after question by K. Sproul, Astro 107 Au 2008)
Advanced Active HR diagram, C. Carazo, Argelander Institut, Univ. Bonn
Active HR diagram, McGraw-Hill
Animated HR diagram of Omega Cen, Space Telescope Science Institute
"Star Cities", PowerPoint file on Globular Clusters, from 2008 Bullitt Lecture by Prof. Caty Pilachowski (Indiana U.)

Chap 12: How Stars Shine: Cosmic Furnaces
Black Holes in Centers of Nearby Galaxies Likely Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays, BBC, 8 Nov 2007
Simulation of Formation of a Star Cluster (click on "animations"), Ian Bonnell, St Andrews U, Scotland, 2008

Animation of Star Formation Triggered by Nearby Supernova, Chandra X-ray Observatory website
Element 118 Created (briefly!), 17 Oct 2006
Brown Dwarf Survives being Engulfed by Red Giant, 2 Aug 2006

Chap 13: Death of Stars: Recycling
Interactive H-R Diagram from Proto-Star to White Dwarf, aspire.cosmic-ray.org
Animation of Merging White Dwarfs making Gravity Waves (#5) , Chandra Science Center
Lithium Mystery Solved: It's Exploding Stars, Not The Big Bang Or Cosmic Rays , Ethan Siegel, Starts with a Bang, Forbes Magazine, 3 June 202
Animation of Core Collapse (Type II) Supernova, NASA Goddard HEASARC
More Detailed Animation of Core Collapse (Type II) Supernova, thinkquest.org
Medium Energy Cosmic Rays probably from Supernovae, High Energy may be from Active Galaxies, 22 Aug 2008, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
The Incomprehensible Power of a Supernova , Tom Hartsfield, Real Clear Science, Jan 2016
High Energy Cosmic Rays come from Distant Galaxies, Science Daily, 25 Mar 2008
Supernovae Cause Some Cosmic Rays, BBC, 4 Nov 2004
New Mechanism for O-rich Red Giants to Blow Off Outer Layers, 9 Apr 2007, space.com
Pulsars Support Einstein's Theory of General Relativity, 18 Sep 2006
New Type of Supernova Complicates Estimates of Universe Size, 20 Sep 2006
NASA's Swift Satellite Catches Two Supernovae in One Galaxy, 22 Nov 2006
New Supernova Preserves Onion-structure in Remnant, 26 Oct 2006
Remnant for SN 185AD found, 26 Sep 2006

Chap 14: Black Holes: The End of Space and Time
LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) page at Caltech
Gravitational Waves Discovered from Colliding Black Holes (with 2 short videos + other links) , Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 11 Feb 2016
LIGO Wikipedia page , Synopsis of the LIGO facility
Hubblesite.org page on Black Holes (and other things)
Animation of Merging Neutron Star and Black Hole making a Gamma Ray Burst (#6), Chandra Science Center
Animation of Merging Neutron Stars making a Gamma Ray Burst (#7), Chandra Science Center
New Black Hole Discovered, Variability Surprises Astronomers, 2006 Nov 30
Chuck Keeton (a native Louisvillian) on Black Holes for Nova on PBS
How Black Holes Spin Space Time: GREAT 14' video by Steven Pomeroy on spinning black holes and frame-dragging

Chap 15: Our Galaxy the Milky Way
More Than Stars: The Milky Way's Dust Mapped In 3D For The First Time Ever (short video) , Ethan Siegel, Starts With A Bang, 27 Mar 2017,
Gleamoscope: See the Galaxy Interactively at Different Wavelengths , International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, Murchison, Western Australia, Oct 2016
Milky Way Outer Halo Rotates Opposite Rest of Galaxy, MSU announcement, Jan 2008
Massive Cosmic Bullets Fly Through Orion Star Formation Region, space.com, 22 Mar 2007
How Massive Stars Settle at the Centers of Globular Clusters, 30 Oct 2006
Most Distant Gamma Ray Burst Observed (redshift z=6.7), space.com, 19 Sep 2008
Movie of Stars Orbiting Supermassive Black Hole at Milky Way Center , 28 Mar 2007, Max-Planck-Institut (MPE), Garching
What the image of the Milky Way's black hole really shows , Katie McCormick, Knowable Magazine, 8 Nov 2022

Chap 16: A Universe of Galaxies
The Sloan Digital Sky Survey , Wikipedia, linked 12 Nov 2024
Galaxy Zoo: Public Help for Classifying Millions of Galaxies , Sloan Digital Sky Survey, 2007
Is it Time to Rename the Hubble Constant? (Vesto Slipher's data were not cited.) , Douglas MacDougal, Joseph Marcus, Marcia Bartusiak Astronomy Magazine, Dec 3, 2024
Clickable Map of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field, Astrophys. Inst. Potsdam, Germany, 2011
Dr. Rick Pogge's Galaxy Types page, The Ohio State University, 2008
Giant Void 300Mpc across Found, BBC, 14 Sep 2007
Most Distant Galaxy Detected, BBC, 24 Aug 2007
Biggest 3-D Map of Galaxies Ever Made, 5 Oct 2006
Movies of Galaxy Formation from N-body Simulations, Matthias Steinmetz, Astrophysikalisches Institut Potsdam
Four New Milky Way Satellite Galaxies Found, total up to about 20, 28 Aug 2006
Team Finds Gravitational Signature of Dark Matter in Collision of Galaxy Clusters, 21 Aug 2006
Galaxy Cluster's Ring Hints at Cosmic Shockwave , 3 Nov 2006
10 Facts Everyone Should Know About Dark Matter , Sabine Hossenfelder, NORDITA, July 2015
Dark Matter Rap, by David Weinberg (Ohio State), lyrics and music (mp3)

Chap 17: Quasars and Active Galaxies
Dr. George Rieke's AGN Characteristics Page , U. Arizona Natural Science 102 course page
Clues to Cosmic Rays Discovered: AGN , BBC, 8 Nov 2007

Chap 18: Cosmology
Great 4-5 minute Videos on Dark Matter and Dark Energy , Paul Sutter (Ohio State Univ.), space.com, 20 Feb 2017
Dark Energy Pushed Universe's Growth , CNN, 17 Nov 2006
Effect of Dark Energy Found in last 9 billion years , BBC, 16 Nov 2006
The consequences of traveling in a straight line forever - can we? Four scenarios. , Ethan Siegel, Starts with a Bang, 12 Apr 2024

Chap 19: In the Beginning
The physics that tells us what the Universe is made of , GREAT BBC animation/interview with astrophysicist Adam Becker, Michael Marshall and Melissa Hogenboom (11' video), 5 Apr 2017
Why we do not know what the Big Bang looked like , BBC Animation with Adam Becker, Michael Marshall and Melissa Hogenboom, 5' video, 23 Mar 2017
How the Universe can expand if there is no extra space, 2.7' video , BBC animation/interview with astrophysicist Adam Becker, 13 Feb 2017
What's the smallest thing in the universe? 5' video (great introduction to particle physics) , Jonathan Butterworth, TED-Ed talk, 15 Nov 2018
The Standard Model, 8' video (great introduction to particle physics) , Don Lincoln, Fermilab, 2 Oct 2012
How can Space Travel Faster than Light? , Universe Today, 20 Feb 2015
When space expanded faster-than-light - written summary and 48' discussion on Planck results , earthsky.org, 16 Feb 2015
Robert Wilson (co-discoverer of Microwave Background) keeps hiss on cellphone; value of fundamental research, New Scientist, 28 Feb 2014
Dark Matter and Dark Energy , National Geographic, Apr 2015 (suggested by J. Cheser)
COBE (Cosmic Background Explorer), Wikipedia site , Wikipedia, linked 2021 Nov
COBE (Cosmic Background Explorer), NASA Science Mission Directorate site , NASA Mission Directorate, published 22 May 2016
COBE (Cosmic Background Explorer), NASA Goddard Space Flight Center site , NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, HEASARC and Astrophysics Science Division
Planck Microwave Background Explorer , European Space Agency
WMAP (Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe), NASA
WMAP (Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe) , Wikipedia
String theory - a simple way to understand the universe , Michio Kaku, BBC, 1 Oct 2021, 5.5' video, VERY GOOD!
The multiverse is not a paradigm and it's not shifting anything. , blog from Sabine Hossenfelder, NORDITA, 26 Sep 2013
Large Hadron Rap, YouTube, from CERN, posted 31 July 2008
Cosmic Sound Waves Frozen after Recombination (=Baryon Acoustic Oscillations), J. Gladden, U Mississippi via acoustics.org
Excellent Early Universe Explanation with Animations (Cosmic Microwave Background/Recombination) , NCSA/U. Illinois and NHK Japanese TV, via A. Guigui, AIFE, Buenos Aires
Cosmic Inflation Explained | Cosmology 101 Episode 6 , Dr. Katie Mack, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, U. Waterloo ON, Canada, 6.1' video
Einstein's most famous quote is totally misunderstood , Starts with a Bang, Big Think, 11 Apr 2023 - wraps up many topics in Astro 107: relativity etc.
Why Faster-Than-Light Travel Is Possible , Sabine Hossenfelder, 10 Apr 2023, 24' video (good but needs concentration)
Decades later, string theory continues its march toward Einstein's dream , Brian Greene, guest opinion, Washington Post, 16 Sep 2024

Chap 20: Life in the Universe
I'm an astronomer and I think aliens may be out there -- but UFO sightings aren't persuasive , Chris Impey, U Arizona / space.com, 29 Dec 2020
What Will It Take for Humans to Colonize the Milky Way? , Kim S. Robinson, Scientific American, 13 Jan 2016
Astrobiology at NASA/Life in the Universe , NASA, started 1 Dec 2015
Earth was a Frozen Snowball when Animals First Evolved , Kate Ravilious, BBC, 15 Jan 2014
Drake Equation Calculator: You Determine how many Intelligent Civilizations Exist , BBC, 21 Aug 2012
How many contactable alien civilisations are out there? - interview with Dr. Chris Conselice , Nicola Davis, The Guardian, 9 July 2020, 18' podcast
All sophisticated life on the planet Earth may owe its existence to one freakish event , nautil.us, issue 17, 2014 Sep 4
New Interest in old Miller-Urey "Spark of Life" Experiments , BBC, 16 Oct 2008
Excellent conference proceeding on Radio Leakage from Earth, Detectable by Aliens, Woodruff T. Sullivan, III, U Washington, NASA 1981 conference, CP-2156 Life In The Universe
Finding extraterrestrial life 'probably going to take a long time,' astronomer says , Chris Ciaccia, Fox News, 6 Nov 2019
I Don't Believe in Aliens Anymore: Humanity must learn to find meaning without relying on gods or extraterrestrials. , Michael W. Clune, The Atlantic, 8 Aug 2018
Aliens Need Time to Grow Brains: Run the Drake Equation Yourself, www.astrobio.net, 2 Dec 2002
SETI status report: March 2008, BBC, 3 Mar 2008
Star Trek Really Did Forecast New Devices, space.com, 3 Mar 2008
Project Phoenix (for SETI) ends after 9 Years, 800 Stars, BBC, 25 Mar 2004
Meteorite Globules Contain Organic Molecules from Cold Molecular Cloud, BBC, 2 Dec 2006
ESA Satellite Finds an Earth Creature which can Survive in Space, space.com, 8 Sep 2008
Radio Telescope to Search for TV Signals from Other Stars, CNN, 8 Jan 2007

Links to Other Astronomy Courses
There are some very good introductory astronomy courses on the WWW, whose websites which you may find helpful.

Pogge, Rick, Ast 161 (solar system), 162 (Stars, Galaxies, Universe), Ohio State
Schombert, James, Ast 121 (solar system), 122 (Stars), 123 (Galaxies/Universe), U. Oregon
Rieke, George, Nat Sci 102 , U. Arizona
Khan Academy Cosmology & Astronomy , Nonprofit organization to provide free education

This is a link for parents teaching astronomy to school-age children at home (not an educational, media or government site). 
It is on a home-advice site and was requested for posting by two different people in autumn 2019.
http://www.homeadviceguide.com/parents-guide-teaching-kids-astronomy-home/

These links are from Astronomy 307, taught in Autumn 2007, and may be useful:

Solar System in Perspective:
Carbon Veins in Meteorite: Evidence for Life on Mars?
SOHO satellite catches comet crashing into Sun
Asteroids near Jupiter (at Lagrange pts) are really comets, from measuring density
Jupiter Develops Second Red Spot
Massive Lightning Storm on Saturn, related to planet's internal heat
Uranus has New, Blue (from scattered light) Ring
Ice Found on Surface of Comet
Small Nudge Could Change Asteroid Courses Significantly
Occultation shows Pluto's satellite Charon has no atmosphere
Pluto may have Rings
2003 UB313 bigger than Pluto, from measuring thermal emission
research on planetary atmospheres at UL

Dynamics of Earth:
An excellent review of various measures of time (courtesy of Michigan State)
An excellent description of the equation of time
How do GMT and UT differ?

Earth-Moon System:
Fred Espenak's eclipse page, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Total Solar Eclipse (11 Aug 1999) Viewed from Space
Lunar Maria and bulges Formed by Giant Impacts
nice graphic on plate tectonics, convection
Subducted crust stays cool to 200 km depth (Stanford research, 2000)
Microbes began 3.5 Gyr ago, but multi-celled creatures only 1 Gyr ago
Japanese ship does deepest dig ever
Wikipedia article on aurorae

The Sun: A Model Star
Solar Neutrino Problem (1998) (by John Bahcall, not a Nobel Prize-winner, oops)
Solution to the Solar Neutrino Problem by John Bahcall, 2002
Effects of Solar Storms on Earth
More Details on Sunspots
Sunspot Group Mean Areas Change over the Solar Cycle (see pdf file for figures)
Next Solar Cycle May Be More Intense
How to Measure Sunspot Polarity and Sunspot Size Variation over the Solar Cycle
Voyager Detects Solar Termination Shock

Stars: Distances and Magnitudes:
GAIA Mission

Stars: Binary Systems:
Spectroscopic Binary Star radial velocity simulator (requires JAVA plug-in! used by permission, T. Herter, Cornell)
Eclipsing Binary Star light curve simulator (requires JAVA plug-in! used by permission, T. Herter, Cornell)
Speckle Interferometry at Georgia State University
Speckle Interferometry and detecting planets, from NASA

Stars: The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram
Where do subdwarfs come from?
Table of main sequence temperatures, peak emission wavelengths and peak wavebands
Mnemonics for OBAFGKM and variations
Nancy Houk's Michigan Spectral Catalogue Project page

Our Galaxy: A Preview
The Milky Way at various wavelengths (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center)
Canadian Galactic Plane Survey Schematic of Galaxy (and Star Trek Quadrants!)
Ring discovered around Milky Way
Monty Python's Galaxy Song Lyrics (with numbers about right!)

The Interstellar Medium and Star Birth:
3D Map of the Local (Interstellar) Bubble
A More General Description of the Local (Interstellar) Bubble
Loop I Supershell interacts with Local (Interstellar) Bubble - X-ray result
Astronomy Picture of the Day maps Local Bubble, nearby star formation regions (colorful!)
Local Interstellar Cloud and Local Bubble
Virial Theorem Made Easy
HST View of Stellar Birth
Herbig-Haro (HH-)47 closeup
Dust Pillars in Trifid Nebula
Sample Planetary Nebula: The Spirograph (search APOD for others)
Large Stars May Form Planets, Too (by Robert Roy Britt, Space.com, 8 Feb 2006)
How Efficient is Star Formation?
Research on Proto-Planetary Disks at UL
Research on Proto-Planetary Disks at U Cincinnati
Research on Star/Planet Formation at Indiana U
Research on Star/Planet Formation at Vanderbilt - Stassun
Research on Star/Planet Formation at Vanderbilt - Weintraub

The Evolution of Stars:
Stellar Evolution on H-R diagram simulator (requires JAVA plug-in! used by permission, T. Herter, Cornell)
Stellar Structure/Evolution Explained in a more Descriptive Way