Overview
A qualitative introduction to modern astronomy, exploring the Sun-Earth system and our place in the universe. Topics include the history of astronomy, stellar evolution, planets, and cosmology.
Special topics included are: "the size and age of the universe", "the search for extra-terrestrial intelligence" and "what would be the effect of a large meteor impact on the Earth?" This paper is intended for students who have an interest in a broad education. We aim to facilitate a continuing interest in astronomy and space exploration.
About this paper
| Paper title | Introduction to Astronomy |
|---|---|
| Subject | Astronomy |
| EFTS | 0.1500 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period | Semester 2 (On campus) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) | $1,243.65 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Restriction
- PHSI 170
- Schedule C
- Science
- Notes
- This paper is not a prerequisite for Physics 200-Level major subject requirements.
- Contact
- craig.rodger@otago.ac.nz
- Teaching staff
- Textbooks
Recommended textbook; Seeds and Backman (Foundations of Astronomy, Thomson Brooks/Cole, 14th edition, 2019)
or
Fraknoi, Morrison, and Wolff (Astronomy, OpenStax, 2nd edition, Mar 2022: https://openstax.org/details/books/astronomy-2e)
- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
- Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Lifelong learning, Scholarship, Critical thinking, Information literacy, Self-motivation. View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.
- Learning Outcomes
Students completing this paper will:
- Be aware of the essential aspects of our understanding of the wider universe
- Know the importance of historical aspects and the progressive development of ideas
- Grasp the range of scale sizes and numerical values needed to describe astronomical scales of time, space and mass