Astronomy Minute

What is an Astronomical Observatory?

A brief description of what constitutes and astronomical observatory with a few examples in the real world that you have probably heard of.

What is Occam's Razor?

A brief description of the philosophical concept known as Occam's Razor, which asserts that “the simplest explanation of a particular natural phenomenon is usually the co

Why is the Webb Telescope Optimized to Observe Infrared Light?

A brief description of why the Webb Telescope is optimized to observe infrared light. Hint: it has to do with the four main science areas that it will be studying: “Other

What are the Main Science Goals of the Webb Telescope?

A brief description of the four main science goals of the James Webb Space Telescope - “Other Worlds,” “Star Lifecycle,” “Galaxies Over Time,” and “Early Universe.”

What is the James Webb Space Telescope?

A brief description of the James Webb Space Telescope and how it's different than the Hubble Space Telescope.

What is the Hubble Space Telescope?

A brief description of the Hubble Space Telescope and its scientific capabilities.

Why Do We Put Telescopes in Space?

A brief description of the two primary reasons why we send telescopes into space to observe and study celestial objects.

What is Meant by Spiral Nebula?

A brief historical summary of what we mean when we refer to "Spiral Nebulae." 

What is the Big Crunch?

A brief description of what will happen if the universe stops expanding and collapses back on itself - this is known as the Big Crunch.

What are the Basic Properties of Astronomical Objects?

A brief description of the basic properties of astronomical objects such as mass, radius, distance, luminosity, and temperature.

What is the Local Group of Galaxies?

A brief description of the Local Group of galaxies which contains the Milky Way, the Andromeda galaxy, and dozens of dwarf galaxies all gravitationally bound to each othe

What Does it Mean to “Know” Something in Science?

A brief description of what scientists mean when they say we "know" something.

How Can Atoms and Thus Matter be Mostly Empty Space?

A brief description of the structure of atoms - how they are mostly empty space - and why the everyday objects you use don't collapse and fall in on themselves.

What are Interacting Galaxies?

A brief description of what we mean when we talk about interacting galaxies.

How do the Sun and Other Stars Shine?

A brief description of nuclear fusion, which is the process by which stars produce light so that they can shine.

What are Giant Molecular Clouds?

A brief description of giant molecular clouds and why they are important for stars.

How do We Know that the Milky Way Galaxy is Spiral in Shape?

A brief description of the observational evidence we have supporting our assertion that the Milky Way galaxy is spiral in shape. 

What is Meant by the 21 Centimeter Radiation of Hydrogen?

A brief description of the 21 centimeter radiation (light) that the Hydrogen atom emits and the mechanism behind this emission.

How are Neutron Stars and Pulsars Related?

A brief description of what astronomers mean when they say that "all pulsars are neutron stars but not all neutron stars are pulsars."

What is a Neutron Star?

A brief description of neutron stars, which are essentially the end state of massive stars some of which become pulsars.