开始时间: 04/22/2022 持续时间: Unknown
|
所在平台: CourseraArchive 课程类别: 物理与地球科学 大学或机构: University of Arizona 授课老师： Matthew Wenger Chris Impey |
课程主页: https://www.coursera.org/course/astro
课程评论：没有评论
This class is a survey of modern astronomy. We begin with a brief history of how science works to help us comprehend the universe, modern telescopes, and the underlying physical principles of light and gravity. We then proceed through modern astronomical topics and get up to date on the most recent astronomical discoveries. There is a particular emphasis on the discoveries that are transforming our understanding of planets, stars, galaxies and the universe. You will see what we have learned from new ground-based telescopes and space observatories. Astronomers project the scientific method into remote regions of time and space, discovering Earth-like worlds, probing the exotic end states of stars, counting and weighing galaxies, and diagnosing physical conditions in the first instants of the expanding universe. Topics will include: A brief history of astronomy and the Copernican revolution Modern telescopes and other tools of astronomy Planets in and beyond our solar system The life and death of stars Galaxies and the expanding universe Astrobiology and life beyond Earth
No prior background in astronomy is needed. Join Chris Impey, Professor of Astronomy at the University of Arizona, for this exciting tour of the cosmos.
Week 1 – Our Place in the Universe
Science combines logic and evidence to increase our understanding of the natural world, including remote and inaccessible regions of space and time. Astronomy is the oldest science, and its history shows a growing realization of our insignificant status in a vast and ancient universe.
Week 2 – The Tools of Astronomy
A continuing revolution in telescope design and construction is giving astronomers an unprecedented set of tools for exploring the universe. Astronomers harvest information across the electromagnetic spectrum, using spectra to measure the composition of distant objects and diagnose extreme physical conditions.
Week 3 – Planets Near and Far
Space probes have visited most planets in the Solar System, and orbiters and rovers are homing in on the habitability of Mars. Thousands of extrasolar planets have been discovered, including some that are Earth-like and habitable. Space exploration is entering an entrepreneurial phase that might let us venture beyond the Solar System.
Week 4 – Star Birth and Death
Stars are the crucibles of heavy element creation, and the chaotic regions of their birth are being understood though long wavelength observations. Gravity is the ultimate victor in the life story of any star, leaving behind the exotic end states of white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes.
Week 5 – Galaxies and the Big Bang
The architecture of the Milky Way galaxy is that of a disk, a bulge, and a halo, with the entire assemblage bound by enigmatic dark matter. Every galaxy contains a supermassive black hole, and entire population of galaxies is sculpted by gravity into subtle structures on large scales. The expanding universe points back to an extraordinary state of extremely high density and temperature called the big bang.
Week 6 – Life in the Universe
The Earth gives us a ringside seat on the physical, chemical, geological, and biological evolution of a dynamic terrestrial planet. The abundance of terrestrial planets in remote solar systems motivates the search for life and technology elsewhere in the universe.
This course is designed for anyone who is interested in learning more about modern astronomy. We will help you get up to date on the most recent astronomical discoveries while also providing support at an introductory level for those who have no background in science.
