The Pale Blue Dot (SCE 19)

  • Day and time: Thursday 11:20 - 12:20
    Weekly
  • Length of course: 1 term. Autumn (9 Weeks)
  • Number of places: 30
  • Start date: 10 October 2024
  • Description:

    The Pale Blue Dot is a photograph of Earth taken in 1990 by NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft, at a distance of 3.7 billion miles from the Sun. This course is all about the planet on which we live. It starts with Earth's rather insignificant place in the wider universe, going on to look at how (we think) it was formed, its physical makeup (and how we know what we know), and similarities and differences to other planets and moons. Then we'll look at geological history, tectonic plate motion, and the current consequences of that such as earthquakes and volcanoes. Next we'll focus on the thin skin of the planet - the atmosphere, the oceans and the continents - and finally, the biosphere.

  • Format: Lecture

  • Tutor: John Cook
  • I retired in 2018 from a long career in oilfield R&D, where the nature of the Earth was a constant and fascinating background.


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