EPISODE · Nov 9, 2018 · 48 MIN
22: How To Measure The Universe
from syzygy · host Chris Stewart
SYZYGY LIVE! Join us for a very special live podcast recording at the University of York’s YorNight 2018: https://www.york.ac.uk/news-and-events/events/yornight/2018/Help us make Syzygy even better! Tell your friends and give us a review, or show your support on Patreon: patreon.com/syzygypodSyzygy is produced by Chris Stewart and co-hosted by Dr Emily Brunsden from the Department of Physics at the University of York.On the web: syzygy.fm | Twitter: @syzygypodThings we talk about in this episode:Chris’s video about the cosmic distance ladder: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFoHlWK571kThe AU: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomical_unitA very simple Parallax explanation: https://youtu.be/iwlMmJs1f5oParsec definition: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ParsecCepheid Variables: https://www.space.com/15396-variable-stars.htmlNGC 4258: http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2014/m106/Type 1a Supernovae: https://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/science/objects/supernovae2.htmlEdwin Hubble: https://www.spacetelescope.org/about/history/the_man_behind_the_name/Redshift and blueshift: https://www.space.com/25732-redshift-blueshift.htmlHubble’s Constant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EP5cNoNuXoThe expanding universe as explained by Brian Cox: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR6wN8ym7SI
What this episode covers
We've been so comfortable throwing around facts like "the Sun is 8 light seconds away" and "the nearest star is 4 light years away", it's easy to forget that measuring cosmic distances isn't as simple as pulling out a tape measure. So how *do* you measure how far it is to the moon, or the next star, or a distant galaxy? Emily gives us her top five rungs on the Cosmic Distance Ladder.
NOW PLAYING
22: How To Measure The Universe
No transcript for this episode yet
Similar Episodes
Jun 21, 2026 ·104m
May 30, 2026 ·110m
May 6, 2026 ·139m
Apr 8, 2026 ·136m