Space, Relatively Speaking | Episode 5

12/21/17 • 16 min

The solar system is a big place, and while Colin's testing the shuttle, Sarah and Matthew have a visitor. David drops by to explain a bit about relativity and distance within the solar system and the universe in general. And watch out for mighty Zordon of the Orcs. Things to Learn What happens when you're travelling close to the speed of light? What's a light second? How fast are you travelling right now, and why don't you realise it? Why do two trucks seem to take ages over passing each other?

Previous Episode

Surviving in Open Space | Episode 4

Since leaving Titan last month we’ve been doing a bit of deep space exploration in The Tardigrade. And although space can look a bit… empty, it’s actually as hostile an environment as you’re ever likely to find. Out here we’re totally reliant on some pretty fragile materials and equipment keeping us alive. I’m sure everything will be fine of course, but what if something did go wrong? On this episode we’ll create a simulation that shows a rather unfortunate “virtual Colin” tossed out into deep space wearing only his pants. Intrigued? Well, I wouldn’t be. But whatever floats your space boat I suppose… Things to Learn What would happen to you if you were floating in deep space without a spacesuit? Is it possible to survive in deep space? What's the speed of light? How do scientists talk about the massive numbers we're working with in space. Why is Earth’s ozone layer so important? Task Send us a tweet https://twitter.com/HostileWorldsHQ (@HostileWorldsHQ) and let us know where you’d like us to take The Tardigrade next.

Next Episode

The Life cycle of a Star | Episode 6

As the crew of The Tardigrade prepare to land on Venus, Matthew heads back down to Earth to get some supplies. Whilst back on the home planet, he pays a visit to St. Andrews Observatory to have a look at the James Gregory Telescope - the biggest telescope in Scotland. The custodian of this fine piece of equipment is Dr. Aleks Scholz, an observational astronomer who studies problems in star and planet formation. This was a good opportunity for us all to learn something new, so Aleks is going to talk us through the life cycle of a star. Things to Learn How do stars from? Why does size matter when it comes to star formation? How do stars die? What determines the ultimate fate of a star? What causes stars to explode? How will our own sun die? What impact will the sun dying have on the planets in our solar system? If Aleks could visit anywhere in the universe, where would he go?