Crash Course Astronomy

Science and Nature Series / 1 Season

Welcome to school without the classroom! Join host Phil Plait and discover everything there is to know about the cosmos.

12m 11s

Introduction to Astronomy: Crash Course Astronomy #1

S1 E1 / 12m 11s

Welcome to the first episode of Crash Course Astronomy. Your host for this intergalactic adventure is the Bad Astronomer himself, Phil Plait. We begin with answering a question: "What is astronomy?"

Tides: Crash Course Astronomy #8

S1 E8 / 9m 46s

Today Phil explores the world of tides! What is the relationship between tides and gravity? How do planets and their moons become tidally locked? What would happen if you were 300km tall? Important questions.

Introduction to the Solar System: Crash Course Astronomy #9

S1 E9 / 9m 57s

In today's Crash Course Astronomy, Phil takes a look at the explosive history of our cosmic backyard. We explore how we went from a giant ball of gas to the system of planets and other celestial objects we have today.

The Sun: Crash Course Astronomy #10

S1 E10 / 11m 44s

Phil takes us for a closer (eye safe!) look at the two-octillion ton star that rules our solar system. We look at the sun's core, plasma, magnetic fields, sunspots, solar flares, coronal mass ejections, and what all of that means for our planet.

Mercury: Crash Course Astronomy #13

S1 E13 / 10m 17s

Mercury is the closest planet to the sun. It has no atmosphere and is, as such, covered in craters. It's also incredibly hot but, surprisingly, has water ice hiding beneath its surface.

Venus: Crash Course Astronomy #14

S1 E14 / 10m 46s

Venus is a gorgeous naked-eye planet, hanging like a diamond in the twilight -- but itÕs beauty is best looked at from afar. Even though Mercury is closer to the sun, Venus is the hottest planet in the solar system, due to a runaway greenhouse effect, and has the most volcanic activity in the solar system.

Mars: Crash Course Astronomy #15

S1 E15 / 10m 11s

The fourth planet from the sun and the outermost of the terrestrial planets, Mars has long been a popular spot for missions and imagination. Phil walks you through the planet's topography, core, and features. We'll take a look back to Mars's past and makes predictions for its future, including the possibilities for human life.

Jupiter: Crash Course Astronomy #16

S1 E16 / 10m 42s

Jupiter is the biggest planet in our solar system. The gas giant is NOT a failed star, but a really successful planet! It has a dynamic atmosphere with belts and zones, as well as an enormous red spot thatÕs actually a persistent hurricane.

Jupiter's Moons: Crash Course Astronomy #17

S1 E17 / 10m 26s

Before moving on from Jupiter to Saturn, we're going to linger for a moment on Jupiter's moons. There are 67 known moons, and 4 huge ones that we want to explore in greater detail.

Saturn: Crash Course Astronomy #18

S1 E18 / 12m 12s

Saturn is the crown jewel of the solar system, beautiful and fascinating. It is a gas giant, and has a broad set of rings made of ice particles. Saturn has dozens of moons, including Titan, which is as big as Mercury and has a thick atmosphere and lakes of methane; and Enceladus which has an undersurface ocean and eruptions of water geysers.

Uranus & Neptune: Crash Course Astronomy #19

S1 E19 / 12m 15s

Today we're rounding out our planetary tour with ice giants Uranus and Neptune. Both have small rocky cores, thick mantles of ammonia, water, and methane, and atmospheres that make them look greenish and blue. Uranus has a truly weird rotation and relatively dull weather, while Neptune has clouds and storms whipped by tremendous winds.

Asteroids: Crash Course Astronomy #20

S1 E20 / 11m 32s

Now that we've finished our tour of the planets, we're headed back to the asteroid belt. Asteroids are chunks of rock, metal, or both that were once part of smallish planets but were destroyed after collisions. Most orbit the Sun between Mars and Jupiter, but some get near the Earth.

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