Introducing astronomy
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| End-of-course assessment | No residential school |
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Summary
Introducing astronomy is one of a series of short, flexible 10-point courses introducing fascinating topics in science. It covers the exploration of our solar system; the discovery of planets orbiting other stars; the birth, life and violent death of stars; and the creation of the Universe itself. This course also enables you to try out an area of study before you commit yourself to a longer course, or top up your knowledge and skills between longer courses. It has a choice of start dates, and you decide how long to take over your studies: eight to ten weeks, or up to five months.
Course content
This course will develop your understanding of a wide range of topics in astronomy, with sections on the Sun, planets, stars, extraterrestrial life, galaxies and the origin and evolution of the Universe.
The course will explain how the Sun gets its energy and how astronomers are able to observe the Sun, even into its interior. You will be introduced to the planets, their satellites and the minor bodies of the solar system. You will learn about sky maps and how to find stars using a planisphere or planetarium software, with discussion of constellations and why stars can appear to be different colours. The life cycle of stars, from birth to death and the cosmic re-cycling of their components is explained.
The course then considers possible habitats for life beyond the Earth and discusses the largest structures in the Universe as stars clump into galaxies and galaxies clump into clusters and superclusters.
Finally, the course introduces ideas about how the Universe itself is expanding and what we know about the very early Universe, shortly after the ‘Big Bang’.
If you are a beginner in science, you will find that the course book Introducing Astronomy introduces new scientific ideas as you need them, progressively developing more sophisticated concepts and skills. If you are an amateur astronomer, or have read popular books on astronomy, you will find that the course develops your understanding and introduces areas of astronomy that you have not met before.
The course is based on a specially written Open University (OU) course book and a course website, together with a CD-ROM and a planisphere. The planisphere allows you to identify the brightest stars and constellations visible at any given time, as well as find the locations of the planets and the times of sunset and sunrise. The CD-ROM contains an image gallery with detailed captions explaining the image contents, which is central to the course, and some free computer software including a planetarium. The course book provides questions and activities to help you to test your understanding. You can also use these for self-assessment as you progress through the course.
Entry
You need little more than an interest in astronomy and the motivation to discover more about it.
Mathematically, you need only to be able to add, subtract, multiply and divide simple numbers. The structured teaching will take you to a level at which you are happy to use maths as a tool in a range of scientific contexts. A maths skills ebook is provided to help you with, for example, fractions, percentages, reading graphs and tables, and scientific units as required by the course.
To cope with the printed material you should be able to understand in outline the sort of articles printed in the ‘quality’ newspapers. You should also be able to write your thoughts down comprehensibly.
You can check that you have the appropriate background by trying out the interactive quiz Are you ready for science study?
If you would like more information about the range of science short courses available you can visit the science short courses website. This site includes a frequently asked questions section and throughout the year details of special regional events are posted here.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Qualifications
This is an optional course in our:
- BSc (Honours) Physical Science (B27)
- BSc (Honours) Secondary Education in Physics (B56)
- Certificate in Contemporary Science (C70)
- Certificate in Introductory Astronomy (C91)
It can also count as 10 points towards an Open University bachelors degree, and would be particularly suitable for inclusion in one of the BSc (Hons) Natural Sciences degrees alongside other 10-point science courses. We advise you to refer to the relevant award descriptions for information on the circumstances in which the course can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements of a qualification may change
Excluded combinations
Sometimes you will not be able to count a course towards a qualification if you have already taken another course with similar content. To check any excluded combinations relating to this course, visit our excluded combination finder or check with our Student Registration & Enquiry Service before registering.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
Some of the printed course materials are available in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). Components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader and mathematical, scientific, and foreign language materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way. Large print versions of the course material can be provided on request. If you have severely impaired sight you may find the course challenging, as it relies heavily on coloured images. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our booklet Meeting Your Needs which you can download or request from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
You can also find information about accessible course materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
Course materials
What's included
Course book, CD-ROM of (containing images, data and software), study guide, planisphere (a special kind of star map), maths skills ebook, assessment, website.
Some of the course materials are not available electronically via the course website so if you are studying this course outside the EU and register close to the start date, you may have to plan to study the course over the longer (5-month) time period.
You will need
Basic scientific calculator; a few items of household equipment for practical work.
Computing requirements
This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave.
You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new computer since 2002 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual.
Teaching and assessment
Study support
You can telephone or email a study adviser who will be able to help you with academic questions to do with the course and the assessment. There will also be an online discussion forum that you can use to get in touch with study advisers and other students. Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.
Assessment
The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.
You must use the online eTMA system to submit your end-of-course assessment (ECA).
For each course presentation there is a choice of two alternative dates by which you have to submit the single piece of written work for assessment: February course start completes end of April or end of July; May start completes end of July or end of October; September start completes end of October or end of January; November start completes end of January or end of April.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
Future availability
The course starts in February, May, September and November of each year.
How to register
To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. For more information and advice about registration see OU Study Explained.
About this page
An undergraduate course in Science.
Study explained
- Course
- - a module of study that can count towards a qualification.
- Credit points
- - show how much study is required to complete a course or qualification. One credit point represents roughly 10 hours of study.
- Level
- - indicates how difficult a course is. Undergraduate study starts at Level 1.
- Financial support
- - find out if you qualify for support with your fees with our eligibility checker.
- Study explained
- - all you need to know about studying with the OU.
Student Reviews
I have been randomly picking courses about subjects I have never studied before. I really enjoyed this one. It is ...
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A good introductory course on astronomy in general, and for the Cert in Astronomy (unfortunately, now nearly finished with Manchester ...
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