Animations for Physics and Astronomy
Catalog for: Astronomy Animations
These animations are available for use under a Creative Commons License.

Coordinate Systems

The origin and use of Latitude and Longitude (HD)

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

The origin and use of the Horizon System (HD)

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

The origin and use of the Equatorial System (HD)

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

The origin and use of Latitude and Longitude

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

The origin and use of the Horizon System

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

The origin and use of the Equatorial System

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

The Celestial Sphere

The Celestial Sphere

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

Earth's Orbital Motion and the Sun's Motion Across the Celestial Sphere

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

The Diurnal Motion of the Stars Created by the Rotation of the Earth

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

A Simple Demonstration of Parallax

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

Stellar Parallax and the Celestial Sphere: Changing Appearance of Constellations From Earth's Motion

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

Exaggerated Stellar Parallax: the Apparent Motion of Stars due to Earth's Orbital Motion

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

Meridian and Motion of the Sun

Using a Gnomon's Shadow to track the motion of the Sun

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

Seasonal Variation of a Gnomon's Shadow

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

Eclipses

Why Solar Eclipses Happen

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

Why Solar Eclipses Don't Happen Every Month

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

Why Solar Eclipses Happen (redone)

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

Why Solar Eclipses Don't Happen Every Month (redone)

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

The geometry of solar and lunar eclipses

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

Orbital Motion

The Earth and Moon Orbit Each Other as they Orbit the Sun (not to scale!)

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

The Moon's Path around the Sun (object size exaggerated)

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

Seasons

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

Orbital Elements: Describing an Orbit About the Sun in 3D (HD)

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

Orbital Elements: Describing an Orbit About the Sun in 3D

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

Tidal Forces

Tidal Effects on a Planet and Satellite

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

Spring and Neap Tides on the Earth

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

Retrograde Motion of the Planets

Ptolemy's Model for a Superior Planet

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

Ptolemy's Model for an Inferior Planet

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

Copernicus's Model for a Superior Planet

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

Copernicus's Model for an Inferior Planet

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

The Phases of Venus

Copernicus's Model and the Phases of Venus

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

Ptolemy's Model and the Phases of Venus

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

Kepler's Laws

Kepler's First Law

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

Kepler's Second Law

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

Rotation Curves

Rotation Curve for Our Solar System

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

Rotation Curve for a Galaxy and the Wind Up Dilemma

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

Density Waves and the Stability of Galactic Spiral Arms (Artist Conception)

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

Hypothetical Rotation Curve for a ""Uniform Ball"" of Stars

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

Planets and Satellites

A Perspective of Earth's Moon

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

Relative Size of the Planets

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

A Cloudless Perspective of Venus Based Upon Radar Data

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

A Perspective of Mars

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

3-D map of Asteroids (astorb.dat from Bowell@Lowell)

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

Ringworld Fly-By: Hypothetical Construct of an Arbitrarily Advanced Civilization (large)

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

Exotic Stars and Black Holes

Pulsar: A Spinning Neutron Star with Beamed Radio Emission

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

Pulsar: A Spinning Neutron Star with Beamed Radio Emission (revised)

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

Pulsar: A Spinning Neutron Star with Beamed Radio Emission (revised and extended)

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

Eclipsing Binary

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

Eclipsing Binary II

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

Spectroscopic Binary

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

Anatomy of an Active Galactic Nucleus

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

Twisted Magnetic Fields Driving Galactic Jets

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

Mass Transfer in a close Binary Star System

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

Compact Stars and Gravitational Wells

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

Equivalence Principle

Equivalence Principle: Accelerating in Space vs. Remaining Stationary in Gravity

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

Equivalence Principle: Stationary in Space vs. Freefall in Gravity

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

Expansion of the Universe

Expansion of the Universe and Red Shift of Cosmic Background Radiation

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

Expansion of the Universe and Wavelength Red Shift

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

Hubble's Law: Red Shift/Distance and Cosmological Expansion

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

Sending Signals Across Vast Distances and the Expansion of the Universe

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

Curvature of Space

Curvature and the Bending of Geodesic Paths (HD)

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

Geodesics and Positive Curvature (HD)

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

Geodesics and Negative Curvature (HD)

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Geodesics and Zero Curvature (HD)

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

Geodesics and Positive Curvature

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

Geodesics and Negative Curvature

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

Geodesics and Zero Curvature

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

Gravitational Lensing of Light

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

Frame Dragging and the Lense-Thirring effect

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

Gravitational Waves

Gravitational Wave and Polarization

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded |

Linear Polarized Gravitational Wave

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

Elliptically Polarized Gravitational Wave

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |

Disk Formation

Disk Formation in Collapsing Cloud

| Media | QT Embedded | Old Embedded | Youtube Link |