ASTR 1151 - Introductory Astronomy: Stars and Galaxies

Delivery Online, self-paced

Course Description

This is a general interest introductory course on the night sky, stars and galaxies, and is intended for non-science majors. Topics Include: Telescopes and observing the night sky, radiation and spectra, stellar properties and evolution, black holes, the Milky Way and other galaxies, and cosmology.

Learning outcomes

Describe the sky above
Identify and explain radiation and spectra
Identify and describe astronomical instruments
Describe the Sun's nuclear fusion processes and explain the methods of energy transport
Explain the aspects of starlight such as how to determine magnitudes and colours of the stars
Describe the different types of stars in the Galaxy
Explain how to determine distances, masses and sizes of stars
Describe stellar evolution from birth to death, black holes, and the Milky Way galaxy
Describe other types of galaxies and aspects of cosmology

Course topics

Unit 1: The Sky Above
Unit 2: The Nature of Light
Unit 3: Instrumentation
Unit 4: Why Stars Shine
Unit 5: Properties of Stars
Unit 6: The Life Cycles of Stars
Unit 7: Stellar Graveyard
Unit 8: Galaxies and the Universe
Unit 9: Cosmology

Required text and materials

The following Open Education Resources (OER) textbook is required for this course:

Open Stax (2022) Astronomy 2e. OpenStax. https://openstax.org/details/books/astronomy-2 e

Assessments

Please be aware that should your course have a final exam, you are responsible for the fee to the online proctoring service, ProctorU, or to the in-person approved Testing Centre. Please contact exams@tru.ca with any questions about this.

To successfully complete this course, students must achieve a passing grade of 50% or higher on the overall course and 50% or higher on the mandatory Final Exam.

Learning Journal	18%
Assignment 1: Constellations	8%
Assignment 2: Telescopes	8%
Assignment 3: Astronomy in the News	8%
Assignment 4: Astronomy Picture of the Day	8%
Research Project: Citizen Science Project	20%
Mandatory Final Exam	30%
Total	100%

Exclusions

ASTR 1150

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ASTR 1151 - 71444

Start: Any Time

Online, self-paced

Available

Introductory Astronomy: Stars and Galaxies

Any Time (30 weeks duration)

Online, self-paced

Canadian in BC/YT non-credit	$837.62	Click here to get more information
Canadian outside BC/YT non-credit	$946.70	Click here to get more information
International Student non-credit	$1,661.15	Click here to get more information

3 credits

Open Learning faculty member information

An Open Learning faculty member is available to assist students. Students will receive the necessary contact information at the start of the course.