About this course: An introduction to modern astronomy's most important questions. The four sections of the course are Planets and Life in The Universe; The Life of Stars; Galaxies and Their Environments; The History of The Universe.
Created by: University of Rochester
Taught by: Adam Frank, Professor
Physics and Astronomy
| Commitment | 3-4 hours/week |
| Language | English |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
Are we alone in the Universe?
Planets and Life in The Universe - Exoplanets searches, exoplanet census, astrobiology
20 videos, 8 readings
- Reading: General Overview
- Reading: Grading and Logistics
- Reading: Syllabus
- Reading: About the Professor
- Reading: About the Teaching Assistant
- Reading: Optional Readings
- Reading: Exercises and Activities
- Reading: Lecture Notes
- Video: Scientific Notation
- Video: Our Place in the Cosmos
- Video: Comparative Planetology
- Video: Terrestrial Planets
- Video: Giant Planets
- Video: Gas Vs Ice Giants
- Video: Construction Debris
- Video: Exoplanets
- Video: Understanding Ellipses
- Video: Radial Velocities and the Doppler Shift
- Video: Transiting Planets
- Video: The Habitable Zone
- Video: What Exoplanets Have Taught Us
- Video: Condensation Theory
- Video: Planet Formation
- Video: Basic Chemistry
- Video: DNA and RNA
- Video: Appearance of Life
- Video: Are We Alone?
Graded: Week 1 Quiz
WEEK 2
How do Stars Evolve and Die?
The Life of Stars - Star formation, fusion and stellar middle age, black holes and stellar death-
19 videos
- Video: Nuclear Fusion
- Video: The Nature of Light
- Video: Quantum Physics
- Video: Measuring Stars
- Video: Forming a Protostar
- Video: Brown Dwarfs And Very Low Mass Stars
- Video: The Structure of a G2 Main Sequence Star
- Video: Solar Magnetic Features
- Video: Red Giants and Planetary Nebulae
- Video: White Dwarfs
- Video: Supernovas and Neutron Stars
- Video: Frames of Reference
- Video: Special Relativity
- Video: General Relativity
- Video: Escape Velocity
- Video: Black Holes
- Video: Journey into a Black Hole
- Video: Answering the Question
Graded: Week 2 Quiz
WEEK 3
What Exists Outside our Galaxy?
Galaxies and Their Environments - Galaxy types, Active Galactic Nuclei, Clusters of Clusters of Galaxies
17 videos
- Video: Interstellar Medium
- Video: Galactic Distances
- Video: Climbing the Cosmic Distance Ladder
- Video: Type Ia Supernovae
- Video: Metallicity
- Video: The Milky Way
- Video: The Galactic Disk
- Video: The Stellar Halo and the Bulgy Bar
- Video: The Galactic Center
- Video: Galactic Zoology
- Video: Introduction to Dark Matter
- Video: Types of Active Galactic Nuclei
- Video: Unified Model for AGN
- Video: Galaxy Groups and Clusters
- Video: Superclusters
- Video: Answering the Question
Graded: Week 3 Quiz
WEEK 4
What is the Fate of the Universe?
The History of The Universe - Why the Big Bang? A History of Time, What Happened Before the Big Bang
15 videos
- Video: Hubble’s Law and the Big Bang
- Video: Space-Time and Quantum Fields
- Video: The Standard Model of Particle Physics
- Video: Dark Matter
- Video: In the Beginning
- Video: Phase Transitions in the Early Universe
- Video: BBN and Recombination
- Video: Observational Evidence
- Video: The Beginning of Large Scale Structure
- Video: The Era of Quasars
- Video: Dark Energy and Cosmic Destiny
- Video: The Multiverse
- Video: Recap-History of the Cosmos
- Video: Answering the Question
Graded: Week 4 Quiz
FAQs
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Coursework
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Creators
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is one of the nation's leading private universities. Located in Rochester, N.Y., the University provides exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty through its unique cluster-based curriculum. Its College, School of Arts and Sciences, and Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences are complemented by its Eastman School of Music, Simon School of Business, Warner School of Education, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, School of Medicine and Dentistry, School of Nursing, Eastman Institute for Oral Health, and the Memorial Art Gallery.
Ratings and Reviews
The is the first time I have rated a course with 5 stars, but this one is worth it. I audited and did not take the exams, but I thoroughly enjoyed the lectures and I learned a lot.
I enjoyed every single session within this course. The topics, the materials, the small tests after each topic and as well the quizzes. Professor Frank explained everything in a clear and understandable way, I did learn a lot about our universe. Of course, studying is needed for passing this course, but I am here to learn afterall and I appreciate the quizzes which made me think and thus test my knowledge
Fascinating!!! I LOVE the online simulation tools used in this class. Amazing!
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A well thought out overview of modern astronomy. Excellent handouts.