Online astronomy videos and study sources

Sorry guys, I think my previous post deviates from the theme of this thread, perhaps we can have an online astronomy videos and study sources thread or something.

Topic split from "Science on TV"

Thanks Tej, I hadn't come across this stuff previously. Very useful.

You are right, of course. With so much online content and "TV on demand", there is less of a need to have the more advanced stuff on broadcast TV.

However, my argument against that would be that you actually have to seek out this information, rather than having the possibility of stumbling across it when flicking through the channels late at night! Often, you don't know that a topic will be interesting until you start watching.

Anyway, enough of that. Back to the 'new' topic. Probably my favourite online resource is the Gresham College Lectures and Events. Attending these lectures in person is always fantastic (and they're free!), but most of the past lectures have a transcript and an online presentation. Many have videos of the presentations as well. It's well worth a look. The quality of the lectures is superb.

The TED talks can be very interesting. I haven't seen many, but those that I have seen have been very, very good. If you're not familiar with TED, the idea is that experts in various fields give a live, entertaining talk of no more than about 20 minutes. An American idea that's gone worldwide. Bill Gates once gave a TED talk about his efforts to eradicate malaria while Hans Rosling's talk on population growth was very insightful and was developed into a BBC programme.

Here's a list of TED talks on the topic of 'Universe'.

For reasons I don't quite understand somebody turned one of Carolyn Porco's talks (she of the Cassini imaging programme) into a Lego movie. Oh, well. Why not !

I cant believe I just watched a Lego version of Carolyn Porco TED Talks...how is insane is the internet?! How insane I just watched the whole thing.

I second the brilliant Ted Talks series, Andy. Short and sweet tasters by inspiring speakers and mad inventors in all kinds of fields from film-making to science. Its also a platform for building public awareness and enthusiasm in solving world issues, interesting innovations and supporting well meaning campaigns.

There were actually a couple of talks that Prof Brian Cox did which are not in the "Universe" search keyword

Why we need Explorers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdwOlk6HIVc

Cern's Super Collider
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6uKZWnJLCM

Had a quick look at the Carolyn Porco Lego movie, what madness.

Tej, it might be hard to believe you spent 17 minutes watching that Lego TED talk - but it's even harder to believe someone spent a lot more than 17 minutes making that Lego movie! Having said that, the presentation and the photos are as they were in the original - so nothing much is lost, just a dose of weirdness added! The video comes from Carolyn Porco's own website, so she's obviously pretty pleased with it. (Who wouldn't be pleased to be made into a Lego movie!!)

Oh that makes me feel worse, I guess credit to Carolyn Porco's compelling "voice over" that kept me watching...but infuriated with myself for watching the lego version over the real one, grrr! Love the lecture, though. Actually...I love legos too...but not this way!

Hello! I'd really recommend the Future Learn courses you mention earlier - sorry to drag the conversation back to that. I did the Moons course and learnt a great deal. They'll be re-running the course later this year apparently so look out for it if you're interested.

Dont be sorry, Christina, Futurelearn deserves championing by more of us 🙂

We should also include Flamsteed's own tutorials and the telescope/astrophotography workshops.

The Beginner's guide to telescopes on this very Flamstead's website (in the Resources section) is one of the best round up guide of options to buying your first telescope/binos I've seen to start beginner's off on their research to buying their first scope. Includes an excellent pros and cons table for each telescope too. It doesnt show who wrote it but great job whoever did so.

http://flamsteed.info/resources/choosing-your-first-telescope/guide-to-telescopes/

Also every lecture write up by Mike on the Meeting Reports section makes for great educational reading as he recounts most of the lectures with accurate details.

Thanks for your comments about the guide to telescopes, Tej. If memory serves correctly, the guide was written by our first chairman, Eddie Yeadon, back in the early days of the society. Mike Dryland would have updated it since then, and I've then added a few bells and whistles on recently.

I don't write all of the lecture reports (although I do edit and publish all of them nowadays). I think they are generally a very good record of proceedings, but we are always looking for new people to write reports! Hint... hint...

Open University now part sponsors (along with other Unis) a free study platform organisation called FutureLearn on the internet

An email newsletter from FutureLearn announces a course on the moons of the solar system starting in February. Details here: https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/moons-2?utm_source=FL_DB&utm_medium=crm&utm_campaign=07_10_2014_FL_newsletter

A triple of free returning and new astronomy related courses coming up on Futurelearn:

In the night Sky: Orion (5th Jan)
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/orion

The DIscovery of the Higgs Boson (26th Jan)
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/higgs

Moons (2 Feb)
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/moons

Tej, by a spooky coincidence, 2 minutes ago I was checking my diary for the dates of the Moons course Which I signed up to a while ago!

I might do the Orion course as well.

I have to admit, I'm not very clear about how they do the courses. Is it at a set time or is there a zero hour at which they release that week's online material?