Elementary Astronomy

These topics in Elementary Astronomy are selected from our on-line Elementary Astronomy class. They are provided here for those who may want to learn astronomy and do not need the interactivity, exams, and credit offered by the on-line class. The content is frequently updated, but may lag that in the class. If you are an enrolled student, please use the class website.

Click a topic to follow the link.

• Sections to study in Pathways to Astronomy, 3rd Edition

• News Highlights

Week 1

• Constellations

Week 2

• The Sun Keeps Us Warm

Week 3

• Telescopes

• Solar System Real Estate

Week 4

• The Moon

Week 5

• Mars

• Saturn and Extrasolar Planets

• Where Are They Now?

Week 6

• Comets, Asteroids, Meteors and Meteorites

Week 7

• Periodic Table of the Elements
• We Can See the Universe

Week 8

• Subatomic Particles
• Birth of Stars
• Death of Stars

Week 9

• How to Measure Distances in the Universe

Week 10

• Vacation Week

Week 11

• Scale of the Universe
• The Universe is Expanding
• Back to the Beginning of Time

Week 12

• Galaxies Near and Far

Week 13

• Special Relativity
• General Relativity

Week 14

• Things Beyond our Understanding - Dark Matter and Dark Energy
• Interview with Brian Greene about Fabric of the Cosmos
• Watch part of Fabric of the Cosmos on PBS and NOVA on line
• Interview with Nobel Laureate Saul Perlmutter discussing supernovae
• Recommended Lecture: Lawrence M. Krauss - A Universe from Nothing

Week 15

• The Story of the Universe
• Lawrence Krauss's new book, The Universe from Nothing discusses the forefront of physics and astronomy (see link to an earlier lecture)
• Delightful reading about A Short History of Nearly Everything, a book by Bill Bryson

Students enrolled in distance education sections should use this site.