AU Astronomy Demonstration Videos

Angular Momentum   PI   WS

Several demonstrations are used to convey how the conservation of angular momentum shows up in astronomy – in protostars, pulsars, and black hole accretion disks.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 41 Mb, 5.3 minutes).

Post Video Worksheet (.doc) (.pdf) – Application of the conservation of angular momentum to everyday situations and to millisecond pulsars.

Armillary Sphere 1: The Tropics   PI   WS

This video explores the range of latitudes for which the sun can be at an observer's zenith and the possible range of meridional altitudes of the sun for a given latitude.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 28 Mb, 5.5 minutes).

Post Video Worksheet (.doc) (.pdf) – Use the protractor to model meridional altitude and explores the values for the equinoxes and solstices for several latitudes.

Armillary Sphere 2: The Arctics   PI   WS

This video uses an armillary sphere to simulate the paths of the sun from regions in the arctic.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 28 Mb, 4.1 minutes).

Post Video Worksheet (.doc) (.pdf) – Uses a 360° protractor to model meridional altitude and explores its values for the equinoxes and solstices near the poles.

Armillary Sphere 3: Lunar Phase Times   PI   WS

This capstone video quickly summarizes many concepts related to lunar phases and then focuses on the advanced question of what phases can an observer see at a specific time of day over a month's time.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 20 Mb, 5.9 minutes).

Post Video Worksheet (.doc) (.pdf) – A thorough graphical reveiw of the concepts related to lunar phases concluding with the topic of the video: "What phases can you see over a month at a given time of day?".

Blackbody Radiation   PI

Metal blocks with holes drilled in them are looked at with visible and infrared cameras.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 44 Mb, 4.4 minutes).

Charge Separation: Lightning   PI   WS

This video explores the separation of charge from materials rubbing against each other as occurs with lightning on Earth and on other planets.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 51 Mb, 6.0 minutes).

Post Video Worksheet (.doc) (.pdf) – a review of the lightning vocabulary and applying many of the charge concepts of the video.

Differentiation   PI   WS

This video demonstrates the separation of materials according to density in the context of planet formation.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 24 Mb, 3.1 minutes).

Post Video Worksheet (.doc) (.pdf) – a straightforward worksheet exploring diffentiation and materials of lower density floating.

Eclipses 1: Shadows & Scale   PI   WS

This video will explore the umbra, penumbra, and antumbra created by extended light sources making use of a scaled model of the Earth-moon system known as an eclipse stick.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 51 Mb, 6.0 minutes).

Post Video Worksheet (.doc) (.pdf) – a worksheet exploring types of shadow and the scale of the Earth-moon system and their bearing on eclipses.

Eclipses 2: Eclipse Seasons   PI   WS

This video will explore the 5° tilt of the plane of the lunar orbit with respect to the plane of the ecliptic and how it affects the frequency of eclipses and creates eclipse seasons.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 20.6 Mb, 5.3 minutes).

Post Video Worksheet (.doc) (.pdf) – an exploration of eclpse seasons using hula hoops and the frequency diagram from the video.

Eclipsing Binary Stars   PI   WS

This video simulates binary stars using light bulbs. The parameter space where the two stars have the same and different temperature and the same and different size are simulated.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 24 Mb, 4.8 minutes).

Post Video Worksheet (.doc) (.pdf) – Initially an exploration of the four major bins covered in the worksheet. Then students are encouraged to think about how eccentric orbits and inclinations other than 90° affect light curves.

ExtraSolar Planet Inclination   PI

This video demonstrates how the transit and radial velocity extrasolar planet detection mechanisms are limited by the observed systems' inclination.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 51 Mb, 7.0 minutes).

Gravitational Lensing   PI

This video shows a simple demonstration imitating gravitational lensing (using a wine glass stem) in the contexts of solar eclipses, quasars, and the cool appearances of galaxies (arc and rings).

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 16 Mb, 3.6 minutes).

Helioseismology   PI

An exploration of standing waves on a string, in a pop bottle, in a metal rod, and in Ruben’s Tube leading to a discussion of waves in the sun. The velocity equals frequency times wavelength equation along the way.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 41 Mb, 6.2 minutes).

Hydrostatic Equilibrium   PI   WS

This video demonstrates the increase of pressure with depth in a fluid of constant density and one with increasing density analogous to a star's material.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 53 Mb, 5.7 minutes).

Post Video Worksheet (.doc) (.pdf) – a worksheet exploring the increase in pressures with depth in a constant density fluid and one of increasing density.

Jovian Bands   PI

This video uses rheoscopic fluid to display rotational banding suggestive of the appearance of Jovian Planets. Inexpensive ways of performing this demonstration are shown.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 12 Mb, 3.9 minutes).

Kepler's 3rd Law   PI   WS

This video uses a hyperbolic funnel to model planets moving in circular orbits and explores how their orbital periods and velocities vary with distance from the sun.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 22 Mb, 3.5 minutes).

Post Video Worksheet (.doc) (.pdf) – a straightforward algebraic application of using Kepler's 3rd Law.

Magnetic Deflection   PI

This video shows the deflection of charged particles in a magnetic field as an analogy for aurorae. It includes footage of de la Rive's Egg.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 23 Mb, 2.7 minutes).

Optics 1: Reflection   PI   WS

This video describes the principle of reflection — first with one mirror, then two mirrors, and concludes with corner cube reflectors and their usage in astronomy for measuring the distance to the moon.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 28 Mb, 5.1 minutes).

Post Video Worksheet (.doc) (.pdf) – a worksheet exploring reflection and the effects of multiple reflections.

Optics 2: Refraction   PI   WS

This video will explore the bending of light as it moves between media with different indices of refraction. We will explore manifestations of Snell's Law (without ever discussing it directly), "what a fish sees", and the difficulty in seeing an object within a medium with a similar index of refraction.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 29 Mb, 4.3 minutes).

Post Video Worksheet (.doc) (.pdf) – a graphical worksheet exploring several aspects of the index of refraction.

Optics 3: Partial Reflection   PI

This video explores the partial reflection (and the partial refraction) that occur when light traverses a media boundary. The applications that will be explored include the PepperGram, Pepper's Ghost, and interferometers.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 31 Mb, 3.4 minutes).

Phase Changes 1: P-T Diagrams   PI

This video explores how the phase of matter depend on pressure and temperature.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 28 Mb, 4.1 minutes).

Phase Changes 2: Atmospheric Pressure   PI

This video explores how the pressure of an atmosphere is necessary for the existence of liquids.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 28 Mb, 2.9 minutes).

Phase Changes 3: Martian Polar Caps   PI

This video explores the sublimation of carbon dioxide which explains how the appearrance of the Martian Polar Caps changes with the seasons.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 26 Mb, 2.9 minutes).

Phase Changes 4: Triton Geysers

This video illustrates liquid nitrogen placed under very low pressure which is similar to the phenomenon underlying geysers on Neptune's moon Triton.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 31 Mb, 3.6 minutes).

Phase Changes 5: Shape Memory Alloys   PI

A capstone to the phase changes series looking more generally at phase changes and specifically at shape memory allows (nitinol wire).

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 42 Mb, 4.7 minutes).

Phosphorescence   PI

This video demonstrates that photons of different wavelengths have different energies.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 26 Mb, 2.7 minutes).

Planetary Heat   PI   WS

This video will explore the heat losses and gains of terrestrial bodies and show how they are both a function of size with the gain term dominating. This will be used to discuss present terrestrial geologic activity in the solar system.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 29 Mb, 5.3 minutes).

Post Video Worksheet (.doc) (.pdf) – Part 1 of this worksheet reviews the geologic activity and the heat of formation for terrestrial bodies in our solar system in a standard manner. Part 2 is a creative application of the volume/area ratio applied to tap water.

Precession of Earth

This video uses an air gyroscope is used to simulate the precession of Earth and the changing position of the North Celestial Pole in the sky.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 26 Mb, 3.2 minutes).

Pressure   PI   WS

This video demonstrates the relationship between pressure, applied force, and area and discusses a couple of examples of pressure in astronomy.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 35 Mb, 4.3 minutes).

Post Video Worksheet (.doc) (.pdf) – a worksheet exploring the practical aspects of pressure.

Retrograde Motion   PI   WS

This video surveys observations, historical theories, use of a mechanical demonstration, and compares the apparent motion for all superior planets of the motion.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 48 Mb, 6.5 minutes).

Post Video Worksheet (.doc) (.pdf) – a worksheet exploring the geometric perspective and parameters describing the apparent motion of superior planets for retrograde motion.

Scattering   2 PI   IWS

This video explores Rayleigh Scattering (the preferential scattering of shorter wavelength light by particles comparable in size to the wavelengths of light) and Mie Scattering (the lack of wavelength dependence when scattering is done by particles larger than the wavelength of light involved).

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 37 Mb, 2.5 minutes).

Post Video Worksheet (.doc) (.pdf) – an interactive worksheet completed while watching the video (that may either replace or supplement PI voting). It asks for explanations and simple drawings of Rayleigh and Mie scattering.

Solar Tube   PI

This video uses a giant balloon to explore Archimedes' Principle and the Ideal Gas Law.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 37 Mb, 3.6 minutes).

Spin Casting   WS

This video has a physics demonstration illustrating the technique for making large telescope mirrors by spinning molten glass.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 37 Mb, 2.5 minutes).

Post Video Worksheet (.doc) (.pdf) – a straightforward worksheet exploring the process and physics concepts of spincasting.

Stellar Lifetimes and Sparklers   PI   WS

This video explores the luminosities and lifetimes of main sequence stars using sparklers and cars as analogies.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 24 Mb, 6.2 minutes).

Coming Soon!

Stellar Spectra   PI

This video reviews the three types of spectra and then demonstrates (with a didymium filter) the process of creating an absorption spectrum.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 21 Mb, 4.0 minutes).

Coming Soon!

Sunspots Overhead   PI   WS

This video provides an analogy for sunspots which appear dark because they are cooler than the surrounding photosphere.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 20 Mb, 2.2 minutes).

Post Video Worksheet (.doc) (.pdf) – a complex worksheet applying blackbody laws to the video (assumes that blackbody laws have been thoroughly covered previously).

Supernova Bounce

This video illustrates two different versions of a demonstration analogous to the "core bounce" that occurs in a supernova.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 31 Mb, 3.2 minutes).

Temperature 1: Gases   PI   WS

This video explores temperature using the properties of air in a balloon.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 29 Mb, 3.3 minutes).

Post Video Worksheet (.doc) (.pdf) – an exploration of the speed distribution of a gas and how a balloon is affected by the surrounding temperature and pressure.

Temperature 2: Solids   PI

This video continues the discussion of how we measure temperature and will look generally at the effects that temperature changes have on solids and specifically at thermal expansion.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 62 Mb, 6.1 minutes).

Temperature 3:Absolute Zero   PI   WS

This video uses a constant volume bulb and the ideal gas law to crudely estimate the value of absolute zero.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 42 Mb, 5.0 minutes).

Post Video Worksheet (.doc) (.pdf) – a worksheet asking students to repeat the detemination of absolute zero from the video with data improved by adding a thermocouple.

Thermal Transport in the Sun I: Radiation

This video illustrates a random walk demonstration analogous to photons making their way out of the interior of the sun.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 21 Mb, 2.1 minutes).

Thermal Transport in the Sun II: Convection   PI   WS

This video illustrates two convection demonstrations -- one analogous to granulation on the surface of the sun -- and a fun one illustrating convection for the classroom.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 22 Mb, 2.2 minutes).

Post Video Worksheet (.doc) (.pdf) – a straightforward, simple representation of the concepts in the video.

Thermal Transport 3: Conduction   PI   WS

This video will explore conduction which is not very important in astronomy, but very important on Earth. We will specifically look at space shuttle tiles.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 41 Mb, 5.7 minutes).

Post Video Worksheet (.doc) (.pdf) – a more mathematical exploration (than is typical for this project) of conduction concepts. It works better in introductory physics classes than astronomy.

The Tidal Heating of Io    PI   WS

Tidal Heating is explored as the mechanism responsible for volcanism on Jupiter's Moon Io.

Direct link to the .mp4 file (854 x 480 px, 38 Mb, 4.7 minutes).

Post Video Worksheet (.doc) (.pdf) – a direct exploration of the concepts in the video as they pertain to Io.