6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL
Undergraduate - Unit
Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.
Faculty
Organisational Unit
School of Physics and Astronomy
Coordinator(s)
Unit guides
Synopsis
This unit focuses on concepts that will allow students to gain understanding of key astrophysical phenomena. The topics covered include the night sky, the historical development of astronomical knowledge, our solar system, comets and asteroids, the sun, exoplanets, other stars, stellar remnants such as black holes, the Milky Way, other galaxies, quasars, dark matter, and cosmology in general.
Outcomes
On completion of this unit students will be able to:
- Describe the evolution and general properties of planets, solar systems, stars, and galaxies.
- Explain celestial and planetary motions across the night sky using naked eye observations and planetarium software.
- Reflect on the scale of the universe and earth's place in it.
- Execute experiments involving telescopes and other simple apparatus and analyse, interpret and evaluate the results arising from them.
- Demonstrate ability to analyse and solve problems using quantitative and qualitative analysis.
Assessment
Examination (3 hours): 40%
Workshops: 30%
Assignments: 30%
Hurdle requirement: Students must achieve a pass mark in the workshops to achieve an overall pass grade.
Workload requirements
- Two 1-hour lecture/tutorials per week
- One 2-hour workshop per week
- Eight hours of independent study per week
See also Unit timetable information
Chief examiner(s)
This unit applies to the following area(s) of study
Prerequisites
No formal background in astronomy or astrophysics is required.