Astronomy: Observations and Theories is a
documentary television series that aired for one season in from 2005 to 2006. It consists of 20 twenty-eight-minute episodes which are also called lessons and are most often viewed on college-run public television stations.
The series was directed by
Peter Berkow, co-produced by Peter Berkow and Kris Koenig, with Laurie Melby and Dan Jones serving as Executive Producers and Steve Chollet as associate producer. The executive production company was Coast Learning Systems
[1] and is affiliated with
Coastline Community College[2]. The series was developed under the supervision of a
National Academic Advisory team representing community colleges and universities all over the United States. Cinematographers include Anita Berkow and Kris Koenig. Film editing by Steve Chollet and Bruce Coykendall, and series writing credits go to Kris Koenig. Original music for Astronomy: Observations and Theories is by Scott Dugdale of
WaveGroup Sound.
Episode list and summaries
The Study of the Universe - The first episode introduces viewers to
galaxies,
superclusters,
stars, and
planets that will be discussed in future shows.
Observing the Sky - Explains the concept of a ‘scientific model’ to help describe a celestial sphere and to organize the
night sky. The
naming of stars and constellations by different cultures is discussed.
Celestial Cycles - Looks at the motion, size, and cycles of the
Sun,
Moon, and
Earth, and covers the prediction of
solar eclipses.
The Birth of Astronomy - Presents the foundations, theories, observations, and contributors to
Astronomy.
Astronomical Tools - Astronomers do two main things, collect
light and analyze it. This chapter answers two questions: what is light, and what tools are used to collect it?
The Science of Starlight - Presents the
stellar classification system along with the interactions of atoms and light and history of the spectral classes.
The Sun: Our Star - Discusses the Sun’s interior layers,
atmosphere,
magnetic cycle, and its effects on Earth.
The Family of Stars - Shows viewers how to find distance to nearby stars and how to plot them on an
HR diagram, based on the principle that the brightness of a star is determined by its distance from Earth.
Stellar Births - Examines the birth of stars in the process of
stellar evolution and looks at different types of
nebulae and the ingredients needed to produce a star.
The Jovian Worlds - Provides an explanation of the processes that allowed the
gas giants in the Solar System to grow to such large sizes. It also discusses
gravity,
volcanic activity, and
atmosphere
The Search for Life Beyond - Discusses the possibility that the early seeds of life on Earth were
delivered by comet impacts and the reasons why it is believed that the
first life began on the deep seafloor near
hydrothermal vents.
Astronomy: Observations and Theories is a
documentary television series that aired for one season in from 2005 to 2006. It consists of 20 twenty-eight-minute episodes which are also called lessons and are most often viewed on college-run public television stations.
The series was directed by
Peter Berkow, co-produced by Peter Berkow and Kris Koenig, with Laurie Melby and Dan Jones serving as Executive Producers and Steve Chollet as associate producer. The executive production company was Coast Learning Systems
[1] and is affiliated with
Coastline Community College[2]. The series was developed under the supervision of a
National Academic Advisory team representing community colleges and universities all over the United States. Cinematographers include Anita Berkow and Kris Koenig. Film editing by Steve Chollet and Bruce Coykendall, and series writing credits go to Kris Koenig. Original music for Astronomy: Observations and Theories is by Scott Dugdale of
WaveGroup Sound.
Episode list and summaries
The Study of the Universe - The first episode introduces viewers to
galaxies,
superclusters,
stars, and
planets that will be discussed in future shows.
Observing the Sky - Explains the concept of a ‘scientific model’ to help describe a celestial sphere and to organize the
night sky. The
naming of stars and constellations by different cultures is discussed.
Celestial Cycles - Looks at the motion, size, and cycles of the
Sun,
Moon, and
Earth, and covers the prediction of
solar eclipses.
The Birth of Astronomy - Presents the foundations, theories, observations, and contributors to
Astronomy.
Astronomical Tools - Astronomers do two main things, collect
light and analyze it. This chapter answers two questions: what is light, and what tools are used to collect it?
The Science of Starlight - Presents the
stellar classification system along with the interactions of atoms and light and history of the spectral classes.
The Sun: Our Star - Discusses the Sun’s interior layers,
atmosphere,
magnetic cycle, and its effects on Earth.
The Family of Stars - Shows viewers how to find distance to nearby stars and how to plot them on an
HR diagram, based on the principle that the brightness of a star is determined by its distance from Earth.
Stellar Births - Examines the birth of stars in the process of
stellar evolution and looks at different types of
nebulae and the ingredients needed to produce a star.
The Jovian Worlds - Provides an explanation of the processes that allowed the
gas giants in the Solar System to grow to such large sizes. It also discusses
gravity,
volcanic activity, and
atmosphere
The Search for Life Beyond - Discusses the possibility that the early seeds of life on Earth were
delivered by comet impacts and the reasons why it is believed that the
first life began on the deep seafloor near
hydrothermal vents.