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to School - Educational Resources
"An investment in knowledge always pays the best
interest." ~ Benjamin Franklin
Do you wish that you had taken an astronomy course in college?
Is your high school earth science class too easy? Now you
can take a college-level introductory astronomy class online for free.
Four astronomy classes are offered
by reputable
colleges via podcast. Course descriptions from the
universities' website and links to their home pages are below.
One can learn a tremendous amount of knowledge by listening
while
commuting to work or school. I learned a lot listening to NPR
and talk
radio in the 80's before it was taken over by the right-wing.
With advent of podcasts, one can download a show on almost
any
topic to an MP3 player and listen in the car. Thirty minutes
of
commute time everyday adds up quickly, so before you know it, you've
completed a semester-long course in astronomy.
For a links to over one hundred different college-level
astronomy courses, see this list compiled by Eckerd College, St. Petersburg,
FLA.
If a whole semester of astronomy is too much, check
out Astronomy Cast by
Prof. Pamela Gay and Fraiser Cain. Pamela
is a visiting assistant professor of Physics at Southern
Illinois University Edwardsville, where she teaches introductory
physics and astronomy courses. Fraiser Cain is the publisher of
Universe Today website. As of April 16, 2009, 133 excellent
podcasts
are available on various astronomy topics. The
solar system
tour
were my favorites (episodes 49 to 52, 55 to 57, 59 and 61 to 65).
Topics include "The Fermi Paradox: Where Are All the
Aliens?",
"Lagrange Points", "Building a Career in
Astronomy", "How
Amateurs Can Contribute to Astronomy" and "A
Universe of Dark Energy." Pick and choose the topics that
interest you. Another podcast is available every week or two.
Ohio
State University
Astronomy 161: An Introduction to
Solar System Astronomy - Prof. Richard Pogge
Prof. Pogge has the most complete supporting materials
including advice on how to study for the final exam.
Astronomy 161 is an introduction to modern astronomy, with an
emphasis on the Solar System. The course begins with an exploration of
the historical development of astronomy, tracing the path by which we
have come to our present understanding of the Universe. Along the way
we will build up the basic toolkit of physical concepts that we will
need for our later explorations, specifically the nature of light,
matter, and gravitation. The second part of the course is devoted to an
overview of modern solar system astronomy, with particular emphasis on
the constituents of the solar system, comparative planetology
(structure, surfaces, & atmospheres) and the history and
evolution
of the solar system. We will end by discussing the exciting new
discoveries of planets around other stars.
The Starry Night
Introduction
Discovering Earth & Sky
The Rise of Modern Astronomy
The Revolutions of the Heavenly Orbs
The Physics of Astronomy: Gravitation,
Matter, & Light
The Family of the Sun
The Earth & The Moon
The Family of the Sun
Worlds Beyond the Sun
Exoplanets: Planets Around Other Stars
Are We Alone? - Life in the Universe
Ohio State
University
Astronomy 162: Introduction to
Stars, Galaxies, & the Universe - Prof. Richard Pogge
Astronomy 162 is an overview of modern astrophysics beyond our
Solar
System, picking up where Astronomy 161 left off. The course is divided
into three interlinking parts that will review what astronomers have
learned about the stars, the galaxies, and the Universe. We will
examine how these ideas have been developed and tested against
observations, and explore a few of the outstanding problems faced by
current astronomical research. The questions to be addressed include:
What are stars? Where do stars get their energy? What is the fate of
the Sun and other stars? What are galaxies? What is the Big Bang model
of the Universe? What is "Dark Matter"? What is the ultimate fate of
the Universe?
Introduction
Light, Matter, & Gravity
The Stars
The Stars in Their Courses:
Observed Properties of the Stars
The Starry Dynamo: Stellar
Structure & Evolution
Death &
Transfiguration: The Endpoints of Stellar Evolution
Galaxies & the Universe
Island Universes: The Milky Way
& External Galaxies
The Machinery of Night: The
Evolving Universe
Frontiers
The Great Ocean of Truth:
Frontiers of Modern Astronomy
UC Berkley Webcast
Courses
Astro C10 / LS C70U Introduction
to General Astronomy -
Instructor Alex Filippenko
Astro 10: General Astronomy - A description of
modern
astronomy with emphasis on the structure and evolution of stars,
galaxies, and the Universe. Additional topics optionally discussed
include quasars, pulsars, black holes, and extraterrestrial
communication, etc.
A Grand Tour of the Cosmos (The audio
quality of this podcast is poor, but others in the list are fine.)
Journey Through Space and Time
The Supreme Informant
Blackbody Radiation
The Fingerprints of Atoms
Tools of the Trade
Lunar Phases and Glorious Eclipses
Celestial Phenomena
The Copernican Revolution
On the Shoulders of Giants
The Earth: Our Home
The Moon, Mercury, and Venus
Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn
Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto
Comets and Solar-System Debris
Catastrophic Collisions
Extra-Solar Planets; Our Sun
Stars: Distant Suns
Social Stars: Binaries and
Clusters
How Stars Shine: Cosmic Furnaces
The Fate of Our Sun
Exploding Stars: Celestial Fireworks
The Corpses of Massive Stars
Hearts of Darkness
The Quest for Black Holes
The Milky Way and Other Galaxies
The Dark Side of Matter
The Expansion of the Universe
Quasars: Cosmic Powerhouses
In the Belly of the Beast
Cosmology and the Dark Night Sky
The Age of the Universe
The Geometry of the Universe
Einstein's Biggest Blunder?
Echoes of the Big Bang
The Contents of the Universe
The First Few MInutes of the Universe
In the Beginning
The Ultimate Free Lunch?
A Multiverse? The Search for Life
UC Berkley Webcast
Courses
Astro 10P Introduction to General Astronomy
Instructor Joshua Bloom
Astro 10P: Introduction to General Astronomy - A
description
of modern astronomy with emphasis on the structure and evolution of
stars, galaxies, and the Universe. Additional topics optionally
discussed include quasars, pulsars, black holes, and extraterrestrial
communication.
Cosmic Orientation I
Cosmic Orientation II
Waves and Radiation in Space I
Waves and Radiation in Space II
Observing the Universe I
Observing the Universe II
Observing the Universe III
Earth-Sun-Moon System I
Earth-Sun-Moon System II
The Solar System I
The Solar System II
Stars and Star Formation I
Stars and Star Formation II
Fate of Stars I (podcast not available)
Fate of Stars II
Brown Dwarfs and Stellar Explosions I
Brown Dwarfs and Stellar Explosions II
Neutron Stars and Black Holes I
Neutron Stars and Black Holes II
Our Galaxy
Galaxies Clusters and the Growth of Structure I
Clusters and the Growth of Structure II (podcast
not available)
Big Bang I
Big Bang II
Big Bang III
Life in the Universe and the Ultimate Fate
Michigan
Tech University, PH1600
Introductory Astronomy by Prof. Robert Nemiroff
This excellent introduction to astronomy for non-science majors is available from iTunes.
Lecture #1: A Grand Tour of the Heavens
Lecture #2: Universe Scale,
and Light
Lecture #3: Universe Scale, and Light (Cont.)
Lecture #4: Moon Phases and Eclipses
Lecture #5: Magnitudes and Calendars
Lecture #6: The Terrestrial Planets: Mercury, Venus, and Mars
Lecture #7: Earth and Moon
Lecture #8: Jupiter and Uranus
Lecture #9: Saturn and Neptune
Lecture #10: Pluto, Dwarf Planets, and Asteroids
Lecture #11: Comets and Meteors
Lecture #12: The Sun's Atmosphere
Lecture #13: The Sun's Interior
Lecture #14: Star: Single and Binary
Lecture #15: Star Clusters
Lecture #16: Star Death
Lecture #17: Black Holes
Lecture #18: Our Milky Way Galaxy
Lecture #19: Galaxies
Lecture #20: The Distant Universe
Lecture #21: Geometry of the Universe
Lecture #22: The Beginning of Our Universe
Lecture #23: Early Forces and Inflation