Expand+Introduction to Astronomy
Astronomy is the oldest science and yet is still making new and fundamental discoveries. This course will form a comprehensive introduction to astronomy and requires no previous experience in science or maths. The format ea...

Hide-Introduction to Astronomy
Astronomy is the oldest science and yet is still making new and fundamental discoveries. This course will form a comprehensive introduction to astronomy and requires no previous experience in science or maths. The format each week will be a lecture, richly illustrated by the latest spectacular images from the Hubble Space Telescope and other research telescopes. This is followed by a question and answer session in which the theme of the lecture, or any other topic of interest to the audience is developed further. Starting with the history of astronomy and the discovery of the solar system, the inner planets and the gas giant planets will be examined. Then, the sun is considered and compared to the other stars we see in space. Examining the evolution of stars as they form and are destroyed will help us understand the origin and destiny of the solar system, and also show how galaxies, made up of billions of stars, change over time. After considering the big bang and the universe as a whole, we return to the Earth and consider the likelihood of life on planets around other stars. This course is ideal for those with an interest in space, the night sky and our place in the universe.