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Show Me Science Advanced Space Science

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Episodes:

• Comet Visitors from Space

  Comets have been causing fear in the minds of humans for millennia. Now new spacecraft are giving us insights into their composition and behavior. Comets allow us to study what the solar system was like in its formative period. They orbit the Sun in the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud. This program teaches students about comets and helps students understand why comets cause both fear and fascination.

  Length:	00:10:28
  Usage rights:	Expires 6/30/2027

• Far Out Measuring The Universe

  How far is a star or a galaxy? Scaling and measuring the cosmos is a complex problem. Scientists are integrating mathematical applications and scientific technology to create standards. Distances are so vast they are described in light years - the distance light travels in a year. Nearby stars are measured by trigonometry - the technique of parallax. Farther out, astronomers use so-called "standard candles", the 'Type Ia supernovae' is the standard candle basis. Beyond that the electromagnetic "redshift" of galaxies reveals their distances.

  Length:	00:10:27
  Usage rights:	Expires 6/30/2027

• Pluto The Farthest Planet

  Since its discovery in 1930, astronomers have been debating the status of the tiny world at the farthest reaches of our solar system-Pluto. In this program, students are given a firsthand look at the scientific process that initially classified Pluto as a planet and then reclassified it in 2006 as a Dwarf Planet. Not all scientists are in agreement with this definition and the future may bring further reclassification. Students will learn the scientific process of categorizing a planet and about this tiny world at the farthest reaches of our solar system.

  Length:	00:10:26
  Usage rights:	Expires 6/30/2027

• Yonder to Infinity The End of the Universe

  This program discusses the concept of the expanding Universe. Calculations by astrophysicists show that the cosmos seems to be speeding up. The 50-billion galaxies thought to comprise our Universe are rapidly moving farther apart. As our Sun's energy diminishes, scientists are working to understand the nature of space called "mysterious dark energy and dark matter" - believed to comprise 96 percent of the Universe. With each discovery made by astronomers and astrophysicists, we find there is so much more to learn.

  Length:	00:10:27
  Usage rights:	Expires 6/30/2027

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