The public video lectures just cover the astronomy content from the Astronomy Notes textbook. The public lectures do not include the material that is for the astronomy class such as how to use the class Canvas, lecture outlines in the Student Guide, exam review documents, etc. Students in the Bakersfield College astronomy classes should use the astronomy class lecture videos posted in the class Canvas to get that class-specific content.
This video set concentrates on the terrestrial planet atmospheres. The video lectures are grouped together in the Planet Atmospheres Public YouTube playlist. For the Jovian Planet atmospheres and interiors, see the Jovian planets video lectures. Here are the individual videos for the terrestrial planet atmospheres:
Video 1: (for webpage #3) This video is about the escape and retention of planet atmospheres through the thermal loss mechanism. It looks at the two factors determining the loss of an atmosphere: the escape velocity and temperature. It includes a brief description of non-thermal mechanisms. First of a set about terrestrial planet atmospheres and third lecture for chapter 9 of Astronomy Notes.
Video 2: (for webpages #4 and #5) This video is about the basic properties of gases, what determines the surface temperature of a terrestrial planet, the greenhouse effect, and the layers of an atmosphere. Second of a set about terrestrial planet atmospheres and fourth lecture for chapter 9 of Astronomy Notes.
Video 3: (for webpages #6 and #7) This video is about the transporting of heat energy in an atmosphere via radiation and convection. It also looks at how the rotation of a planet can affect the circulation of air via the Coriolis effect, the effect of clouds, and how mountains and ocean currents affect a region's climate. Third of a set about terrestrial planet atmospheres and fifth lecture for chapter 9 of Astronomy Notes.
Video 4: (for webpage #8) This video is about the difference between weather and climate and the four ways a planet's climate can change: solar brightening, axis tilt & orbit shape changes (Milankovitch cycles), reflectivity (albedo) changes, and greenhouse gas abundance changes. The greenhouse effect is briefly described. Fourth of a set about terrestrial planet atmospheres and sixth lecture for chapter 9 of Astronomy Notes.
last updated: July 2, 2022