60 Second Adventures in Astronomy

This collection of fourteen 60 second animated clips were produced by the Open University, and funded by the Science Technology Facilities Council. They focus on cutting edge topics within astrophysics in a humorous and easily accessible way. The animations cover topics such as the Big Bang, the expansion of the Universe, supernovae, exoplanets, life on Mars, the Moon, dark matter, dark energy, special relativity, black holes and the Gaia spacecraft. They are particularly relevant for topics in post-16 physics but could also be used to introduce topics to younger children. The clips are narrated by the actor and comedian, David Mitchell.

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Special Relativity

This animated clip describes Einstein’s theory of special relativity: if the speed of light is constant then time and space must be experienced differently, depending on the observer. Richard Feynman showed how this can be proved using a moving light clock compared to stationary clock. 

Exoplanets

This animated clip explains how planets outside our solar system are difficult to see because they get lost in the glare of the star they orbit. The clip briefly mentions Doppler shift, dimming through transit as detection techniques that enable us to infer what the planet is made of, and explains what the...

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