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Astronomy – Measuring Distance, Size, and Luminosity (12 of 30) Luminosity and Size – Video

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Astronomy - Measuring Distance, Size, and Luminosity (12 of 30) Luminosity and Size
Visit http://ilectureonline.com for more math and science lectures! In this video I will take a closer look at the Stephan-Boltzmann #39;s Law.

By: Michel van Biezen

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Astronomy - Measuring Distance, Size, and Luminosity (12 of 30) Luminosity and Size - Video

Astronomy – Measuring Distance, Size, and Luminosity (25 of 30) Tully-Fisher Relationship – Video

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Astronomy - Measuring Distance, Size, and Luminosity (25 of 30) Tully-Fisher Relationship
Visit http://ilectureonline.com for more math and science lectures! In this video I will explain the Tully-Fisher relationship.

By: Michel van Biezen

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Astronomy - Measuring Distance, Size, and Luminosity (25 of 30) Tully-Fisher Relationship - Video

Astronomy News – Space News, Exploration News, Earth …

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Research group to study interstellar molecules

From April 2014, a new group will study interstellar molecules and use them to explore the entire star and planet formation process at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics. Newly appointed ...

(Phys.org) Titan, Europa, Io and Phobos are just a few members of our solar system's pantheon of moons. Are there are other moons out there, orbiting planets beyond our sun?

(Phys.org) Using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers now can precisely measure the distance of stars up to 10,000 light-years away10 times farther than previously possible.

(Phys.org) Astronomers have found a new way of predicting the rate at which a molecular clouda stellar nurserywill form new stars. Using a novel technique to reconstruct a cloud's 3-D structure, ...

(Phys.org) Supernovas are the spectacular ends to the lives of many massive stars. These explosions, which occur on average twice a century in the Milky Way, can produce enormous amounts of energy and ...

(Phys.org) Two of West Virginia's premier research institutions, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Green Bank and West Virginia University (WVU) in Morgantown, have inaugurated a new super ...

(Phys.org) A trio of space researchers studying the galaxy Segue 1 has found that its red giant stars are made mostly of hydrogen and helium, with very few heavy elements, suggesting the galaxy stopped ...

(Phys.org) In this Hubble image, we can see an almost face-on view of the galaxy NGC 1084. At first glance, this galaxy is pretty unoriginal. Like the majority of galaxies that we observe it is a spiral ...

Astronomers using ESO's Very Large Telescope in Chile have captured this eye-catching image of planetary nebula PN A66 33usually known as Abell 33. Created when an aging star blew off its outer layers, ...

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Astronomy News - Space News, Exploration News, Earth ...

Stars Form Much More Readily Than Astronomers Thought

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The Pipe Nebula (left) and the Rho Ophiuchi cloud (right) in the Milky Way. Each inset map shows how much the light of background stars is dimmed as it passes through the cloud in question. Credit: Background: ESO/S. Guisard // Column-density maps: J. Kainulainen, MPIA

Understanding stars is fundamental to the science of astronomy: the astro in astronomy means star, after all. And courtesy of a new study researchers have a better understanding of how these things form providing insights not just into the stars themselves, but also into galactic and planetary evolution.

Astronomers werent totally in the dark about star formation. They knew that stars form within giant clouds of molecular gas (mostly hydrogen) and dust. When an area within the cloud becomes too full of molecules, it undergoes gravitational collapse the area attracts more stuff, which makes it denser and more massive, which attracts yet more stuff until enough stuff is there to ignite nuclear fusion, the process that fuels a star.

The problem was figuring out how to know when an area is too full of molecules. Whats the critical density at which gas clouds turn into stars?

Astronomers had long been trying to figure this out, and have devised many models of star formation. The only problem was, its pretty hard to measure how dense a gas cloud is to begin with.

Now astronomers have shown that they can determine a gas clouds density by analyzing how it distorts the light from distant stars behind it. The more a star dims, the more gas its traveling through, and therefore the denser the cloud is at that point.

Armed with a way of calculating a clouds density, the team carried out direct observations of 16 nearby star-forming gas clouds (within about 850 light-years of Earth) to determine a value for the critical density necessary to set off a new star: around 5,000 hydrogen molecules per cubic centimeter. Thats a lot lower than the theories had predicted (a whole order of magnitude lower, in some cases), which is surprising. Its unclear yet why the guesses were so far off. The findings appeared in this weeks Science.

Now that astronomers have this technique at their disposal, theyll be better able to test and refine their theories on star formation. That could mean a solution to one of the greatest challenges of astrophysics: being able to look at a gas cloud and predict how many stars will come out of it, and what kind of stars theyll be.

This gives researchers great predictive power in figuring out how galaxies (including our own) will behave in the future. Its also a boon to researchers who study planet formation, since star birth is the first step in the process of creating a solar system.

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Stars Form Much More Readily Than Astronomers Thought

NRAO, WVU Expand Broadband Data Network to Bolster Astronomy Research

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Newswise Two of West Virginias premier research institutions, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Green Bank and West Virginia University (WVU) in Morgantown, have inaugurated a new super high-speed broadband data network to bolster collaboration and scientific research between these two education-focused organizations.

The new system will be more than 200 times faster than NRAOs previous data link, allowing scientists and students to more effectively conduct research using one of the worlds most powerful astronomical instruments, the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT).

The Green Bank site is fairly remote, which makes it ideal for sensitive radio astronomy research, notes NRAO Site Director Karen ONeil. Previously, this meant a tradeoff in our access to data and communications infrastructure; but no longer. By upgrading to one of the most advanced data networks available, we can ensure the world-class instruments and staff on site are readily accessible by students and researchers across West Virginia and around the world."

Fred King, WVU's vice president for research, said, "This new data pipeline will significantly improve the ability of researchers at WVU and from across the country to make the fullest possible use of the NRAO facility. A side benefit is the enhanced connectivity it provides to WVU communities along the way."

The technology behind this upgrade is a reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM), a device that can nimbly transmit and receive signals of various wavelengths, greatly enhancing the speed with which information can be transmitted. Both NRAO and WVU will host data terminals, essentially the on ramps that are connected to an optical link that loops around the state. The network uses a combination of existing and newly installed optical fiber to carry the signal.

The new system will allow students and astronomers to conduct real-time observations and data reduction as well as better participate in research with other telescopes around the world. It also will expand the impact of NRAOs Pulsar Search Collaboratory (PSC), a project that provides high school students in West Virginia and elsewhere access to GBT data to search for new pulsars -- rapidly spinning neutron stars.

The link will also allow researchers at WVU to take full advantage of an agreement reached last year with NRAO in which the University pledged $1 million over two years to support personnel and operations costs associated with the GBT. This agreement reinforced the strong historical collaboration between NRAO and WVU's researchers, faculty and students, and allows WVU 500 hours of time on the telescope.

The data link was funded through a Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) grant to the State of West Virginia, the largest single BTOP award in the United States.

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NRAO, WVU Expand Broadband Data Network to Bolster Astronomy Research

Broadband Data Network Expanded to Bolster Astronomy Research

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Two of West Virginias premier research institutions, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Green Bank and West Virginia University (WVU) in Morgantown, have inaugurated a new super high-speed broadband data network to bolster collaboration and scientific research between these two education-focused organizations.The new system will be more than 200 times faster than NRAOs previous data link, allowing scientists and students to more effectively conduct research using one of the worlds most powerful astronomical instruments, the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope (GBT).The Green Bank site is fairly remote, which makes it ideal for sensitive radio astronomy research, notes NRAO Site Director Karen ONeil. Previously, this meant a tradeoff in our access to data and communications infrastructure; but no longer. By upgrading to one of the most advanced data networks available, we can ensure the world-class instruments and staff on site are readily accessible by students and researchers across West Virginia and around the world.Fred King, WVUs vice president for research, said, This new data pipeline will significantly improve the ability of researchers at WVU and from across the country to make the fullest possible use of the NRAO facility. A side benefit is the enhanced connectivity it provides to WVU communities along the way.The technology behind this upgrade is a reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM), a device that can nimbly transmit and receive signals of various wavelengths, greatly enhancing the speed with which information can be transmitted. Both NRAO and WVU will host data terminals, essentially the on ramps that are connected to an optical link that loops around the state. The network uses a combination of existing and newly installed optical fiber to carry the signal.The new system will allow students and astronomers to conduct real-time observations and data reduction as well as better participate in research with other telescopes around the world. It also will expand the impact of NRAOs Pulsar Search Collaboratory (PSC), a project that provides high school students in West Virginia and elsewhere access to GBT data to search for new pulsars -- rapidly spinning neutron stars.The link will also allow researchers at WVU to take full advantage of an agreement reached last year with NRAO in which the University pledged $1 million over two years to support personnel and operations costs associated with the GBT. This agreement reinforced the strong historical collaboration between NRAO and WVUs researchers, faculty and students, and allows WVU 500 hours of time on the telescope.The data link was funded through a Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) grant to the State of West Virginia, the largest single BTOP award in the United States.Each year, hundreds of astronomers from around the world apply for time on the GBT, which is the worlds largest fully steerable radio telescope. Its location in the National Radio Quiet Zone and the West Virginia Radio Astronomy Zone protects the incredibly sensitive telescope from unwanted radio interference. It has been in full-scale scientific operation since 2002.Contacts:Charles BlueNRAO Public Information Officer+1 (434) 296-0314cblue@nrao.eduJohn BoltWVU Director, University Relations/News+1 (304) 293-5520john.bolt@mail.wvu.eduThe National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

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Broadband Data Network Expanded to Bolster Astronomy Research

Astronomy – Measuring Distance, Size, and Luminosity (10 of 30) Blackbody Radiation – Video

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Astronomy - Measuring Distance, Size, and Luminosity (10 of 30) Blackbody Radiation
Visit http://ilectureonline.com for more math and science lectures! In this video I will explain how Wein calculated the distances of far away stars.

By: Michel van Biezen

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Astronomy - Measuring Distance, Size, and Luminosity (10 of 30) Blackbody Radiation - Video

Astronomy – Measuring Distance, Size, and Luminosity (13 of 30) Distance and Luminosity – Video

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Astronomy - Measuring Distance, Size, and Luminosity (13 of 30) Distance and Luminosity
Visit http://ilectureonline.com for more math and science lectures! In this video I will helps you better understand the Stephan-Boltmann #39;s Law.

By: Michel van Biezen

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Astronomy - Measuring Distance, Size, and Luminosity (13 of 30) Distance and Luminosity - Video

Astronomy – Measuring Distance, Size, and Luminosity (14 of 30) Hertzsprung and Russell – Video

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Astronomy - Measuring Distance, Size, and Luminosity (14 of 30) Hertzsprung and Russell
Visit http://ilectureonline.com for more math and science lectures! In this video I will use the H-R Diagram to find the distances to the stars.

By: Michel van Biezen

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Astronomy - Measuring Distance, Size, and Luminosity (14 of 30) Hertzsprung and Russell - Video


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