Images of the Universe

Prof. Mike Bode

Astrophysics Research Institute

Liverpool John Moores University

Overview

• Observing the Universe

• Exploring our Solar System

• Life and Death of Stars

• The Realm of the Galaxies

• The Distant Universe

• Getting Involved

Observing the Universe

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Exploring our Solar System

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Life and Death of Stars

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Charterhouse 12.2.04

Planetary

Nebulae!

Supernova1987A

The Crab Nebula

Supernovae used to measure distance

• As things get further away, they look fainter.• So, if we know how luminous an object is,

and can measure how bright it looks, we can work out how far away it is.

• Such an object is called a Standard Candle

The Milky Way

The Realm of the Galaxies

The Distant Universe

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Knowing More/Getting Involved• Browse the Internet (e.g. “Astronomy Picture of the

Day” – antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod)• Buy books and magazines (e.g. “Sky at Night”,

“Astronomy Now”, “Sky and Telescope”)• Visit Spaceport, Jodrell Bank or Liverpool Museum• Join your local Astro Soc (see www.fedastro.org.uk)• Do a course (GCSE Astronomy; LJMU, OU or

Central Lancs Distance Learning courses - see e.g. www.astro.ljmu.ac.uk/course/distance.shtml)

• Join the National Schools’ Observatory - www.schoolsobservatory.org.uk

• Scales - see e.g. pha.jhu.edu/~wpb/scale.html