Course

Course Summary
Credit Type:
Course
ACE ID:
OTLR-0004
Organization:
Outlier.org
Location:
Online
Length:
7 weeks (140-210 hours) or 14 weeks (140-210 hours)
Dates Offered:
Credit Recommendation & Competencies
Level Credits (SH) Subject
Lower-Division Baccalaureate 4 introduction to astronomy
Description

Objective:

The course objective is to tour the history of the universe using modern technology and the constantly evolving knowledge of generations of astronomers and physicists. This course uses relevant and exciting discoveries to introduce light, the origin of the solar system, the Sun, the Earth, the Moon, the inner and outer planets and their moons, exoplanets, the lifecycles of stars, dead stars, the Milky Way and other galaxies, black holes, the Big Bang, dark matter and energy, and the fate of the universe.

Learning Outcomes:

  • relate the motions of the earth, moon, and sun to seasons, moon phases, eclipses, and the apparent motion of the stars
  • explain the properties of light and how telescopes are used to observe the sky
  • characterize the gravitational interplay of the Sun and the planets in our solar system
  • describe the techniques used to study distant stars and how they were first used to measure the distance to our Sun
  • explain how stars are born and how they die, in some cases creating black holes
  • describe the structural components of the galaxy; characterize the different types of galaxies and how they can change throughout time
  • discuss the mysteries of dark matter and the expansion of the universe
  • discuss how the universe began and how it may end
  • compare and contrast the relative sizes of planets, stars, galaxies, and the observable universe

General Topics:

  • The history of human astronomy and observation
  • What is light
  • Image processing
  • Observing techniques
  • Peering inside nebulas: the cradles of stars
  • Types of stars and star clusters
  • Going deeper: nuclear fission
  • History of stellar catalogs
  • Stellar distances
  • Stellar classification
  • What are stars made of and astronomers periodic table
  • The HR diagram
  • The early days around the Sun
  • Star forming regions as laboratories
  • Our current solar system
  • The snow line, inner versus outer planets
  • Interstellar asteroids
  • Physical properties of the Sun
  • Solar activity and cycles
  • Solar wind and space weather
  • Observing the Sun
  • Geological time
  • Earth's interior
  • Plate tectonics
  • Earth's atmosphere
  • Impacts on the Earth
  • History and geology of the moon
  • Appearances and effects of the moon's motions
  • Past and future exploration of the moon
  • Astronomy and astrology
  • Mercury: an extreme end-member planet
  • Venus: past and future exploration
  • Mars: our next frontier
  • Comparative planetology
  • The story of Pluto and new horizons
  • History of finding planets around other stars
  • Further methods of detection explained
  • The Kepler mission
  • The menagerie of planets discovered
  • Atmospheres, and the search for biosignatures
  • Ages of stars: an overview
  • Star clusters
  • Mass and stellar evolution
  • The Sun as a great clock
  • Stars through the ages
  • How the Sun will end
  • How massive stars will end
  • The giant phase
  • The degenerates
  • Event horizon and LIGO results
  • Gaia DR2 and the galaxy
  • Kinematic structures
  • The Gaia Enceladus Merger explained
  • The Sagittarius Dwarf interactions
  • Island universes
  • Big black holes near us
  • Quasars and their relatives
  • Supermassive black holes
  • M87 and the first image of a supermassive black hole
  • Scale of the observable universe
  • Big Bang basics
  • Evidence of the Big Bang
  • The cosmic microwave background
  • Modern views of the Big Bang
  • Misconceptions of the Big Bang
  • Galaxy clusters
  • Interacting galaxies
Instruction & Assessment

Instructional Strategies:

  • Audio Visual Materials
  • Computer Based Training
  • Discussion
  • Lectures
  • Practical Exercises

Methods of Assessment:

  • Examinations
  • Other
  • Quizzes
  • Discussion

Minimum Passing Score:

70%
Supplemental Materials