Our catalog of courses is complete. We will occasionally adjust the course listing to reflect the addition of new courses and the retirement of others.
We are leaving the solar system to see what else is out there! Textbook and lectures will be supplemented by up-to-date information from ongoing research.
Total classes: 13
Prerequisite: Algebra
Suggested grade level: High School
Suggested credit: 1 Semester science
Description
We are leaving the solar system to see what else is out there! Textbook and lectures will be supplemented by up-to-date information from ongoing research.
Outline
Week 1: History of Astronomy
Week 2: Radiation, Spectroscopy, Telescopes
Week 3: Planetology and Geology
Week 4: Mercury, the Moon, and Venus
Week 5: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn
Week 6: Uranus, Neptune and Beyond; Formation of planets
Week 7: The Sun, Stars, and the Main Sequence
Week 8: Interstellar Medium and Star Formation
Week 9: Stellar Evolution and Stellar Explosions
Week 10: Neutron Stars, Black Holes, Weird Stuff
Week 11: Milky Way and other Galaxies
Week 12: Quasars and Cosmology
Week 13: The Early Universe and…Are We Alone?
Materials and Homework
Course Materials: Astronomy Today 4/e, ISBN-13: 978-0130935717, binoculars or a small telescope, a dark sky.
Homework: Weekly reading and automated quizzes for immediate feedback. There will be occasional outdoor activities. Expect to spend two to three hours a week outside of class.
