Course Summary
Explore the wonders of the universe in this introductory course on Astronomy. Learn about the stars, planets, galaxies, and beyond!Key Learning Points
- Understand the basic principles of Astronomy and the tools used by astronomers
- Explore the formation and evolution of stars and galaxies
- Learn about the search for life beyond Earth
Job Positions & Salaries of people who have taken this course might have
- USA: $96,460
- India: ₹4,00,000
- Spain: €36,000
- USA: $96,460
- India: ₹4,00,000
- Spain: €36,000
- USA: $62,000
- India: ₹3,00,000
- Spain: €25,000
- USA: $96,460
- India: ₹4,00,000
- Spain: €36,000
- USA: $62,000
- India: ₹3,00,000
- Spain: €25,000
- USA: $55,000
- India: ₹2,50,000
- Spain: €22,000
Related Topics for further study
Learning Outcomes
- Understand the basic principles of Astronomy and the tools used by astronomers
- Explain the formation and evolution of stars and galaxies
- Describe the search for life beyond Earth
Prerequisites or good to have knowledge before taking this course
- High school level knowledge of physics and mathematics
- Access to a computer with internet connection
Course Difficulty Level
IntroductoryCourse Format
- Online Self-paced Course
- Video Lectures
- Quizzes and Assignments
Similar Courses
- The Science of the Solar System
- The Search for Exoplanets
Related Education Paths
Notable People in This Field
- Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Brian Cox
Related Books
Description
This course is designed for anyone who is interested in learning more about modern astronomy. We will help you get up to date on the most recent astronomical discoveries while also providing support at an introductory level for those who have no background in science.
Outline
- Astronomy: Exploring Time and Space
- Welcome Video
- Prof. Impey's Science Learning Survey Invitation
- About the course
- About us
- Social media
- Syllabus
- Grading policy
- Course Participation and Motivation Survey
- Survey Verification "Quiz"
- Science and History
- Science and History Introduction
- Vision
- Discovery
- Imagination
- Reasoning
- Uncertainty and Measurements
- Causation and Correlation
- Evidence
- Scientific Method
- Information
- Ancient Astronomy
- Calendars
- Lunar Cultural Connections
- Greek Science
- Copernican Revolution
- Kepler
- Galileo
- Copernican Vindication
- Lesson one overview
- Lecture slide .pdfs
- Supplementary materials
- Science and History Quiz A
- Science and History Quiz B
- The Night Sky
- Night Sky Introduction
- The Naked Eye
- Daily Motion
- Annual Motion
- The Moon
- Eclipses
- The Planets
- Lesson two overview
- Lecture slide .pdfs
- Supplementary materials
- Night Sky Quiz
- The Tools of Astronomy
- Tools of Astronomy Introduction
- Telescopes
- Observing Limitations
- Observing Solutions
- Adaptive Optics
- Interferometers
- Detectors
- Space Astronomy
- Hubble Space Telescope
- Hubble Images
- Hubble Space Telescope Service Missions
- Big Glass
- Invisible Waves
- Beyond Vision
- Gravitational Waves
- An Update on Gravitational Waves
- Frontiers
- Lesson three overview
- Lecture slide .pdfs
- Supplementary materials
- Tools for Astronomy Quiz A
- Tools for Astronomy Quiz B
- Matter and Radiation
- Matter and Radiation Introduction
- Unity
- Atoms
- Substructure
- The Higgs Boson
- Forces
- Forms of Energy
- Light
- Radiation
- Chemistry
- Spectra
- Heat Energy
- Mass Energy
- Gravity
- Gravity and Space-time
- Relativity
- Lesson four overview
- Lecture slide .pdfs
- Supplementary materials
- Matter and Radiation Quiz A
- Matter and Radiation Quiz B
- The Solar System
- Solar System Introduction
- Formation
- Comparisons
- Inner Planets
- Mars
- Mars and Water
- Mars Up Close
- Future Mars
- Jovian Planets
- Outer Regions
- Solar System Satellites
- Titan
- Water Worlds
- Small Bodies
- Space Exploration Introduction
- Mastering Space
- The Role of NASA
- Commercial Sector
- Future Technology
- Lesson five overview
- Lecture slide .pdfs
- Supplementary materials
- Solar System Quiz A
- Solar System Quiz B
- Space Exploration Quiz
- Exoplanets
- Exoplanets Introduction
- Exoplanets
- Detection and Imaging
- Doppler
- Transits
- Characterizing Exoplanets
- Earths
- Kepler
- Habitable Zones
- Biomarkers
- Habitable Worlds Update
- Lesson six overview
- Lecture slide .pdfs
- Supplementary materials
- Extrasolar Planets Quiz
- Star Birth and Death
- Star Birth and Death Introduction
- Stars and Life
- Star Formation
- The Sun
- Properties of Stars
- Stellar Evolution
- Nucleosynthesis in Low-mass Stars
- Nucleosynthesis in High-mass Stars
- Late Stages of Evolution
- Supernovae
- Pulsars
- Black Holes
- Testing Gravity
- Lesson seven overview
- Lecture slide .pdfs
- Supplementary materials
- Stars Quiz A
- Stars Quiz B
- Galaxies
- Galaxies Introduction
- Milky Way
- Mass and Motions
- Dark Matter
- Evidence for Dark Matter
- The Galactic Center
- Properties of Galaxies
- When Galaxies Collide
- Galaxy Distances
- Large Scale Structure
- Structure Formation
- Active Galaxies
- Quasars
- Cosmic Expansion
- Dark Energy
- Lesson eight overview
- Lecture slide .pdfs
- Supplementary materials
- Galaxies Quiz A
- Galaxies Quiz B
- Activity no. 1, "Galaxy Zoo"
- Cosmology
- Cosmology Introduction
- Scales of Space
- Olbers Paradox
- Old Light and Lookback Time
- Contents of the Universe
- Cosmology
- Microwave Background
- Big Bang
- Unification
- Early Universe
- Present and Future
- The Multiverse: Quantum Genesis
- The Multiverse: Brane Theory
- Lesson nine overview
- Lecture slide .pdfs
- Supplementary materials
- Cosmology Quiz
- Life in the Universe
- Astrobiology Introduction
- Biology
- The Unity of Life
- Extremophiles
- Exobiology
- The Origin of Life
- The Evolution of Life
- The Nature of Intelligence
- Weird Life
- Companionship
- Drake Equation
- Communication
- Fermi Question
- Life as Computation
- The Simulation Hypothesis
- Lesson ten overview
- Lecture slide .pdfs
- Supplementary materials
- Astrobiology Quiz A
- Astrobiology Quiz B
- Activity no. 2, "Observing Project"
Summary of User Reviews
Explore the wonders of the universe with the Astro course on Coursera. Students rave about the engaging content and knowledgeable instructors. Gain a solid foundation in astronomy and astrophysics while learning at your own pace.Key Aspect Users Liked About This Course
engaging contentPros from User Reviews
- Knowledgeable instructors
- High-quality course material
- Great for beginners and those with some background in astronomy
- Flexible learning options
- Interactive quizzes and assignments
Cons from User Reviews
- Some students may find the course too basic
- Lack of hands-on activities
- Limited interaction with other students
- No certificate available for audit learners
- Not all topics covered in-depth
Chris ImpeyTop Instructor
4.8 Raiting
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