Ep. 37: Gravitational Lensing

Astronomers are always trying to get their hands on bigger and more powerful telescopes. But the most powerful telescopes in the Universe are completely natural, and the size of a galaxy cluster. When you use the gravity of a galaxy as a lens, you can peer right back to the edges of the observable Universe. Episode 37: Gravitational Lensing (12.7MB)
 

Ep. 26: The Largest Structures in the Universe

This week we continue the story of galaxy formation, learning how groups of galaxies come together to form the biggest structures around - galaxy superclusters. And when you look at the Universe at this scale, environment is everything.
 

Episode 26: The Largest Structures in the Universe (15 MB)
 

Ep. 25: The Story of Galaxy Evolution

Our Milky Way is a complex and majestic barred spiral galaxy. But 13.7 billion years ago it began, like all galaxies, from the elementary particles formed in the Big Bang. How did our galaxy grow from nothing to the hundreds of billions of stars we see today?
 

Episode 25: The Story of Galaxy Evolution (13.8 MB)
 

Ep. 18: Black Holes Big and Small

We're finally ready to deal with the topic you've all been waiting for: Schwarzschild swirlers, Chandrasekhar crushers, ol' matter manglers, sucking singularities... you might know them as black holes. Join as as we examine how black holes form, what they consume, and just how massive they can get. Download Episode 18: Black Holes Big and Small (13 MB)