Product Description:
Choose a title above from the following Astronomy and Aviation DVD programs
#8294 From Stonehenge to Hubble: Looking to the Stars (Run Time 20 min.) DVD $49.95
Animation and historical footage trace the progress of astronomy from megalithic observatories through the genius of Isaac Newton, to the Hubble telescope. The Hubble's eye, a tour de force in astronomy tools, is used to describe how telescopes work and how it, in particular, relays pictures to earth. (20 minutes)
#8295 Home Star: The Sun and the Planets (Run Time 20 min.) DVD $49.95
This program uses animation and close-up footage to study the birth of the solar system. The workings and life-cycle of our home star, the sun, are also addressed, along with its influence on Earth and its eventual death. New data indicates that ice on Mercury has survived since the birth of the solar system. We learn why the inner planets are rock-hard, and why all planets are round. (20 minutes)
#8296 Venus and Mars: Earth's Sisters (Run Time 20 min.) DVD $49.95
What triggered the steaming greenhouse atmosphere of Venus, why the planet rotates backward, and why it never spawned life are examined in this program. Mars and the Pathfinder landing project are discussed within the context of possible manned missions to the red planet in the future. (20 minutes)
#8297 The Blue Planet and Pale Moon Above (Run Time 20 min.) DVD $49.95
The birth, development, and structure of Earth, what makes it rotate, and why it tilts and has seasons are discussed in this program. It also examines the nature of Earth's magnetic field and how the magnetic poles sometimes flip hemispheres. A wealth of new animation and images from robot probes of the moon, including the 1998 Lunar Prospector, show the presence of ice. The birth of the moon and its influence on our lives are discussed. (20 minutes)
#8298 Jupiter and Saturn: Probing the Planets (Run Time 20 min.) DVD $49.95
The drama of the Galileo mission, the dive of its probe into the Jovian atmosphere, and Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9's impact on Jupiter are examined in this program. Stunning new photos examine Jupiter's moons, while images taken from spacecraft and through telescopes paint a magnificent picture of Saturn. The recent launch of the probe Cassini to Saturn and its moons is discussed. (20 minutes)
#8299 Uranus, Neptune, and the Milky Way: Dark, Deep Space (Run Time 20 min.) DVD $49.95
Uranus and Neptune are studied as unidentical twins-vast gasbags inhabiting the cold, dark outer reaches of our galaxy. Exciting new time-lapse photography of the planets and their weather systems is presented, along with animation that depicts their moons. Stellar life-cycles in our galaxy and beyond are examined through images from the Hubble telescope and through animation. We see multiple stars, giant stars, and supernovae. (20 minutes)
#8300 Impact! Comets and Asteroids (Run Time 20 min.) DVD $49.95
In this program, comets are studied as ice mountains careening through the solar system. Time-lapse photography of the Hale-Bopp comet provides an interesting perspective on this visitor from the regions of the Kuiper belt. Pluto is studied as both a planet and a possible comet from the Oort cloud. We see inner planets and their moons continually bombarded by comets and space rocks from the asteroid belt. The impact of asteroids on life on Earth and possible visits to them by future space missions are discussed. (20 minutes)
#8301 Celestial Wonders: Eclipses, Auroras, and Light Fantastic (Run Time 20 min.) DVD $49.95
This program presents a clear explanation of solar and lunar eclipses, and illustrates their magnificence through spectacular shots of the 1998 total eclipse of the sun in the West Indies. Visible light is shown as only part of a spectrum through which we see the universe. What we're learning through gamma ray, x-ray, ultraviolet, infrared, and radio astronomy is discussed. (20 minutes)
#8302 Black Holes, Dark Matter (Run Time 11 min.) DVD $49.95
This program presents the latest ideas on space regarding such questions as: What are quasars? Is there dark matter? Are there wormholes to other universes? Where's the nearest black hole and how does it work? (11 minutes)
#8303 Space Explorers: A History of the Last Frontier (Run Time 20 min.) DVD $49.95
Using rarely seen footage, this program traces the history of human space exploration from Yuri Gagarin's first orbit of Earth, through the moon landings, to the present-day Shuttle program and Mir. Also discussed are how scientists get things into orbit, what it's like to live and work in space, what happens when astronauts get sick, and how plants are grown in space. (20 minutes)
#8304 The Next Step: Of Robots and Space Stations (Run Time 20 min.) DVD $49.95
This program begins with an examination of unmanned space exploration: Galileo's mission to Jupiter, Cassini's to Saturn, NEAR's to an asteroid, and Rosetta's to a comet, as well as probes to Mars and Pluto. It then uses the International Space Station project as a platform for exploring the future of humans in space. (20 minutes)
#8306 Spaceship Earth and the Search for Intelligent Life (Run Time 20 min.) DVD $49.95
This program shows how the ecological health of the planet is being monitored from space, as it examines issues such as the deterioration of the ozone layer, global warming, melting polar ice caps, and the effects of solar winds. The possibility of life on other planets is seriously considered in discussions that propose the possible existence of microbes on Mars, and even more advanced organisms beneath the ice crust of the oceans of Jupiter's moon, Europa. (20 minutes)
#34120 How Scientists Look at the Sun (Run Time 19 min.) DVD $49.95
#34121 The Search for Black Holes (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $49.95
This Science Screen Report details the long history of speculation that led to theoretical awareness of black holes, as well as the eventual confirmation that they exist based on observations by the Hubble Space Telescope and terrestrial radio telescopes. The program presents solid discussions of the relationship these objects have to quantum particle behavior, antimatter, and the origins of the universe. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. Correlates to National Science Education Standards. Produced in association with the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology and the Junior Engineering Technical Society. (26 minutes)
#34292 Magnetism: Invisible Fields of Force (Run Time 14 min.) DVD $49.95
This Science Screen Report studies the physical force known as electromagnetism and how it encircles, interacts with, and is generated by matter. Demonstrating attractive and repulsive forces with iron filings suspended in liquid, the program explains the significance of a magnet's poles and why some materials are more magnetic than others. The electromagnetic fields of the Earth and Sun are also explored, with attention to magnetism's role in animal migration, the aurora borealis, and solar storms. Animated sequences reinforce essential concepts. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. Produced in association with the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology and the Junior Engineering Technical Society. (14 minutes)
#5106 Target Earth (Run Time 14 min.) DVD $59.95
The earth is constantly threatened by asteroids and meteorites that come from the ring between Mars and Jupiter. Researchers in Tucson, Arizona, are working on the Spacewatch project to recognize the meteorites and asteroids and chart their orbits. Tom Gehrels is making telescopic pictures which are then processed by computer. The idea is to ascertain, with some degree of accuracy, that no asteroids or meteorites will fall on Earth during the next century. The consequences of such an event would be horrendous. The scenario of a lump of stone half a mile in diameter hitting New York has even roused the interest of the Pentagon. Scientists are also considering methods to render an earthbound comet harmless before it hits the earth. (14 minutes)
#2107 Origins of the Universe (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
This program briefly introduces the geocentric view of the universe and the contributions of Kepler and Galileo before explaining the Big Bang. Probing the birth of the universe requires extremely sophisticated astronomical viewing and measuring devices; the program visits and explains the functions of a number of NASA's principal space observation systems. The program also covers the concept of galaxies, Hubble and the "red-shift," quasars, red giants, white dwarfs, supernovas, and neutron stars. (28 minutes)
#2108 Introduction to the Solar System (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
This program explains how the solar system came into being four-and-a-half billion years ago: the creation of a large vortex when a gas nebula began to shrink; the accretion of surrounding matter; the rising temperature of the primitive sun at the center of the vortex; and the creation of the sun through nuclear fusion. Planetary exploration is the primary method of unraveling the mysteries of the Solar System, and the program covers the planetary probes and the information gathered from them: probes of Venus, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus. (28 minutes)
#2109 The History of Space Technology (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
Since the time of Icarus, man has tried to fly. This program covers the history of flight, from the invention of the propeller through the Wright Brothers' first flight and Lindbergh's trans-Atlantic solo; profiles Robert Goddard and traces the development of the rocket from the beginning, through the development of gyroscopic instruments, the V-2, Sputnik, and Explorer 1; traces the advances in the X-series, including the achievement of supersonic speed, aerodynamic design improvements, and the development of materials suitable for space travel. (28 minutes)
#2110 The First Steps in Space Exploration (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
This program begins with the establishment of NASA in 1958 and explains the history and requirements of Project Mercury-the first manned orbital flight by the U.S. It covers training for high gravity and weightlessness; the development of a life-support system for space and a spaceship; the response to the flight of Yuri Gagarin; the first American manned space flight-Alan Shepard's 15-and-a-half minute suborbital flight; the series of orbital flights beginning in 1962 that tested endurance, the effects of weightlessness, the techniques of docking, rendezvous, and EVA for an Earth-Moon mission; and the preliminary surveys to determine whether a manned landing on the moon was feasible. (28 minutes)
#2111 Flight to the Moon (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
This program covers the Apollo Project, which was inaugurated by President Kennedy in 1961, involved the labor of over a million people, and involved the study, design, building, and testing of a whole range of elements and activities, including a spacecraft suitable for at least 10 days in space and requiring proportionately larger rockets and boosters, a lunar vehicle, as well as extra-vehicular activities, rendezvous, and docking procedures. The program shows many of the historic elements of the moon landings, and ends with the Apollo-Soyuz docking, which marked the end of the experimental stage of both the American and the Soviet space programs and heralded the arrival of practical space exploration. (28 minutes)
#2112 Living and Working in Space (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
This program is devoted to the analysis and development of the possibilities for living in and utilizing space. Beginning with the Skylab project that launched an unmanned orbital workshop, the program covers a host of experiments conducted in the U.S. and by Spacelab, its European counterpart, which include astronomical observation, observation of the Earth, biological and biochemical testing, and material processing, as well as tests on human beings to determine the effects of weightlessness and the possibilities for working outside the laboratory in space. (28 minutes)
#2113 The Space Shuttle (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
This program is devoted to an analysis of the space shuttle. It explains the technology of the craft and shows the functions of its three components-the orbiter, the external tank, and the solid rocket boosters; shows the functioning of the orbiter's flight deck, explaining its attitude control and orbital maneuvering systems, its payload bay equipped with a Remote Manipulator System; shows the extra-vehicular moving unit and the manned maneuvering unit used for extra-vehicular activity; covers the design of a reusable space vehicle; and shows some of the training required for shuttle personnel. (28 minutes)
#2114 The Shuttle in Close-Up (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
This program begins with the launch of Columbia on April 12, 1981, explaining step by step what is happening and why as the main engines ignite, solid rocket booster ignition begins, and lift-off is achieved and as the solid rocket boosters separate and parachute into the ocean. The program then follows this and subsequent space shuttles to show what happens in orbit, the emergence of problems and the efforts to repair and prevent them in the future, and the nature of the experiments being carried out and the photographs taken. It also shows and explains the return to Earth: the loss of altitude and speed, reentry into the atmosphere, and the transformation of the space shuttle into a glider. (28 minutes)
#2115 The Earth in Perspective (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
Among the most striking advantages of man's vaulting into space has been the perspective we have been given on our own planet. This program covers the esthetic and spiritual responses of the highly-trained engineers and astrophysicists who observed Earth from space, as well as the geological, geographic, climatological, and environmental discoveries and insights made possible by seeing and photographing the Earth from a distance. (28 minutes)
#2116 The Applications of Space Technology (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
This program covers both scientific and and utility satellites. Geostationary utility satellites include communication, meteorological, and broadcasting satellites; the science satellites cover an almost limitless range, from Explorer 1's discovery of the Van Allen Belt in 1958, to the discovery of solar wind and the gradual solution to the mystery of the polar auroras; Landsat, the Earth observation satellites, provide information for land utilization, water resource management, resource exploration, oceanic survey, and environmental monitoring. The program also covers such spin-off technologies as space suit material, high-temperature fire-fighting materials, nonflammable paper and fabrics, new insulating materials, vacuum refrigeration, and the energy-saving "Tech House." (28 minutes)
#2117 Living in Space (Run Time 28 min.) DVD $89.95
The next step in space exploration will be the construction of an off-Earth habitat. The design of the Space Shuttle was the first step; now the design of life itself has to be considered: the division of time, the nature of food, and the effect of zero-G on taste perception, clothing, life-support equipment for extra-vehicular activity, health maintenance, exercise, personal hygiene. The program also speculates on plans to build a solar power station, to utilize the resources of the moon, and to replicate the earth's environment in a city of 10 million people constructed in space. (28 minutes)
#2755 The Grand Design (Run Time 58 min.) DVD $89.95
This program takes us on a tour from our own backyard to the outer reaches of the universe. Along the way, we encounter the principal players in the universe and gain a sense of the astonishing scale of this magnificent structure. Upon our return, we examine the universe as it appears in different astronomical wave bands and study the relationship between radiation wavelength and the temperatures of the objects we observe. We are assisted in our investigation by images obtained from ground- and space-based telescopes. (58 minutes)
#4139 Professor Hawking's Universe (Run Time 50 min.) DVD $89.95
The Lucasian chair of mathematics at Cambridge University is one of the most prestigious professorships in the world, occupied at one time by Isaac Newton. Its present incumbent is Stephen Hawking, who established his reputation as one of this century's most brilliant astrophysicists and mathematicians with his discovery that black holes are not necessarily black, and that some of them even shine. Confined by ALS to his wheelchair, his speech understood by only his family and close colleagues, he is working on the greatest problem in modern science-the unification of Quantum Mechanics and General Relativity. This program observes Hawking and his students in their quest for ultimate knowledge. (50 minutes)
#5521 Voyage Through Space (Run Time 23 min.) DVD $89.95
The cosmos, that last frontier, holds as much promise for humankind as it does challenge. This program takes us on a voyage through space, as it is today and as it will be in the future. We see stunning images of the future space station that, as it orbits the earth, will permanently house dozens of researchers and astronauts. We also experience a thrilling multimillion-mile trip to the planet Mars. Finally, perhaps with some degree of apprehension and skepticism, we watch as the American "space shield," designed to protect us against a possible nuclear war, is inaugurated over our heads. (23 minutes)
#5541 The Tools of Modern Astronomy (Run Time 23 min.) DVD $89.95
The earth is only a tiny dot in a mystery-filled universe, but modern astronomy has developed powerful tools to enable us to gaze farther and farther into the cosmos and help us better understand its evolution. This program gives us an overview of what we know today about the stars. They are born, live, and die much like living organisms, and sometimes they collapse into infinitely small, dense black holes. The program covers attempts made to communicate with other forms of intelligent life, and radio telescopes, which are constantly searching for radio waves of extraterrestrial origin. (23 minutes)
#5542 The Space Shuttle (Run Time 23 min.) DVD $89.95
The space shuttle marked a new beginning in the exploration of the cosmos. This program explains how this device, half plane, half spacecraft, manages to launch a satellite into orbit and return safely back to Earth. The program also gives us a broad look at how rockets and launchers put various useful objects into orbit and for what purpose. Space is an ideal environment to carry out a variety of scientific experiments, which the program also highlights. (23 minutes)
#5553 The Space Telescope (Run Time 23 min.) DVD $89.95
In April of 1990, NASA launched an instrument likely to revolutionize astronomy as much as the telescope did centuries ago. This program describes the space telescope and its spectacular images, as well as the operation of this orbital observatory and its fascinating possibilities. The program also examines one of the major problems facing astronauts today-space sickness, a disorder that seems to be caused by the improper functioning of the inner ear under weightless conditions. The program also describes the space suit and how it works. (23 minutes)
#6230 C60 Buckminsterfullerene: The Celestial Sphere that Fell to Earth (Run Time 55 min.) DVD $89.95
In 1985, an experiment designed to unravel the carbon chemistry in red giant stars revealed C60 Buckminsterfullerene, the third allotropic form of carbon. The discovery of this elegant molecule heralds the dawn of a new era in the development of 21st-century materials. And, as this program with Harold Kroto of the University of Sussex explains, there is food for thought in the fact that a vast new world of carbon chemistry and materials science was discovered as a consequence of a fundamental curiosity about the role of carbon in space and stars, rather than applied research on carbon. (55 minutes)
#33041 Plunging to a Fiery Death: Last Days of the Galileo Satellite (Run Time 23 min.) DVD $89.95
It was not supposed to last as long as it did, but after fourteen years in space, the Galileo satellite was intentionally steered to a fiery death in Jupiter's atmosphere lest it contaminate one of the planet's moons. A retrospective for the faithful research spacecraft, this program recaps the history of NASA's 30-year Galileo project, interviewing several people for whom its mission was essentially their entire career. (23 minutes)
#34741 The Planets (Run Time 29 min.) DVD $89.95
Any study of the universe requires a solid understanding of the solar system-home sweet home and the launching pad for intergalactic exploration. This video explains how the solar system formed and offers plenty of detailed information on the inner and outer planets. The minimum requirements for planetary life as we know it and the specifics of the Sun, asteroids, comets, and the planets' many moons are also given. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. Correlates to National Science Education Standards, National Educational Technology Standards, and standards of the Association for the Advancement of Science. A Cambridge Educational Production. (29 minutes)
#34742 The Sun and Stars (Run Time 24 min.) DVD $89.95
This video looks deep into space to learn how stars are born and how, eventually, they die. Each stage is covered: the formation of proto-stars, the nuclear ignition of main sequence stars, the cooling of red giants, the compaction of white dwarfs, and the final drama: death by burnout as a black dwarf or by supernova. Special attention is given to the Sun-its effect on the Earth, its projected life span, and its various levels, from corona to core, and their characteristics-as well as to spectrographic analysis of starlight and star classification with the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. Correlates to National Science Education Standards, National Educational Technology Standards, and standards of the Association for the Advancement of Science. A Cambridge Educational Production. (25 minutes)
#34743 Just How Big Is Space? (Run Time 27 min.) DVD $89.95
This video reveals the immensity of space by showing how its vast distances are measured and by examining the strange effects of Einstein's Theory of Relativity on space travel. Topics include the units of measure in astronomy; how scientists estimate distances through parallax calculations, the inverse square law of light brightness, and the Cepheid variable, Doppler shift, and supernova methods; and time dilation, space dilation, and the distorting effect of gravity on the space-time continuum-all things to take into account as we study the universe. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. Correlates to National Science Education Standards, National Educational Technology Standards, and standards of the Association for the Advancement of Science. A Cambridge Educational Production. (27 minutes)
#34744 The Invisible Universe (Run Time 24 min.) DVD $89.95
In the darkness of space, invisible energy fills the vast regions between the stars. This video sheds light on intergalactic radio waves, microwaves, X-rays, deadly gamma rays, and other forms of energy not visible to the naked eye. Information on technology for seeing the invisible universe such as the Very Large Array radio telescope, the Infrared Astronomical Satellite, the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the Chandra and Newton X-ray Observatories will give students a new view of the "emptiness" of space. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. Correlates to National Science Education Standards, National Educational Technology Standards, and standards of the Association for the Advancement of Science. A Cambridge Educational Production. (24 minutes)
#34745 Black Holes, Pulsars, and Other Odd Bodies (Run Time 23 min.) DVD $89.95
This video introduces some of the oddest objects in space: black holes, bottomless gravity pits that can trap even light; neutron stars, more massive than our Sun but packed into spheres less than ten miles across; quasars, those beacons from the dawn of the universe; and, for an explosive finale, supernovas. Magnetars and the Local Bubble are also discussed, along with CHIPS, the Cosmic Hot Interstellar Plasma Spectrometer. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. Correlates to National Science Education Standards, National Educational Technology Standards, and standards of the Association for the Advancement of Science. A Cambridge Educational Production. (23 minutes)
#34746 Yesterday the Moon, Tomorrow Mars? (Run Time 24 min.) DVD $89.95
How did we get to the Moon? What have we accomplished in the years since? And what challenges lie ahead? To answer these questions, this video tracks the history of Projects Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo; touches on Skylab, the International Space Station, the space shuttle, and the crew exploration vehicle; and considers next steps toward colonizing Mars, including robotic data-gathering missions involving the Spirit and Opportunity rovers, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and the Mars Science Laboratory. Plans to return to the Moon are also discussed. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. Correlates to National Science Education Standards, National Educational Technology Standards, and standards of the Association for the Advancement of Science. A Cambridge Educational Production. (24 minutes)
#34747 Living in Space (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $89.95
This video gives students a dramatic view of what it's like to live and work in space with action footage of the International Space Station, the Buran-Energia Shuttle, the Mir Space Station, and Skylab. The pros and cons of living in an environment lacking Earth's gravity, protective atmosphere, and moderate temperatures (relatively speaking) are considered, and the future of space exploration, as outlined in George W. Bush's "A Renewed Spirit of Discovery" address, is mapped out. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. Correlates to National Science Education Standards, National Educational Technology Standards, and standards of the Association for the Advancement of Science. A Cambridge Educational Production. (24 minutes)
#34748 Is Anybody Out There? (Run Time 27 min.) DVD $89.95
What are the odds that life exists elsewhere in the universe, and what are we doing to find out? Topics in this video range from the meaning of the Drake Equation and assumptions being used to narrow the vast field of stars in which scientists are searching, to the Doppler and transit methods of discovering extrasolar planets, to three initiatives that will help pinpoint probable life-supporting worlds: the Kepler mission, the spectroscopic Life Finder mission, and the Terrestrial Planet Finder observatories. A viewable/printable instructor's guide is available online. Correlates to National Science Education Standards, National Educational Technology Standards, and standards of the Association for the Advancement of Science. A Cambridge Educational Production. (27 minutes)
#6229 The Chemistry of the Interstellar Medium as Revealed by Spectroscopy (Run Time 60 min.) DVD $129.95
Radioastronomical observations of our galaxy have revealed hordes of molecules in the interstellar medium. Indeed, the mass of molecules residing between the stars is equivalent to that of 1,000 million suns-so the chemistry involved is slightly more important than that on earth! This program features William Klemperer of Harvard University and explains that, amazingly, the key to understanding this phenomenon is the chemistry of the helium ion. (60 minutes)
#6966 Point of No Return: The Challenger Disaster (Run Time 25 min.) DVD $129.95
Seventy-three seconds after takeoff, the shuttle Challenger exploded. This documentary examines how political pressure and scientific arrogance doomed the project from the beginning. American and international experts discuss why some officials ignored warnings about possible equipment problems, and how they coerced other officials into keeping quiet. Government attempts to cover up what really happened are exposed. Scientists, including Nobel laureate Richard Feynman, provide detailed explanations of the mechanical failures that caused the disaster. (25 minutes)
#8622 Space Frontier: The Future of Space Exploration (Run Time 54 min.) DVD $129.95
By 2019, a colony on the Red Planet-the stuff of science fiction-is expected to become scientific fact. Using computer simulations and interviews with scientists, robotics experts, and officials from NASA and the National Space Society, this program investigates the four main challenges to initiating a self-sustaining colony on Mars. An economical, single-stage, reusable spacecraft must be developed, such as the proposed Venture Star. The effects of long-term low- and zero-gravity living must be studied and counteracted, on the Moon and at the multi-national Alpha space station. The Moon must be developed as a launch platform. And robots must be sent to Mars to prepare for human habitation and create stores of fuel. Once established, a Mars colony will become the jumping-off point for exploring the rest of the solar system and the cosmos beyond. (54 minutes)
#33282 Hypernovas and Stellar Nurseries (Run Time 50 min.) DVD $129.95
Not all stellar nurseries occur near hypernovas, yet it appears that hypernovas only occur in stellar nurseries. What is the connection between them? This program illustrates how a scientific quest to understand massive intergalactic gamma ray bursts revealed to Stanford Woosley, of the University of California, Santa Cruz; the University of Cambridge's Sir Martin Rees; Princeton University's Bohdan Paczynski; and Dale Frail, of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, the nature of massive stars-and the possibility that they will point the way to the place where the very first stars were born. Original BBCW broadcast title: The Death Star. (50 minutes)
#34118 Time Trip (Run Time 50 min.) DVD $129.95
This program explores the complex landscape of time travel theory. Starting with Newton's conclusions that time is fixed and events predetermined, then explaining Einstein's eradication of those notions, the program focuses on exotic speculation begun in the latter part of the 20th century. Interviews with renowned theorists-including Dr. Frank Tipler, who proposes time travel via spinning structures in space, and Dr. Richard Gott, leading advocate of cosmic strings as time travel hubs-create an engaging tapestry of possibilities, among them the likelihood that reality may be a Newtonian puppet show after all. A BBCW Production. (50 minutes)
36937 Bye-Bye, Planet Pluto (Run Time 50 min.) DVD $129.95
Examining the work of several renowned astronomers-including NASA's Alan Stern, Minor Planet Center director Brian Marsden, and Kuiper Belt pioneers David Jewitt and Jane Luu-this program will expand viewer awareness of the vast array of solar system bodies which science has brought to light in recent years. It also describes the painstaking process by which Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto and provides rich insight into the discoveries and deliberations which resulted in Pluto's demotion to minor planet status. Using both high-tech animation and low-tech, table-top props, the film deftly illustrates solar system structure and aspects of the Kuiper Belt. A BBCW Production. (50 minutes)
#2928 Aurora Borealis (Run Time 26 min.) DVD $149.95
The aurora is a phenomenon that has, until recently, defied filming. This program is the result of a new method of filming, which was used in Alaska, Canada, Scotland, Wales, and the South Pole. (26 minutes)
#32210 Exploring the Cosmos (Run Time 57 min.) DVD $149.95
This program features Freeman Dyson, an elder statesman of the scientific community whose ideas are so original in scope that his colleagues coined the term "Dysonian" to describe any highly imaginative idea. Joining him are astrophysicist Sara Seagar, a rising star in planetary system research who studies large extra-solar planets; John Bahcall, a pioneer in neutrino astrophysics and the driving force behind the construction of the Hubble Space Telescope; and Feryal Ozel, a specialist on the subjects of neutron stars and black holes. Their discussion of space, ranging from extraterrestrial life to comets on a collision course with Earth, is out of this world. (57 minutes)
#36379 Most of Our Universe Is Missing: Dark Matter and Dark Energy (Run Time 50 min.) DVD $149.95
"What is everywhere, not made of atoms, and can't be seen?" Dark matter, says renowned astrophysicist David Spergel-but not everyone in the cosmological community is in agreement with him. This program presents the views of Spergel and other key figures in the debate, including Princeton University's P. James Peebles and Jeremiah Ostriker; Timothy Sumner, of Imperial College London; astrophysicist Mordechai Milgrom; and Saul Perlmutter, a member of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's physics division. Experiments in Europe's deepest mine looking for the elusive neutralino, the concept of variable gravity, and what may well become the new standard model of how the universe works are all scrutinized. Original BBCW broadcast title: Most of Our Universe Is Missing. (50 minutes)
#10595 The Universe: A Guided Tour (Run Time min.) DVD $199.95
This stunning visual encyclopedia of the solar system, the galaxy, and the universe combines the content of The Complete Cosmos VHS series with the advantages of DVD technology, providing instant accessibility and outstanding picture and sound quality. This two-part DVD encyclopedia is meticulously researched, completely customizable for classroom use, and as authoritative as it is captivating. Part one, The Solar System, includes 13 ten-minute programs on the Sun, the planets, the Moon, comets, phenomena such as eclipses and the aurora borealis, the search for extraterrestrial life, and the threat of comet or asteroid impact with the Earth. Part two, Discovery, includes 12 ten-minute programs on the past, present, and future of astronomy and space exploration; high-tech tools such as the Hubble Space Telescope, robot probes, and satellites; life aboard the space shuttle and the Mir space station; black holes and dark matter; the structure of the universe; and the Big Bang.DVD features include:o Full menu control with navigation to any indexed segment-instantlyo Preprogramming, allowing indexed segments to be joined in any ordero Multiple language tracks, including English, Spanish, French, and Germano Captioning for the Deaf and hard-of-hearingo High-end computer animation based on imaging from the Hubble Space Telescope and NASA planetary probeso Dolby stereoo A link to an online companion guide that includes detailed notes for all 25 episodes, including scientific background information, questions and activities, and dozens of additional research linksCan be viewed using a DVD player or computer DVD-ROM drive.
#8293 The Complete Cosmos (Run Time min.) DVD $649.35
This unique 13-part series is a visual encyclopedia of the planets, the galaxy, and the universe. Rich in awe-inspiring images and meticulous research, it presents information on everything from the reason for seasons, to the Hale-Bopp comet and black holes. This is a definitive introduction to the study of space and astronomy. 13-part series.
#34740 Cambridge Core Science Series: Space Science (Run Time min.) DVD $719.60
With the International Space Station a reality, a return to the Moon by 2020, and a manned Mars shot a decade or so later, a career in space science has never been a more realistic option for students. Inspire them to reach for the stars as you introduce them to astronomy, astrophysics, aerospace engineering, the history of space exploration, and the process of scientific inquiry with this eight-part series. Highlights include incredible footage from orbiting observatories and space probes, commentary by leading scientists and researchers, and animated diagrams that make complex concepts easier to understand. Viewable/printable instructor's guides are available online. Correlates to National Science Education Standards, National Educational Technology Standards, and standards of the Association for the Advancement of Science. A Cambridge Educational Production. 8-part series, 23-29 minutes each.
#2106 Video Encyclopedia of Space (Run Time min.) DVD $989.45
A history and a survey of the scientific discoveries and technological developments that have led from the ancient geocentric theories that posited the Earth as the center of the world to the designs for interplanetary travel and the construction of a 10-million-inhabitant city in space. 11-part series, 28 minutes each.
