Astrobiology 1 (Astronomy)
This course is designed as an entry-level investigation and analysis of the science of astronomy and of the fundamental characteristics and properties of the universe, including the universe’s structure, composition, origin, present state, theories regarding its end, and its patterns (such as its motions and interactions between forces, energy, and matter). In addition to the study of astronomy, the course will explore related fields such as cosmology, Newtonian physics, quantum mechanics, Einstein's theory of relativity, and string theory. The goal is to understand the broad characteristics of the universe's structure and evolution over time, create a sense of perspective of our place in the universe, as well as to explore the historical path of the development of our current knowledge and theories regarding it.
Unit One: An Overview of the Universe
Objectives:
Overview of the course, overview of definitions and concepts in astronomy, learn about the scale and organization of the universe, time, and its patterns of motion
Handouts/ Materials:
Course Syllabus, 'A Modern View of the Universe', 'Spaceship Earth'
Assignments/ Activities:
Does it Make Sense? I, IMAX: Cosmic Voyage Questions
Supplementary Links:
Interactive scale of the universe website
This website shows distance between objects in light years
Atlas of the universe (also explains scale)
What it will look like from Earth when the Andromeda and Milky Way galaxies collide
Supplementary Films:
Objectives:
Overview of the course, overview of definitions and concepts in astronomy, learn about the scale and organization of the universe, time, and its patterns of motion
Handouts/ Materials:
Course Syllabus, 'A Modern View of the Universe', 'Spaceship Earth'
Assignments/ Activities:
Does it Make Sense? I, IMAX: Cosmic Voyage Questions
Supplementary Links:
Interactive scale of the universe website
This website shows distance between objects in light years
Atlas of the universe (also explains scale)
What it will look like from Earth when the Andromeda and Milky Way galaxies collide
Supplementary Films:
Unit Two: The History of Astronomy
Objectives:
Learn about the history of astronomy from ancient times to the present, and across diverse cultures. Investigate archaeoastronomy across diverse cultures, look at the contributions of notable early astronomers
Handouts/ Materials:
'Ancient Astronomy', Archaeoastronomy Group Research Project Guidelines, 'Early Astronomers'
Assignments/ Activities:
Archaeoastronomy Group Research Project, Early Astronomers Questions, Binder Check 1, Unit Quiz One
Supplementary Links:
Try experimenting with Newton's mountain thought experiment yourself!
Supplementary Films:
Objectives:
Learn about the history of astronomy from ancient times to the present, and across diverse cultures. Investigate archaeoastronomy across diverse cultures, look at the contributions of notable early astronomers
Handouts/ Materials:
'Ancient Astronomy', Archaeoastronomy Group Research Project Guidelines, 'Early Astronomers'
Assignments/ Activities:
Archaeoastronomy Group Research Project, Early Astronomers Questions, Binder Check 1, Unit Quiz One
Supplementary Links:
Try experimenting with Newton's mountain thought experiment yourself!
Supplementary Films:
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Unit Three: A Universe of Matter and Energy
Objectives:
Understand the properties, characteristics, and interactions of matter and energy, look at the different types of energy, characteristics and properties of atoms, elements, and compounds
Handouts/ Materials:
'Matter and Energy in Everyday Life'
Assignments/ Activities:
What Temperature is it in the Universe? Activity, Does it Make Sense? II
Supplementary Links:
How atoms work
Weird 'Ice VII' phase of water can grow at over 1,000 mph
A faster, cheaper path to fusion energy
Meet the renegades building a neighborhood fusion reactor
Supplementary Films:
Objectives:
Understand the properties, characteristics, and interactions of matter and energy, look at the different types of energy, characteristics and properties of atoms, elements, and compounds
Handouts/ Materials:
'Matter and Energy in Everyday Life'
Assignments/ Activities:
What Temperature is it in the Universe? Activity, Does it Make Sense? II
Supplementary Links:
How atoms work
Weird 'Ice VII' phase of water can grow at over 1,000 mph
A faster, cheaper path to fusion energy
Meet the renegades building a neighborhood fusion reactor
Supplementary Films:
Unit Four: Motion and Force
Objectives:
Understand basic terminology and concepts relating to motion and force, such as speed, velocity, and acceleration, study Newton’s laws of motion, including the law of gravitation and the inverse square law
Handouts/ Materials:
'Describing Motion'
Assignments/ Activities:
Motion and Force Lab I: Ball Drop, Motion and Force Lab II: Rocket Launch, Does it Make Sense? III, Binder Check 2, Midterm Exam
Supplementary Links:
Supplementary Films:
Objectives:
Understand basic terminology and concepts relating to motion and force, such as speed, velocity, and acceleration, study Newton’s laws of motion, including the law of gravitation and the inverse square law
Handouts/ Materials:
'Describing Motion'
Assignments/ Activities:
Motion and Force Lab I: Ball Drop, Motion and Force Lab II: Rocket Launch, Does it Make Sense? III, Binder Check 2, Midterm Exam
Supplementary Links:
Supplementary Films:
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Unit Five: Space, Time, and Light
Objectives:
Understand the basic properties, characteristics, and types of light in the universe, investigate the importance of light to the science of astronomy, study the theories of special relativity and quantum mechanics and their astronomical implications
Handouts/ Materials:
'Light in Everyday Life', 'Einstein's Revolution', 'The Quantum Revolution'
Assignments/ Activities:
Light Questions, Einstein's Revolution Questions, The Quantum Revolution Questions
Supplementary Links:
Here's what the speed of light looks like at 10 trillion FPS
The universe has a speed limit, and it isn't the speed of light
If you stuck your head inside a particle accelerator...
China is planning to build a mega-collider that will dwarf the LHC
We regret to inform you the large hadron collider will not annihilate Earth
Stephen Hawking was right-black holes do evaporate
Mysterious leptoquarks could bind both types of matter, if they exist
LHC spots mystery particle that could upend the standard model
The 5th force of nature could be real and fantastic
Scientists on the track of a possible 5th force of nature
What is quantum gravity?
Why everyone can-and should- learn quantum mechanics
Supplementary Films:
Objectives:
Understand the basic properties, characteristics, and types of light in the universe, investigate the importance of light to the science of astronomy, study the theories of special relativity and quantum mechanics and their astronomical implications
Handouts/ Materials:
'Light in Everyday Life', 'Einstein's Revolution', 'The Quantum Revolution'
Assignments/ Activities:
Light Questions, Einstein's Revolution Questions, The Quantum Revolution Questions
Supplementary Links:
Here's what the speed of light looks like at 10 trillion FPS
The universe has a speed limit, and it isn't the speed of light
If you stuck your head inside a particle accelerator...
China is planning to build a mega-collider that will dwarf the LHC
We regret to inform you the large hadron collider will not annihilate Earth
Stephen Hawking was right-black holes do evaporate
Mysterious leptoquarks could bind both types of matter, if they exist
LHC spots mystery particle that could upend the standard model
The 5th force of nature could be real and fantastic
Scientists on the track of a possible 5th force of nature
What is quantum gravity?
Why everyone can-and should- learn quantum mechanics
Supplementary Films:
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Unit Six: The Big Bang Theory
Objectives:
Detailed analysis of the Big Bang theory and its scientific evidence as an explanation for the origin and structure of the universe
Handouts/ Materials:
'The Big Bang and the Evolution of the Universe', 'Running the Expansion Backward', Timeline of the Universe Group Project Guidelines
Assignments/ Activities:
Big Bang Theory Questions, Does it Make Sense? IV, Timeline of the Universe Group Project, Binder Check 3, Unit Quiz Two
Supplementary Links:
We could solve the mysteries of time and space, if we had a particle accelerator as big as the solar system
How an inflating universe could create a multiverse
If you traveled far enough through space, would you return to your starting point?
Excellent website for explaining complex concepts like the geometry of spacetime, quantum mechanics, and the fate
of the universe
Putting the 'bang' in the Big Bang
What happened before the big bang?
Excellent interactive timeline of the history of the universe
Try playing the Big Bang Time Machine game
Physicists recreate nuclear reaction moments after the Big Bang
Apparently asymmetry between matter and antimatter can't be totally proven yet- meaning the universe shouldn't
exist!
What is nothing?
How did the entire universe come from nothing?
An ultra short history of the entire universe
What happened during the first seconds of the universe?
Supplementary Films:
Objectives:
Detailed analysis of the Big Bang theory and its scientific evidence as an explanation for the origin and structure of the universe
Handouts/ Materials:
'The Big Bang and the Evolution of the Universe', 'Running the Expansion Backward', Timeline of the Universe Group Project Guidelines
Assignments/ Activities:
Big Bang Theory Questions, Does it Make Sense? IV, Timeline of the Universe Group Project, Binder Check 3, Unit Quiz Two
Supplementary Links:
We could solve the mysteries of time and space, if we had a particle accelerator as big as the solar system
How an inflating universe could create a multiverse
If you traveled far enough through space, would you return to your starting point?
Excellent website for explaining complex concepts like the geometry of spacetime, quantum mechanics, and the fate
of the universe
Putting the 'bang' in the Big Bang
What happened before the big bang?
Excellent interactive timeline of the history of the universe
Try playing the Big Bang Time Machine game
Physicists recreate nuclear reaction moments after the Big Bang
Apparently asymmetry between matter and antimatter can't be totally proven yet- meaning the universe shouldn't
exist!
What is nothing?
How did the entire universe come from nothing?
An ultra short history of the entire universe
What happened during the first seconds of the universe?
Supplementary Films:
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Unit Seven: A Deeper Understanding of the Universe
Objectives:
Understand Einstein’s theory of general relativity, analyze the roles of dark matter and dark energy in the fate of the universe, examine string theory as a possible way of understanding the universe on all scales, analyze how those theories apply to black holes
Handouts/ Materials:
'A New View of Gravity', 'Star Death and Black Holes'
Assignments/ Activities:
A New View of Gravity Questions, Star Death and Black Holes Questions, The Elegant Universe: Einstein's Dream Questions, The Elegant Universe: The String's the Thing Questions, The Elegant Universe: Welcome to the 11th Dimension Questions, Binder Check 4, Final Exam, Course Evaluation
Supplementary Links:
Why does gravity travel at the speed of light?
Good website for cosmology resources, also has a nice video explaining the fate of the universe
Gravitational waves could solve a cosmological crisis- or shake physics to its core
Scientists build atomic clocks capable of measuring changes in spacetime itself
All dark matter in the universe could be primordial black holes
Dark energy mystery solved?
Could dark energy wind up destroying our universe?
Another article about the potential solution to the existence of dark matter and energy
Scientists boot up new device to map dark energy
Kitt Peak to get major dark energy-detecting telescope
This is how the universe changes with each year that passes
How can we find a wormhole?
What is spacetime foam?
Massive black hole reveals when the first stars formed
Physicists detected gravitational waves from 4 more black hole mergers
The existence of white holes would settle one of physics' big debates
Could black holes be the key for hyperspace travel?
Step-by-step instructions for building a wormhole
Warp drive is theoretically possible
What would happen if you fell into a black hole?
We probably are living in a multiverse- here's why
Endless versions of you in endless parallel universes? More physicists now think so
Time travel for travelers? It's tricky...
Supplementary Films:
Objectives:
Understand Einstein’s theory of general relativity, analyze the roles of dark matter and dark energy in the fate of the universe, examine string theory as a possible way of understanding the universe on all scales, analyze how those theories apply to black holes
Handouts/ Materials:
'A New View of Gravity', 'Star Death and Black Holes'
Assignments/ Activities:
A New View of Gravity Questions, Star Death and Black Holes Questions, The Elegant Universe: Einstein's Dream Questions, The Elegant Universe: The String's the Thing Questions, The Elegant Universe: Welcome to the 11th Dimension Questions, Binder Check 4, Final Exam, Course Evaluation
Supplementary Links:
Why does gravity travel at the speed of light?
Good website for cosmology resources, also has a nice video explaining the fate of the universe
Gravitational waves could solve a cosmological crisis- or shake physics to its core
Scientists build atomic clocks capable of measuring changes in spacetime itself
All dark matter in the universe could be primordial black holes
Dark energy mystery solved?
Could dark energy wind up destroying our universe?
Another article about the potential solution to the existence of dark matter and energy
Scientists boot up new device to map dark energy
Kitt Peak to get major dark energy-detecting telescope
This is how the universe changes with each year that passes
How can we find a wormhole?
What is spacetime foam?
Massive black hole reveals when the first stars formed
Physicists detected gravitational waves from 4 more black hole mergers
The existence of white holes would settle one of physics' big debates
Could black holes be the key for hyperspace travel?
Step-by-step instructions for building a wormhole
Warp drive is theoretically possible
What would happen if you fell into a black hole?
We probably are living in a multiverse- here's why
Endless versions of you in endless parallel universes? More physicists now think so
Time travel for travelers? It's tricky...
Supplementary Films:
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