Questions? Consult the FAQ's!Introduction to Astronomy
Purpose of Course showclose
Course Information showclose
Course Designer:Thomas M. Corwin, the University of North Carolina, Charlotte
Primary Resources:The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has two excellent courses, Astronomy 161 and 162. A large number of readings will come from those courses. YouTube is also a good resource and there are many links to their videos, most less than 10 minutes in length. I have written chapter-length readings for 12 of the 14 units that parallel the content of the unit.
Requirements for Completion: In order to complete this course, you will need to work through each unit and all of its readings and lectures. You will also need to complete all of the unit assignments as well as the final exam.
Note that you will only receive an official grade on your final exam. However, in order to adequately prepare for this exam, you will need to work through the unit assignments.
In order to “pass” this course, you will need to earn a 70% or higher on the final exam. Your score on the exam will be tabulated as soon as you complete it. If you do not pass the exam, you may take it again.
Time Commitment: The complete course should take you a total of 135 hours. Each unit includes a “time advisory” that lists the amount of time you are expected to spend on it and each of its subunits. For example, Unit 1 should take you 9 hours, with 3 hours spent on subunit 1.1, 2 hours on 1.2, 1 hour on 1.3, 1 hour on 1.4, and 2 hours on your assignment. You should use this to lay out a plan for working through the unit. The 14 individual units will require times ranging from a maximum of 14 hours to a minimum of 4 hours.
Tips/Suggestions: The focus of this course is a description of how the universe evolved from an unimaginably hot dense condition to its present state, particularly with respect to the earth and life on earth. The main goal of the course is to leave you with a clear understanding of, and an appreciation for, the big picture. Keep this in mind as you proceed through the readings and activities. Don’t get bogged down in the details. In this course, you will encounter some extraordinary claims regarding the nature of the universe. Carl Sagan said, “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence,” so it is important that you pay particular attention to the evidence presented. Good luck to you in this undertaking you are about to embark on.
Learning Outcomes showclose
- List the most significant advances in astronomy from the time of the ancient Greeks up to the Scientific Revolution.
- Compare and contrast the ancient worldview with the worldview that resulted from the Scientific Revolution.
- Compare and contrast the nineteenth-century worldview with that of the twenty-first century.
- List the advances in our knowledge of the atom from the time of Democritus to the present.
- Describe the evidence for wave-particle duality.
- List the crucial sequence of events that led from the big bang to the rise of life on earth.
- Describe the main features of the big bang model of the universe and list the evidence in its favor. Compare and contrast the big bang model with the steady state theory of the universe.
- Outline the role that the cosmic background radiation has played in our understanding of the universe.
- Compare and contrast the roles of observation and theoretical interpretation in the field of astronomy.
- List the sequence of interior and surface changes that occur in the evolution of a star.
- Describe the formation of the earth and the geological changes that transformed the early earth into an environment where life could prosper.
- Produce a timeline for the evolution of life from its earliest existence to our species, Homo sapiens.
- Define the astronomy-specific words and phrases used in the course.
Course Requirements showclose
√ Have access to a computer.
√ Have continuous broadband internet access.
√ Have the ability/permission to install plug-ins or software (e.g. Adobe Reader or Flash).
√ Have the ability to download and save files and documents to a computer.
√ Have the ability to open Microsoft files and documents (.doc, .ppt, .xls, etc.).
√ Have competency in the English language.
√ Have read the Saylor Student Handbook.
- Unit 1
- Unit 2
- Unit 3
- Unit 4
- Unit 5
- Unit 6
- Unit 7
- Unit 8
- Unit 9
- Unit 10
- Unit 11
- Unit 12
- Unit 13
- Unit 14
- Final Exam
- All Units
Unit Outline show close
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Unit 1: The Greeks
In this unit, you will be introduced to the worldview established by the ancient Greeks. The Greeks are credited with being the first to attempt natural explanations for natural phenomena and thus with the birth of science. We trace the development of Greek astronomy from Thales in the sixth century Before the Common Era (BCE) through to Ptolemy in the second century of the Common Era (CE).
Unit 1 Time Advisory show close
Unit 1 Learning Outcomes show close
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1.1 The Pre-Socratics
- Web Media: YouTube: Frank Gregorio’s “Introduction to Astronomy”
Link: YouTube: Frank Gregorio’s “Introduction to Astronomy” (YouTube)
Instructions: Please watch this video, which will introduce you to the wonders of astronomy. Don’t worry about content at this point, just relax and get ready for an exciting intellectual adventure.
Watching this video should take approximately 5 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 1: The Greeks”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 1: The Greeks” (PDF)
Instructions: This article provides an overview of the material we will cover in Unit 1. Read it carefully but please don’t think that you have to fix every single fact into your memory. What you should strive for is to be sure that it makes sense to you as you are reading it and that when you are finished you can briefly summarize the main points of the reading. You should read this both as you start and after you have finished working your way through the unit.
Reading this article should take approximately 30 minutes.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy’s “Presocratic Philosophy”
Link: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy’s “Presocratic Philosophy” (HTML)
Instructions: Read this introduction to the Presocratics carefully. Pay particular attention to section 1, “Who were the Presocratics,” and section 10, “The Presocratic Legacy.”
Reading this article should take approximately 30 minutes.
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- Web Media: SisyphusRedeemed’s “A Brief History of Science: Antiquity to the Late Middle Ages (Part 2-1)”
Link: SisyphusRedeemed’s “A Brief History of Science: Antiquity to the Late Middle Ages (Part 2-1)” (YouTube)
Instructions: The video is a PowerPoint presentation with audio. Some of the topics covered are ones that we will not be talking about, but they may be of interest to you. The last few minutes will take you into the material for Units 3 and 4.
Watching this video should take approximately 10 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: Chlestos Vasilis’ “Ancient Greek Innovations”
Link: Chlestos Vasilis’ “Ancient Greek Innovations” (YouTube)
Instructions: This video will introduce you to Greek innovations in philosophy, science, architecture, and the arts, many of which form the basis for Western civilization today.
Watching this video should take approximately 10 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: YouTube: Frank Gregorio’s “Introduction to Astronomy”
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1.1.1 The Birth of Science
- Web Media: YouTube: “Carl Sagan on the Pre-Socratic Philosophers (Part 1)”
Link: YouTube: “Carl Sagan on the Pre-Socratic Philosophers (Part 1)” (YouTube)
Instructions: This video is anexcerpt from the PBS documentary Cosmos by Carl Sagan, perhaps the most popular spokesperson astronomy has ever had. Neil deGrasse Tyson currently holds that title, and also has some great videos that we will see throughout the course.
Watching this video should take approximately 10 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: YouTube: “Carl Sagan on the Pre-Socratic Philosophers (Part 1)”
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1.1.2 Thales
- Reading: Washington and Lee University: Professor James E. Mahon’s “Thales”
Link: Washington and Lee University: Professor James E. Mahon’s “Thales” (HTML)
Instructions: Please read this article carefully. You should come away from the reading knowing why Thales is considered the “father of science” and with an example of his approach.
Reading this article should take approximately 10 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Washington and Lee University: Professor James E. Mahon’s “Thales”
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1.1.3 Other Presocratics
- Web Media: YouTube: malcangi1987’s “The Presocratic Philosophers”
Link: YouTube: malcangi1987’s “The Presocratic Philosophers” (YouTube)
Instructions: This video is a PowerPoint presentation about the most influential Presocratic philosophers. You may wish to turn the volume down, as the music is unrelated to the material.
Watching this video should take approximately 10 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: YouTube: malcangi1987’s “The Presocratic Philosophers”
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1.2 Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle
- Reading: University of Missouri-Kansas City: Benjamin Jowett’s “Plato & Socrates”
Link: University of Missouri-Kansas City: Benjamin Jowett’s “Plato & Socrates” (HTML)
Instructions: This article will introduce you to Socrates and Plato. The focus of the reading is the relationship between these two famous philosophers.
Reading this article should take approximately 5 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Shippensburg University: George Boeree’s “The Ancient Greeks Part Two: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle”
Link: Shippensburg University: George Boeree’s “The Ancient Greeks Part Two: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle” (HTML)
Instructions: In this article, you will learn more about Socrates and Plato and be introduced to Aristotle. You should come away from the reading knowing how Aristotle’s approach differed from that of Socrates and Plato.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
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- Reading: Perseus Digital Library: Thomas Fowler’s “Aristotle’s Astronomy”
Link: Perseus Digital Library: Thomas Fowler’s “Aristotle’s Astronomy” (HTML)
Instructions: This article gives you a rather detailed account of Aristotle’s astronomy. You should come away from the reading knowing Aristotle’s view of the physical nature of the universe. The latter part of the reading talks about Aristotle’s ideas about the causes of motion.
Reading this article should take approximately 10 minutes.
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- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Universe of Aristotle and Ptolemy”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Universe of Aristotle and Ptolemy” (HTML)
Instructions: This article will further develop the astronomy of Aristotle and introduce the last of the classical Greek astronomers, Ptolemy. The treatment of epicycles in this article is a little more detailed than we need for this course, but you should come away from it knowing the role of epicycles in the geocentric model.
Reading this article should take approximately 10 minutes.
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- Reading: The Philosopher’s Lighthouse: “Aristotle’s Thoughts on Reality”
Link: The Philosopher’s Lighthouse: “Aristotle’s Thoughts on Reality” (HTML)
Instructions: This is a very short but clear description of the different views of reality held by Plato and Aristotle.
Reading this article should take less than 5 minutes.
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- Reading: University of Missouri-Kansas City: Benjamin Jowett’s “Plato & Socrates”
- 1.3 Later Advances in Greek Astronomy
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1.3.1 Aristarchus and the Heliocentric View
- Reading: Cornell University: Martha Haynes’ “Astronomy 2201: Aristarchus”
Link: Cornell University: Martha Haynes’ “Astronomy 2201: Aristarchus” (HTML)
Instructions: In this article, Aristarchus’s relative measurements of the sizes of the earth, sun, and moon, and the relative distances to the sun and moon, are described. You should come away from this article being able to list the reasons why Aristarchus believed the earth went around the sun rather than vice versa.
Reading this article should take approximately 10 minutes.
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- Reading: Cornell University: Martha Haynes’ “Astronomy 2201: Aristarchus”
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1.3.2 Eratosthenes and the Circumference of the Earth
- Reading: Cornell University: Martha Haynes’ “Astronomy 201: Eratosthenes”
Link: Cornell University: Martha Haynes’ “Astronomy 201: Eratosthenes” (HTML)
Instructions: This article is a very brief description of how Eratosthenes was able to measure the circumference of the earth. It should take only a few minutes for your first reading, but go back over it again to make sure you understand the logic of the measurement.
Reading this article should take approximately 10 minutes.
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- Reading: Cornell University: Martha Haynes’ “Astronomy 201: Eratosthenes”
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1.4 The Greek Worldview
- Reading: American Institute of Physics’ Center for History of Physics: “The Greek Worldview”
Link: American Institute of Physics’ Center for History of Physics: “The Greek Worldview” (HTML)
Instructions: This article summarizes the view of the universe held by Aristotle and Ptolemy. Please focus on the sections up through “The spheres rotated.” The latter part of the article introduces topics we will talk about in Unit 3, but reading it in advance will provide useful background information.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
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- Assessment: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 1 Assessment”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 1 Assessment” (PDF)
Instructions: When you have finished the entire unit, please complete this assessment without referring to the readings. When you are finished with the assessment, you can check your answers against the Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 1 Assessment – Answer Key” (PDF).
Completing this assessment should take approximately 2 hours.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: American Institute of Physics’ Center for History of Physics: “The Greek Worldview”
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Unit 2: The Celestial Sphere
In this unit, you will be introduced to the celestial sphere, the physical model the Greeks used to understand celestial phenomena. Its essential feature is that, in addition to the fixed stars, it contains seven wanderers: the sun, the moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. These wanderers wander through the fixed stars in an orderly way to produce the observed celestial events, including the phases of the moon and eclipses.
Unit 2 Time Advisory show close
Unit 2 Learning Outcomes show close
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2.1 The Celestial Sphere
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Celestial Sphere”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Celestial Sphere” (HTML)
Instructions: This is an introduction to some basic terminology used in discussing the celestial sphere.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
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- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Celestial Sphere”
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2.1.1 The Celestial Coordinate System
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Celestial Coordinate System”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Celestial Coordinate System” (HTML)
Instructions: This is a more detailed treatment of the celestial coordinate system than what was presented in the previous article. Most students find the coordinate system a little confusing. Don’t worry too much about the units used for Right Ascension; just focus on the coordinate system and understanding the parallels between it and latitude and longitude on earth.
Reading this article should take approximately 20 minutes.
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- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Celestial Coordinate System”
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2.1.2 The Celestial Equator, the Celestial Poles, the Ecliptic, and the Zodiac
- Reading: Deep Creek Yacht Club’s “The Celestial Equator”
Link: Deep Creek Yacht Club’s “The Celestial Equator” (HTML)
Instructions: This is a very brief description of the celestial equator.
Reading this article should take less than 5 minutes.
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- Reading: National Aeronautics and Space Administration: David P. Stern’s “The Path of the Sun, the Ecliptic”
Link: National Aeronautics and Space Administration: David P. Stern’s “The Path of the Sun, the Ecliptic” (HTML)
Instructions: This is a brief article that will introduce you to the ecliptic and the zodiac. In the summer, the sun is further north on the celestial sphere; therefore, for people in the northern hemisphere, it is above the horizon for more than 12 hours per day. The reverse is true in winter.
Reading this article should take approximately 10 minutes.
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- Reading: Deep Creek Yacht Club’s “The Celestial Equator”
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2.1.3 The Solstices, Equinoxes, and the Seasons
- Reading: Arctic Library’s “Guide to Equinoxes and Solstices”
Link: Arctic Library’s “Guide to Equinoxes and Solstices” (HTML)
Instructions: This is a very brief set of definitions for equinoxes and solstices.
Reading this article should take less than 5 minutes.
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- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Seasons”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Seasons” (HTML)
Instructions: This article provides an explanation of why the earth experiences seasons. It points out several common misconceptions about the cause of seasons.
Reading this article should take approximately 20 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: YouTube: Ignite! Learning’s “What Causes Earth’s Seasons”
Link: YouTube: Ignite! Learning’s “What Causes Earth’s Seasons” (YouTube)
Instructions: This video is a nice visual explanation of the seasons.
Watching this video should take less than 5 minutes.
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- Reading: Arctic Library’s “Guide to Equinoxes and Solstices”
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2.2 The Phases of the Moon
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2.2.1 The Causes of the Phases of the Moon
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Orbit and Phases of the Moon”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Orbit and Phases of the Moon” (HTML)
Instructions: This article presents a nice diagram that explains the phases of the moon. It also introduces you to the terms apogee and perigee in describing orbits around the earth.
Reading this article should take approximately 10 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: YouTube: Park View Science’s “The Phases of the Moon”
Link: YouTube: Park View Science’s “The Phases of the Moon” (YouTube)
Instructions: This video explains the phases of the moon.
Watching this video should take approximately 10 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Orbit and Phases of the Moon”
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2.2.2 Solar and Lunar Eclipses
- Web Media: YouTube: FactFrog’s “Eclipses”
Link: YouTube: FactFrog’s “Eclipses” (YouTube)
Instructions: This video provides a very complete explanation of partial eclipses.
Watching this video should take less than 5 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Solar Eclipses”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Solar Eclipses” (HTML)
Instructions: This article explains solar eclipses and provides some nice illustrative animations.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Lunar Eclipses”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Lunar Eclipses” (HTML)
Instructions: This article is a companion to the earlier one about solar eclipses.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office’s “Solar and Lunar Eclipse Page”
Link: National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office’s “Solar and Lunar Eclipse Page” (HTML)
Instructions: This article includes descriptions of solar and lunar eclipses and provides data on future eclipses up through 2018.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Assessment: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 2 Assessment”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 2 Assessment” (PDF)
Instructions: When you have finished the entire unit, please complete this assessment without referring to the readings. When you are finished with the assessment, you can check your answers against the Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 2 Assessment – Answer Key” (PDF).
Completing this assessment should take approximately 2 hours.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: YouTube: FactFrog’s “Eclipses”
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Unit 3: The Middle Ages
In this unit, you will be introduced to historical changes that affected the way we view the universe. The physical model will still be that of the Greeks, but the view of how we as human beings fit within that universe will be quite different.
Unit 3 Time Advisory show close
Unit 3 Learning Outcomes show close
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3.1 Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 3: The Middle Ages”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 3: The Middle Ages” (PDF)
Instructions: This article provides an overview of the material we will cover in Unit 3. Read it carefully, but please don’t think that you have to fix every single fact into your memory. What you should strive for is to be sure that it makes sense to you as you are reading it and that when you are finished you can briefly summarize the main points of the article. You should read this both as you start and after you have finished working your way through the unit.
Reading this article should take approximately 30 minutes.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 3: The Middle Ages”
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3.2 Islam
- Web Media: YouTube: Jin Al-Khalili’s “BBC: Science and Islam – Part 1”
Link: YouTube: Jin Al-Khalili’s “BBC: Science and Islam – Part 1” (YouTube)
Instructions: Physicist Jim Al-Khalili travels through Syria, Iran, Tunisia, and Spain to tell the story of the great leap in scientific knowledge that took place in the Islamic world between the eighth and fourteenth centuries.
Watching this video should take approximately 10 minutes.
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- Web Media: YouTube: Jin Al-Khalili’s “BBC: Science and Islam – Part 1”
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3.3 The Late Middle Ages and Dante’s Universe
- Reading: The World of Dante: “Dante’s Universe”
Link: The World of Dante: “Dante’s Universe” (HTML)
Instructions: This is a very nice image of the universe as seen by Dante.
Studying this image should take approximately 5 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Assessment: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 3 Assessment”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 3 Assessment” (PDF)
Instructions: When you have finished the entire unit, please complete this assessment without referring to the readings. When you are finished with the assessment, you can check your answers against the Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 3 Assessment – Answer Key” (PDF).
Completing this assessment should take approximately 2 hours.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Knox College: Frank McAndrew’s “Medieval Cosmology”
Link: Knox College: Frank McAndrew’s “Medieval Cosmology” (HTML)
Instructions: In this article, Frank McAndrew discusses how the medieval view of the universe evolved from ancient Greek cosmology. Also pay attention to the animation showing the geocentric model of the universe that explains the retrograde motion of planets.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The World of Dante: “Dante’s Universe”
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Unit 4: The Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution
In this unit, you will be introduced to the changes that occurred in our model of the universe in the seventeenth century. The Greek worldview will be replaced with the modern worldview. (Note: Do not mistake the “modern worldview” for our current worldview. In the twentieth century, the modern worldview was replaced with the “contemporary worldview.”) This modern worldview was based on advances in science made during the Scientific Revolution, specifically on the work of Isaac Newton.
Unit 4 Time Advisory show close
Unit 4 Learning Outcomes show close
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4.1 The Renaissance
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 4: The Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 4: The Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution” (PDF)
Instructions: This article provides an overview of the material we will cover in Unit 4. Read it carefully, but please don’t think that you have to fix every single fact into your memory. What you should strive for is to be sure that it makes sense to you as you are reading it and that when you are finished you can briefly summarize the main points of the reading. You should read this both as you start and after you have finished working your way through the unit.
Reading this article should take approximately 45 minutes.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: SisyphusRedeemed’s “A Brief History of Science, Part 2: Renaissance to the Copernican Revolution (Part 2-2)”
Link: SisyphusRedeemed’s “A Brief History of Science, Part 2: Renaissance to the Copernican Revolution (Part 2-2)” (YouTube)
Instruction: This video is a follow-up to the video you watched in Unit 1.
Watching this video should take approximately 15 minutes.
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- Reading: Brigham Young University: Maggie Gallup’s “Renaissance Astronomy”
Link: Brigham Young University: Maggie Gallup’s “Renaissance Astronomy” (HTML)
Instructions: This is a very brief discussion of the contributions made to astronomy during the time of the Renaissance.
Reading this article should take approximately 5 minutes.
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- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 4: The Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution”
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4.2 Nicolaus Copernicus
- Web Media: YouTube: Granger Meador’s “Ptolemaic vs. Copernican Model”
Link: YouTube: Granger Meador’s “Ptolemaic vs. Copernican Model” (YouTube)
Instructions: This is a very brief illustration of the complexity of the Ptolemaic model verses the relative simplicity of the Copernican model.
Watching this video should take less than 5 minutes.
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- Web Media: YouTube: AllHistories’ “Turning Points in History – The Scientific Revolution”
Link: YouTube: AllHistories’ “Turning Points in History – The Scientific Revolution” (YouTube)
Instructions: This video discusses the scientific method. It ends with a segment on how the scientific method is applied to inventions and focuses on Thomas Edison.
Watching this video should take less than 5 minutes.
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- Web Media: YouTube: Granger Meador’s “Ptolemaic vs. Copernican Model”
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4.3 Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler
- Reading: Oracle ThinkQuest: “Tycho Brahe”
Link: Oracle ThinkQuest: “Tycho Brahe” (HTML)
Instructions: This is a brief description of Brahe’s model, a combination of the models of Ptolemy and Copernicus.
Reading this article should take approximately 5 minutes.
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- Web Media: YouTube: Troy Wayne’s “Kepler’s Laws”
Link: YouTube: Troy Wayne’s “Kepler’s Laws” (YouTube)
Instructions: This video provides a summary of Kepler’s laws of planetary motion and provides a visual representation of each law.
Watching this video should take less than 5 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Johannes Kepler: The Laws of Planetary Motion”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Johannes Kepler: The Laws of Planetary Motion” (HTML)
Instructions: In this article, you will be introduced to calculations using Kepler’s third law. This law relates the average distance between the sun and a planet to the amount of time it takes the planet to orbit the sun (its period) by a simple algebraic formula. You will need a calculator that can cube numbers and take cube roots. Practice this calculation for several of the planets, sometimes starting with the period and calculating the average distance, sometimes vice versa. Here is the data you can use for the calculations. The second column is the average distance between the planet and the sun, and the third column is the period of revolution of the planet around the sun.
Mercury 0.39 AU 0.241 years Venus 0.723 AU 0.615 years Earth 1 AU 1 year Mars 1.524 AU 1.88 years Jupiter 5.203 AU 11.862 years Saturn 9.539 AU 29.456 years Uranus 19.18 AU 84.07 years Neptune 30.06 AU 164.81 years
Reading this article and completing this exercise should take approximately 45 minutes.
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- Reading: Oracle ThinkQuest: “Tycho Brahe”
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4.4 Galileo Galilei
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Galileo: The Telescope and the Laws of Dynamics”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Galileo: The Telescope and the Laws of Dynamics” (HTML)
Instructions: This article covers both Galileo’s telescopic observations and his studies of motion. You should come away from the reading knowing his major telescopic discoveries and his ideas about inertia.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
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- Reading: Australia Telescope Outreach and Education: “Galileo and the Telescope”
Link: Australia Telescope Outreach and Education: “Galileo and the Telescope” (HTML)
Instructions: This article addresses Galileo’s discoveries using a telescope.
Reading this article should take approximately 30 minutes.
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- Reading: PBS: Dava Sobel’s “Galileo’s Place in Science”
Link: PBS: Dava Sobel’s “Galileo’s Place in Science” (HTML)
Instructions: This article addresses Galileo’s contributions to the study of motion and the scientific method.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
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- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Galileo: The Telescope and the Laws of Dynamics”
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4.5 Isaac Newton
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Sir Isaac Newton and the Unification of Physics and Astronomy”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Sir Isaac Newton and the Unification of Physics and Astronomy” (HTML)
Instructions: This is a very brief reading on “The Great Synthesis of Newton.”
Reading this article should take approximately 5 minutes.
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- Reading: Buzzle: Omkar Phatak’s “Isaac Newton’s Discoveries”
Link: Buzzle: Omkar Phatak’s “Isaac Newton’s Discoveries” (HTML)
Instructions: This article is an overview of Newton’s discovery of the law of gravity and his discoveries regarding motion.
Reading this article should take approximately 20 minutes.
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- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Sir Isaac Newton and the Unification of Physics and Astronomy”
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4.5.1 Newton’s Laws of Motion
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Newton’s Three Laws of Motion”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Newton’s Three Laws of Motion” (HTML)
Instructions: This article will introduce you to Newton’s laws of motion. In this course, we will not be doing calculations with these laws (that is more appropriate in a physics course), but it is important to know of these laws as they are necessary, together with Newton’s law of gravity, to determine the orbits of the planets around the sun.
Reading this article should take about 10 minutes.
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- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Newton’s Three Laws of Motion”
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4.5.2 Newton’s Law of Gravity
- Assessment: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 4 Assessment”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 4 Assessment” (PDF)
Instructions: When you have finished the entire unit, please complete this assessment without referring to the readings. When you are finished with the assessment, you can check your answers against the Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 4 Assessment – Answer Key” (PDF).
Completing this assessment should take approximately 2 hours.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Sir Isaac Newton: The Universal Law of Gravitation”
Link: University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Sir Isaac Newton: The Universal Law of Gravitation” (HTML)
Instructions: This reading will introduce you to computations using Newton’s law of gravity. Please read this carefully. The reading does not actually require numerical computations; however, it is important to understand how the law is actually used in astronomy.
Reading this article should take approximately 45 minutes.
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- Assessment: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 4 Assessment”
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Unit 5: Matter and Light
In this unit, you will be introduced to some basic physics that is used to describe the universe. The most obvious components of the physical universe are matter and light, though it turns out to be a bit more complicated than that. Matter is composed of atoms, which, for our purposes, will be described by the Bohr model. We now know that light is just part of a larger phenomenon known as electromagnetic radiation. The physics of this unit will be the basis for the later units on the evolution of the universe from its beginning to the present.
Unit 5 Time Advisory show close
Unit 5 Learning Outcomes show close
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5.1 Atoms
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 5: Matter and Light”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 5: Matter and Light” (PDF)
Instructions: This reading provides an overview of the material we will cover in Unit 5. Read it carefully, but please don’t think that you have to fix every single fact into your memory. What you should strive for is to be sure that it makes sense to you as you are reading it and that when you are finished you can briefly summarize the main points of the reading. You should read this both as you start and after you have finished working your way through the unit.
Reading this article should take approximately 45 minutes.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Atoms and Molecules”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Atoms and Molecules” (HTML)
Instructions: This article discusses the constituents of atoms and introduces the concept of isotopes.
Reading this article should take approximately 5 minutes.
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- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 5: Matter and Light”
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5.1.1 Early Models of the Atom
- Reading: Regents Exam Prep Center: “The Rutherford Model”
Link: Regents Exam Prep Center: “The Rutherford Model” (HTML)
Instructions: This article discusses the alpha scattering experiment Rutherford used in developing his nuclear model of the atom. Please read it carefully and make sure you understand how the data supports the model.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
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- Reading: Regents Exam Prep Center: “The Rutherford Model”
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5.1.2 The Bohr Model of the Atom
- Web Media: YouTube: Mitchell Youngerman’s “Atomic Models Timeline Project”
Link: YouTube: Mitchell Youngerman’s “Atomic Models Timeline Project” (YouTube)
Instructions: This video discusses the people who developed various models of the atom.
Watching this video should take less than 5 minutes.
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- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Bohr Model”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Bohr Model” (HTML)
Instructions: This article introduces you to the Bohr model and the allowed energy levels of the atom. You should come away with the distinction between quantized energy levels and continuously allowed energies.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
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- Web Media: YouTube: Mitchell Youngerman’s “Atomic Models Timeline Project”
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5.2 The Chemical Elements
- Web Media: ChemicalElements.com: Yinon Bentor’s “Online Interactive Periodic Table of the Elements”
Link: ChemicalElements.com: Yinon Bentor’s “Online Interactive Periodic Table of the Elements” (HTML)
Instructions: At this link, you can click on an element in the table, and information on that element will appear.
Reviewing this information should take approximately 10 minutes.
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- Web Media: ChemicalElements.com: Yinon Bentor’s “Online Interactive Periodic Table of the Elements”
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5.3 Radioactive Decay
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5.3.1 Types of Radioactivity
- Web Media: YouTube: mtchemers’ “Types of Radiation from Radioactive Decay”
Link: YouTube: mtchemers’ “Types of Radiation from Radioactive Decay” (YouTube)
Instructions: This is an animation that shows how an electric field affects the three types of radiation and determines their charges.
Watching this video should take less than 5 minutes.
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- Reading: Oracle ThinkQuest: “Three Types of Radioactive Decay”
Link: Oracle ThinkQuest: “Three Types of Radioactive Decay” (HTML)
Instructions: This is a very brief description of the three types of radioactive decay. Focus on the before and after structure of the nucleus and the nature of the emitted radiation.
Reading this article should take approximately 10 minutes.
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- Reading: Oracle ThinkQuest: “World of Atom: Types of Radioactivity”
Link: Oracle ThinkQuest: “World of Atom: Types of Radioactivity” (HTML)
Instructions: Read this article to supplement the previous one.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
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- Web Media: YouTube: mtchemers’ “Types of Radiation from Radioactive Decay”
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5.3.2 Radioactive Dating
- Web Media: University of Colorado’s Physics 2000: “Isotopes and Radioactivity”
Link: University of Colorado’s Physics 2000: “Isotopes and Radioactivity” (Java)
Instructions: This is a Java applet that discusses and illustrates half-life. It provides animations for the decay in real time of several short half-fife isotopes. Try this for several different isotopes. Be sure to scroll down to view the graph as time elapses.
Studying this resource should take approximately 15 minutes.
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- Reading: Brigham Young University: Grant W. Mason’s Physical Science 100: “Radioactivity and Half-Life”
Link: Brigham Young University: Grant W. Mason’s Physical Science 100: “Radioactivity and Half-Life” (HTML)
Instructions: This reading defines half-life and provides an illustrative animation. Be sure to click on the animation.
Studying this resource should take approximately 10 minutes.
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- Web Media: University of Colorado’s Physics 2000: “Isotopes and Radioactivity”
- 5.4 Electromagnetic Radiation
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5.4.1 James Clerk Maxwell Electromagnetic Theory
- Reading: National Aeronautics and Space Administration: “Scientists and Electromagnetic Waves: Maxwell and Hertz”
Link: National Aeronautics and Space Administration: “Scientists and Electromagnetic Waves: Maxwell and Hertz” (HTML)
Instructions: This article is a brief description of the contributions of Maxwell and Hertz to our understanding of electromagnetic radiation.
Reading this article should take approximately 10 minutes.
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- Reading: National Aeronautics and Space Administration: “Scientists and Electromagnetic Waves: Maxwell and Hertz”
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5.4.2 The Electromagnetic Spectrum
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Electromagnetic Spectrum”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Electromagnetic Spectrum” (HTML)
Instructions: This article introduces the various regions of the electromagnetic spectrum including the colors of the visible spectrum.
Reading this article should take approximately 10 minutes.
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- Web Media: YouTube: Best0fScience’s “Introduction to the Electromagnetic Spectrum”
Link: YouTube: Best0fScience’s “Introduction to the Electromagnetic Spectrum” (YouTube)
Instructions: This video by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration discusses the properties of the various regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Watching this video should take approximately 5 minutes.
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- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Electromagnetic Spectrum”
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5.5 Atomic Spectra
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5.5.1 Types of Spectra
- Reading: M. Colleen Gino’s Introduction to Solar Observing: “Different Types of Spectra”
Link: M. Colleen Gino’s Introduction to Solar Observing: “Different Types of Spectra” (HTML)
Instructions: This article gives a brief description of the three types of spectra and the way in which they are produced.
Reading this article should take approximately 10 minutes.
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- Web Media: YouTube: Derek Owens’ Physical Science 7.3a: “The Nature of Light”
Link: YouTube: Derek Owens’ Physical Science 7.3a: “The Nature of Light” (YouTube)
Instructions: This video is mostly about emission spectra and shows the spectra of several elements.
Watching this video should take approximately 5 minutes.
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- Web Media: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Solar Spectrum”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Solar Spectrum” (HTML)
Instructions: This article illustrates the dark-line spectrum of the sun. It also illustrates the wavelength distributions of a hotter and a cooler star relative to the sun. This explains why the surface temperature of a star determines its color.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
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- Reading: M. Colleen Gino’s Introduction to Solar Observing: “Different Types of Spectra”
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5.5.2 Atomic Spectra and the Bohr Model of the Atom
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Atomic Absorption and Emission Spectra”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Atomic Absorption and Emission Spectra” (HTML)
Instructions: This article goes over the types of spectra, discussing the spectrum of hydrogen in some detail.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
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- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Atomic Absorption and Emission Spectra”
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5.6 The Dual Nature of Electromagnetic Radiation
- Reading: InfoPlease: “The Nature of Light”
Link: InfoPlease: “The Nature of Light” (HTML)
Instructions: This article provides a brief history of our models of light and other types of electromagnetic radiation. It will introduce you to the strange concept that light sometimes behaves as if it were a wave and sometimes as if it were a stream of particles, even though these two models are logically incompatible with one another. Scientists use one or the other depending on which is most helpful in their particular application. In most applications in astronomy, it is easiest to think of light as a wave.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
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- Reading: InfoPlease: “The Dual Nature of Light”
Link: InfoPlease: “The Dual Nature of Light” (HTML)
Instructions: This reading will complement the previous reading.
Reading this article should take approximately 20 minutes.
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- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 5 Assessment”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 5 Assessment” (PDF)
Instructions: When you have finished the entire unit, please complete this assessment without referring to the readings. When you are finished with the assessment, you can check your answers against the Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 5 Assessment – Answer Key” (PDF).
Completing this assessment should take approximately 2 hours.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: InfoPlease: “The Nature of Light”
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Unit 6: The Present Universe
In this unit, you will be introduced to the contemporary worldview, the worldview developed in the twentieth century, replacing the modern worldview. Its essential features are the distribution of matter in the universe and the concept that the space containing this matter is not the passive void of the modern worldview but rather a dynamic structure whose expansion is driving the evolution of the universe.
Unit 6 Time Advisory show close
Unit 6 Learning Outcomes show close
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6.1 The Milky Way Galaxy
- Web Media: YouTube: TED Talks: “Carter Emmart Demos a 3D Atlas of the Universe”
Link: YouTube: TED Talks: “Carter Emmart Demos a 3D Atlas of the Universe” (YouTube)
Instructions: In this lecture, Carter Emmart demonstrates the design and scale of the universe as determined by astronomical observations and as represented by computer models. He emphasizes the relationship between humans and the universe and our responsibilities toward the universe.
Watching this video should take approximately 10 minutes.
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- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 6: The Present Universe”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 6: The Present Universe” (PDF)
Instructions: This article provides an overview of the material we will cover in Unit 6. Read it carefully, but please don’t think that you have to fix every single fact into your memory. What you should strive for is to be sure that it makes sense to you as you are reading it and that when you are finished you can briefly summarize the main points of the reading. You should read this both as you start and after you have finished working your way through the unit.
Reading this article should take approximately 45 minutes.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Nature of the Galaxy”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Nature of the Galaxy” (HTML)
Instructions: This article provides images of the Milky Way Galaxy in visible and in infrared light.
Reading this article should take approximately 10 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Components of the Galaxy”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Components of the Galaxy” (HTML)
Instructions: This article discusses the disk, halo, and nucleus of our galaxy. It also mentions the dark matter in our galaxy which we will discuss in more detail at the end of this unit.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
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- Web Media: YouTube: TED Talks: “Carter Emmart Demos a 3D Atlas of the Universe”
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6.2 Other Galaxies
- Reading: StarDate’s “Galaxies: Cities of Stars”
Link: StarDate’s “Galaxies: Cities of Stars” (HTML)
Instructions: This article describes the work of Edwin Hubble in determining that galaxies other than the Milky Way exist.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Spiral Galaxies”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Spiral Galaxies” (HTML)
Instructions: This article discusses the structure of spiral galaxies and some of their contents, and contains some beautiful images of galaxies.
Reading this article should take approximately 20 minutes.
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- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Elliptical Galaxies”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Elliptical Galaxies” (HTML)
Instructions: This article is very similar to the previous one but examines elliptical galaxies.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
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- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Irregular Galaxies”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Irregular Galaxies” (HTML)
Instructions: This article is similar to the two previous ones but examines irregular galaxies.
Reading this article should take approximately 10 minutes.
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- Reading: StarDate’s “Galaxies: Cities of Stars”
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6.3 Clusters and Superclusters of Galaxies
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Clusters of Galaxies”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Clusters of Galaxies” (HTML)
Instructions: This article discusses the properties of clusters of galaxies in general.
Reading this article should take approximately 10 minutes.
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- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Local Group of Galaxies”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Local Group of Galaxies” (HTML)
Instructions: The Milky Way is a member of a cluster of galaxies known as the Local Group. This article describes the Local Group.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
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- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Superclusters of Galaxies”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Superclusters of Galaxies” (HTML)
Instructions: This article moves from clusters of galaxies to clusters of clusters of galaxies – superclusters.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
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- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Soap Bubbles and Voids”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Soap Bubbles and Voids” (HTML)
Instructions: This reading takes us to the final step in the hierarchy of structures in the universe: from stars to galaxies, from galaxies to clusters of galaxies, from clusters to superclusters, and finally to voids. From here on out it is just more of the same.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
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- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Clusters of Galaxies”
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6.4 Hubble’s Law
- Reading: Cornell University: Martha Haynes’ “Astronomy 2201: Hubble’s Law”
Link: Cornell University: Martha Haynes’ “Astronomy 2201: Hubble’s Law” (HTML)
Instructions: This article discusses Hubble’s Law, which is the relationship between recessional velocity and distance. Recessional velocity mistakenly suggests the redshift in the spectra of distant galaxies is a Doppler shift, which it is not. We will later learn that the redshift is caused by the expansion of space rather than motion through space. It also shows the observational evidence for Hubble’s Law.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
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- Reading: Cornell University: Martha Haynes’ “Astronomy 2201: Hubble’s Law”
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6.5 The Expansion of Space
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6.5.1 The Expansion of Space Explains Hubble’s Law
- Reading: University of Virginia: John Hawley’s “Redshift”
Link: University of Virginia: John Hawley’s “Redshift” (HTML)
Instructions: This artocle introduces the concept of redshift and explains the difference in redshift caused by motion (Doppler redshift) and redshift caused by the expansion of space (cosmological redshift). Make sure you understand what redshift measures.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
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- Reading: The University of Surrey Teachers’ Astrophysics Resource: “The Expanding Universe”
Link: The University of Surrey Teachers’ Astrophysics Resource: “The Expanding Universe” (HTML)
Instructions: This article introduces the cosmological principle. It also offers a nice explanation of the differences between cosmological and Doppler redshifts.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
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- Reading: University of Virginia: John Hawley’s “Redshift”
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6.5.2 The Balloon Model of Expanding Space
- Reading: Exploratorium: Paul Doherty’s “Universal Balloon”
Link: Exploratorium: Paul Doherty’s “Universal Balloon” (HTML)
Instructions: This article uses an actual balloon to demonstrate the balloon model for expanding space and encourages you to do so as well.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
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- Reading: University of California, Los Angeles: Ned Wright’s “Balloon Analogy in Cosmology”
Link: University of California, Los Angeles: Ned Wright’s “Balloon Analogy in Cosmology” (HTML)
Instructions: This article is a more detailed explanation of the balloon model than the previous one.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
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- Reading: University of California, Riverside: Philip Gibbs’ “Where Is the Center of the Universe?”
Link: University of California, Riverside: Philip Gibbs’ “Where Is the Center of the Universe?” (HTML)
Instructions: This article is the most detailed of the three readings on the balloon model and clearly explains how the balloon model indicates that the universe has no center. This is a difficult fact to visualize but an important property of the universe. Make sure that this is clear to you, because in the next unit we will discuss the big bang model, a concept that leaves most people thinking that the center of the universe is where the big bang occurred. This is a serious misconception. As this article explains, there is no center to the universe.
Reading this article should take approximately 30 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Exploratorium: Paul Doherty’s “Universal Balloon”
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6.5.3 Evidence for the Expansion of Space
- Reading: Bright Hub: Wendy A. M. Prosser’s “Explaining Expanding Universe Theory”
Link: Bright Hub: Wendy A. M. Prosser’s “Explaining Expanding Universe Theory” (HTML)
Instructions: This article discusses the nature of the expansion and its relationship to the big bang theory. It also includes a section on the evidence for expanding space.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
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- Reading: Bright Hub: Wendy A. M. Prosser’s “Explaining Expanding Universe Theory”
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6.6 Dark Matter and Supermassive Black Holes
- Reading: YouTube: TED Talks: “Patricia Burchat Sheds Light on Dark Matter”
Link: YouTube: TED Talks: “Patricia Burchat Sheds Light on Dark Matter” (YouTube)
Instructions: This lecture discusses dark matter and the evidence for its existence. It also introduces the concept of dark energy (totally different from dark matter), which is not covered in this unit but will be very important in later units. Think about it now and you will be better prepared for the later material.
Watching this video should take approximately 20 minutes.
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- Reading: HubbleSite: “Black Holes: Gravity’s Relentless Pull”
Link: HubbleSite: “Black Holes: Gravity’s Relentless Pull” (HTML)
Instructions: This article discusses the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy.
Reading this article should take approximately 10 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Supermassive Black Holes”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Supermassive Black Holes” (HTML)
Instructions: This article discusses supermassive black holes in other galaxies and their possible origin.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: YouTube: TED Talks: “Patricia Burchat Sheds Light on Dark Matter”
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6.7 The Universe vs. the Visible Universe
- Reading: University of California, Berkeley’s The Universe Adventure: “The Visible Universe”
Link: University of California, Berkeley’s The Universe Adventure: “The Visible Universe” (HTML)
Instructions: This site very nicely discusses the distinction between the visible universe and the universe. You may sometimes hear on TV someone say that early in the history of the universe, it was the size of a pea. What they should have said was the visible universe was the size of a pea. The universe probably is, and always has been, infinitely large. The pea analogy for the universe is bad because it implies that the universe, like a pea, has a center and edges, which it cannot. The visible universe, however, does have an edge. We can only see out so far in all directions, so in that sense the visible, or observable, universe does have an edge. Looking at it this way, you could say that we are at the center of the visible universe. This would equally be true of any other observer anywhere in the universe. Thus, the universe actually has no specific center.
Exploring this site should take approximately 30 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Assessment: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 6 Assessment”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 6 Assessment” (PDF)
Instructions: When you have finished the entire unit, please complete this assessment without referring to the readings. When you are finished with the assessment, you can check your answers against the Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 6 Assessment – Answer Key” (PDF).
Completing this assessment should take approximately 2 hours.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of California, Berkeley’s The Universe Adventure: “The Visible Universe”
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Unit 7: The Big Bang Theory of the Early Universe
In this unit, you will be introduced to the history of our current model of the early universe, the big bang, and some of the evidence supporting. This is not a model of the origin of the universe; those conditions transcend our present state of knowledge. Rather it is a description of the very early universe.
Unit 7 Time Advisory show close
Unit 7 Learning Outcomes show close
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7.1 Abbe George Lamaitre and the Prediction of a Finite Age for the Universe
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 7: The Big Bang Theory of the Early Universe”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 7: The Big Bang Theory of the Early Universe” (PDF)
Instructions: This article provides an overview of the material we will cover in Unit 7. Read it carefully, but please don’t think that you have to fix every single fact into your memory. What you should strive for is to be sure that it makes sense to you as you are reading it and that when you are finished you can briefly summarize the main points of the reading. You should read this both as you start and after you have finished working your way through the unit.
Reading this article should take approximately 30 minutes.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The American Museum of Natural History: Steven Soter and Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Cosmic Horizons: “Georges Lemaitre, Father of the Big Bang”
Link: The American Museum of Natural History: Steven Soter and Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Cosmic Horizons: “Georges Lemaitre, Father of the Big Bang” (HTML)
Instructions: This excerpt discusses Lemaitre’s involvement in developing the ideas that eventually became known as the big bang.
Reading this excerpt should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: YouTube: Khan Academy’s “Big Bang Introduction”
Link: YouTube: Khan Academy’s “Big Bang Introduction” (YouTube)
Instructions: This video discusses the big bang and, in particular, misconceptions associated with it. It develops a 2-D analogy to help you understand the misconceptions.
Watching this video should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 7: The Big Bang Theory of the Early Universe”
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7.2 George Gamow and the Big Bang Model of the Early Universe
- Reading: National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Universe 101: “Tests of Big Bang: The CMB”
Link: National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Universe 101: “Tests of Big Bang: The CMB” (HTML)
Instructions: This article discusses the predictions of the big bang regarding the production of the cosmic microwave background radiation and its eventual discovery.
Reading this article should take approximately 20 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Universe 101: “Tests of Big Bang: The Light Elements”
Link: National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Universe 101: “Tests of Big Bang: The Light Elements” (HTML)
Instructions: This article discusses the predictions of the big bang regarding the productions of light elements in the early universe and how the actual abundances of these elements in the universe today match those predictions.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Universe 101: “Tests of Big Bang: The CMB”
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7.3 Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson
- Reading: PBS: “Penzias and Wilson Discover Cosmic Microwave Radiation 1965”
Link: PBS: “Penzias and Wilson Discover Cosmic Microwave Radiation 1965” (HTML)
Instructions: This article discusses the discovery of the cosmic background radiation.
Reading this article should take approximately 10 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: YouTube: “Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Evidence for the Big Bang”
Link: YouTube: “Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Evidence for the Big Bang” (YouTube)
Instructions: Neil deGrasse Tyson is to popular astronomy today what Carl Sagan was a generation ago. In this video, he discusses the discovery of Penzias and Wilson. There is a good bit of footage here of Penzias and Wilson and some narration by Wilson.
Watching this video should take approximately 5 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Assessment: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 6 Assessment”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 7 Assessment” (PDF)
Instructions: When you have finished the entire unit, please complete this assessment without referring to the readings. When you are finished with the assessment, you can check your answers against the Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 7 Assessment – Answer Key” (PDF).
Completing this assessment should take approximately 1 hour.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: PBS: “Penzias and Wilson Discover Cosmic Microwave Radiation 1965”
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Unit 8: The Early Universe
In this unit, you will be introduced to the events occurring in the first few hundred thousand years of the existence of the universe. You will learn how the expansion of space cooled the universe, allowing a progressive hierarchy of structures to develop, from protons and neutrons through the formation of neutral atoms and the production of the cosmic background radiation.
Unit 8 Time Advisory show close
Unit 8 Learning Outcomes show close
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8.1 The Formation of Structures in the Early Universe
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 8: The Early Universe”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 8: The Early Universe” (PDF)
Instructions: This article provides an overview of the material we will cover in Unit 8. Read it carefully, but please don’t think that you have to fix every single fact into your memory. What you should strive for is to be sure that it makes sense to you as you are reading it and that when you are finished could briefly summarize the main points of the reading. You should read this both as you start and after you have finished working your way through the unit.
Reading this article should take approximately 45 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of California, Berkeley’s The Universe Adventure: “Quarks Come Together”
Link: University of California, Berkeley’s The Universe Adventure: “Quarks Come Together” (HTML)
Instructions: This page contains information and animations on the formations of protons and neutrons in the early universe. The animation on nucleosynthesis only shows the first step of the process, the combining of a proton and a neutron. At the bottom of the site, there is a link titled “Cosmic Conundrums: Era 2.” Click on it to take a short quiz.
Exploring this site should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 8: The Early Universe”
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8.2 The Formation of the Cosmic Background Radiation
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Cosmic Background Radiation”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Cosmic Background Radiation” (HTML)
Instructions: This article discusses the formation and detection of the cosmic background radiation.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: YouTube: Khan Academy’s “Cosmic Background Radiation”
Link: YouTube: Khan Academy’s “Cosmic Background Radiation” (YouTube)
Instructions: The format of this video is a blackboard presentation.
Watching this video should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Assessment: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 8 Assessment”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 8 Assessment” (PDF)
Instructions: When you have finished the entire unit, please complete this assessment without referring to the readings. When you are finished with the assessment, you can check your answers against the Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 8 Assessment – Answer Key” (PDF).
Completing this assessment should take approximately 2 hours.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Cosmic Background Radiation”
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Unit 9: Modern Cosmology
In this unit, you will be introduced to the very latest information on the nature of the universe. This information was mostly obtained by a space probe called WMAP (the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe) designed to study the cosmic background radiation. Some important outcomes of that study are the age of the universe and the detailed contents of the universe, both at the present time and at the time of the formation of the cosmic background radiation.
Unit 9 Time Advisory show close
Unit 9 Learning Outcomes show close
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9.1 Dark Energy
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 9: Modern Cosmology”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 9: Modern Cosmology” (PDF)
Instructions: This article covers our very latest information on the properties of the universe. It is much more in depth than the other units in the course. Read it carefully, but the details of exactly how the data from the cosmic background radiation actually determines the age, contents, and structure of the universe is well beyond the scope of the course. Look over the Learning Outcomes for the unit and make sure that you have a good start on achieving those even if some of the content of the unit is a little beyond you.
Reading this article should take approximately 1 hour.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: YouTube: TED Talks: “Patricia Burchat Sheds Light on Dark Matter”
Link: YouTube: TED Talks: “Patricia Burchat Sheds Light on Dark Matter” (YouTube)
Instructions: This lecture is a repeat of one you watched in an earlier unit. It is repeated here because this unit deals with the contents of the universe, and dark matter is one of the most significant components. It also discusses dark energy.
Watching this video should take approximately 20 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: YouTube: TED Talks: “George Smoot on the Design of the Universe”
Link: YouTube: TED Talks: “George Smoot on the Design of the Universe” (YouTube)
Instructions: In this lecture George Smoot, a Nobel Prize winner for his work on the cosmic background radiation, gives an overview of the structure of the universe and its evolution.
Watching this lecture should take approximately 20 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 9: Modern Cosmology”
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9.2 The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe
- Reading: National Aeronautics and Space Administration: “Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe”
Link: National Aeronautics and Space Administration: “Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe” (HTML)
Instructions: This pagegives an overview of WMAP and some of the results obtained from the data.
Exploring this page should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: National Aeronautics and Space Administration: “WMAP Produces New Results: WMAP Seven-Year Results Released”
Link: National Aeronautics and Space Administration: “WMAP Produces New Results: WMAP Seven-Year Results Released” (HTML)
Instructions: This page discusses the information obtained so far from WMAP data.
Exploring this page should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: National Aeronautics and Space Administration: “Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe”
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9.3 The Evolution of the Universe
- Web Media: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: The Smoot Group’s “Astrophysics and Cosmology: Universe Evolution”
Link: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: The Smoot Group’s “Astrophysics and Cosmology: Universe Evolution” (HTML)
Instructions: This is an image you have seen before, but it is well worth spending some time studying it and thinking about the wealth of information it contains. It represents the evolution of the visible universe with the vertical axis representing size and the horizontal axis representing time. The slope of the containing shape represents the rate at which space is expanding. The extremely steep slope near the beginning represents the rapid expansion of inflation. During most of the history, the curvature of the containing shape curves downward, representing the slowing down of expansion due to gravity. For the right-hand side, the containing shape curves upward, representing the acceleration of expansion due to the fact that the consequences of dark energy (repulsion) now have surpassed the consequences of gravity (attraction).
Studying this image should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: The Smoot Group’s “Astrophysics and Cosmology: Universe Evolution”
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9.4 The Contents of the Universe
- Reading: National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Universe 101: “What is the Universe Made Of?”
Link: National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Universe 101: “What is the Universe Made Of?” (HTML)
Instructions: This article goes into a good bit of detail about the contents of the universe.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Universe 101: “What is the Universe Made Of?”
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9.5 The Geometry of the Universe
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Geometry of the Universe”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Geometry of the Universe” (HTML)
Instructions: This article discusses the factors that determine the large-scale geometry of the universe.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Geometry of the Universe”
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9.6 Cosmological Models
- Reading: Cosmotography.com: R. Jay GaBany’s “The Model Universe”
Link: Cosmotography.com: R. Jay GaBany’s “The Model Universe” (HTML)
Instructions: This is a brief description of cosmological models. It introduces the Lambda-CDM model, which is currently the most widely accepted model.
Reading this article should take approximately 10 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Jacobs University Bremen: Max Camenzind’s “Modern Cosmology Part III.2: The Lambda CDM Model”
Link: Jacobs University Bremen: Max Camenzind’s “Modern Cosmology Part III.2: The Lambda CDM Model” (HTML)
Instructions: This article discusses the Lambda-CDM model further. Just read the first two paragraphs (up to “2. Midterm Review”).
Reading this article should take approximately 10 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Assessment: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 9 Assessment”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 9 Assessment” (PDF)
Instructions: When you have finished the entire unit, please complete this assessment without referring to the readings. When you are finished with the assessment, you can check your answers against the Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 9 Assessment – Answer Key” (PDF).
Completing this assessment should take approximately 2 hours.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Optional Web Media: YouTube: The International Mars Society’s “The Early Universe and Astrophysics, David Chuss, NASA Goddard”
Link: YouTube: The International Mars Society’s “(1 of 4) The Early Universe and Astrophysics, David Chuss, NASA Goddard”, “(2 of 4) The Early Universe and Astrophysics, David Chuss, NASA Goddard”, “(3 of 4) The Early Universe and Astrophysics, David Chuss, NASA Goddard”, and “(4 of 4) The Early Universe and Astrophysics, David Chuss, NASA Goddard” (YouTube)
Instructions: This series of videos is somewhat technical. It discusses a wide range of topics relative to the early universe. If you’re really into this topic, you may want to watch them.
Watching these videos should take approximately 1 hour.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Cosmotography.com: R. Jay GaBany’s “The Model Universe”
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Unit 10: The Properties of Stars
In this unit, you will be introduced to the properties of stars and how they are determined. You will learn about the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, one of the most important tools we have for understanding the evolution of stars, the topic for the next unit.
Unit 10 Time Advisory show close
Unit 10 Learning Outcomes show close
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10.1 The Sun, an Average Star
- Reading: The Saylor Foundations “Unit 10: The Properties of Stars”
Link: The Saylor Foundations “Unit 10: The Properties of Stars” (PDF)
Instructions: This article provides an overview of the material we will cover in Unit 10. Read it carefully, but please don’t think that you have to fix every single fact into your memory. What you should strive for is to be sure that it makes sense to you as you are reading it and that when you are finished you can briefly summarize the main points of the reading. You should read this both as you start and after you have finished working your way through the unit.
Reading this article should take approximately 45 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Solar Composition”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Solar Composition” (HTML)
Instructions: This article discusses the abundances of elements in the sun and the discovery of helium.
Reading this article should take approximately 10 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Ionization and Plasmas”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Ionization and Plasmas” (HTML)
Instructions: The interior of the sun is so hot that the atoms are completely ionized. This article will help you understand the structure of the sun’s interior that allows for hydrogen fusion, the topic of the next section, to occur.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Harvard Spectral Sequence”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Harvard Spectral Sequence” (HTML)
Instructions: This article discusses the spectral classes of stars.
Reading this article should take approximately 10 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundations “Unit 10: The Properties of Stars”
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10.2 Distance, Apparent Brightness, and Luminosity
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Parallax Method”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Parallax Method” (HTML)
Instructions: This article shows a diagram of the parallax method and discusses the limitations of the method.
Reading this article should take approximately 10 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Units for Stellar Distances”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Units for Stellar Distances” (HTML)
Instructions: This article defines two units used in astronomy, the light-year and the parsec. Read over both, but for the purposes of this course, we will only use the light-year.
Reading this article should take approximately 10 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Castle Rock High School: Carl Stello’s “Luminosity and Apparent Brightness”
Link: Castle Rock High School: Carl Stello’s “Luminosity and Apparent Brightness” (HTML)
Instructions: This article discusses the inverse-square law as it applies to the luminosity and apparent brightness of stars. The last part of the reading discusses the magnitude scale that is sometimes used in astronomy to quantify the apparent brightness of stars. You may want to read this, but it is not a concept that we will use in this course.
Reading this article should take approximately 20 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Parallax Method”
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10.3 The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram
- Reading: The University of Oregon: Davison E. Soper’s “Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram”
Link: The University of Oregon: Davison E. Soper’s “Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram” (HTML)
Instructions: This is a good introduction to the H-R diagram. It provides links to other topics that may be of interest to you.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Cornell University: Martha Haynes’ “Astronomy 2201: Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram”
Link: Cornell University: Martha Haynes’ “Astronomy 2201: Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram” (HTML)
Instructions: This is a brief discussion of the H-R diagram that has a nice illustration showing the colors of the stars in the various regions of the diagram.
Reading this article should take approximately 10 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: University of Nebraska, Lincoln’s Nebraska Astronomy Applet Project: “Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram Explorer”
Link: University of Nebraska, Lincoln’s Nebraska Astronomy Applet Project: “Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram Explorer” (HTML)
Instructions: This is an interactive link. It will allow you to vary surface temperature and luminosity for stars and see what they look like in size and color relative to the sun. It will also allow you to pick categories of stars to see where they appear on the H-R diagram.
Exploring this resource should take approximately 20 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Assessment: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 10 Assessment”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 10 Assessment” (PDF)
Instructions: When you have finished the entire unit, please complete this assessment without referring to the readings. When you are finished with the assessment, you can check your answers against the Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 10 Assessment – Answer Key” (PDF).
Completing this assessment should take approximately 2 hours.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of Oregon: Davison E. Soper’s “Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram”
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Unit 11: Stellar Evolution
In this unit, you will be introduced to the way in which stars change over time. You will learn about the history of our sun and about its future. You will learn how elements more massive than helium came to be and how they became available to the universe for the production of later generations of stars and their planets.
Unit 11 Time Advisory show close
Unit 11 Learning Outcomes show close
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11.1 The Birth of a Star
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 11: Stellar Evolution”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 11: Stellar Evolution” (PDF)
Instructions: This article provides an overview of the material we will cover in Unit 11. Read it carefully, but please don’t think that you have to fix every single fact into your memory. What you should strive for is to be sure that it makes sense to you as you are reading it and that when you are finished you can briefly summarize the main points of the reading. You should read this both as you start and after you have finished working your way through the unit.
Reading this article should take approximately 45 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: YouTube: Khan Academy’s “Birth of Stars”
Link: YouTube: Khan Academy’s “Birth of Stars” (YouTube)
Instructions: This video is a blackboard format discussion of the birth of stars.
Watching this video should take approximately 10 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: YouTube: The Science Channel’s “Stellar Evolution”
Link: YouTube: The Science Channel’s “Stellar Evolution” (YouTube)
Instructions: This video is a somewhat melodramatic, but essentially accurate, overview of stellar evolution focusing on our sun.
Watching this video should take approximately 10 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Interstellar Medium”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Interstellar Medium” (HTML)
Instructions: This article is a thorough discussion of the interstellar medium, the raw material for the birth of stars.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 11: Stellar Evolution”
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11.2 Hydrogen Fusion
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Proton-Proton Chain”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Proton-Proton Chain” (HTML)
Instructions: This article provides a nice graphic of the proton-proton cycle of hydrogen fusion.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Astrophysical Spectator Issue 1.1 (October 2004): “Hydrogen Fusion”
Link: The Astrophysical Spectator Issue 1.1 (October 2004): “Hydrogen Fusion” (HTML)
Instructions: This article discusses the hydrogen fusion reaction in more detail than the previous reading. It treats both the proton-proton chain and the carbon-nitrogen-oxygen cycle. Both have the same end result, the loss of four protons and the production of a helium-4 nucleus, two positrons, two neutrinos, and energy. Focus your attention on the proton-proton chain as it is the one that is most important in our sun.
Reading this article should take approximately 20 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “The Proton-Proton Chain”
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11.3 The Evolution of Low Mass Stars
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11.3.1 The Production of Carbon and Oxygen
- Reading: The Astrophysical Spectator Issue 2.32 (September 21, 2005): “Fusion of Helium”
Link: The Astrophysical Spectator Issue 2.32 (September 21, 2005): “Fusion of Helium” (HTML)
Instructions: This article is more comprehensive than we will need. Focus on the first section, “Alpha Fusion Chain.”
Reading this article should take approximately 10 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of Oregon: James Schombert’s “Red Giant Evolution”
Link: University of Oregon: James Schombert’s “Red Giant Evolution” (HTML)
Instructions: This article goes into more detail than is needed for this course. Read the sections up to “Horizontal Branch Stars” carefully. Of course, read on if you find this interesting. It will take you through several post-red giant phases of evolution in low-mass stars. The very end of the reading will introduce you to the evolution of high-mass stars.
Reading this article should take approximately 10 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Astrophysical Spectator Issue 2.32 (September 21, 2005): “Fusion of Helium”
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11.3.2 The Death of Low Mass Stars
- Reading: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s Fusion Energy Education: “Planetary Nebulae”
Link: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s Fusion Energy Education: “Planetary Nebulae” (HTML)
Instructions: This article discusses planetary nebulae and has an image of one that serves as a useful illustration.
Reading this article should take approximately 10 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: YouTube: National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s “Planetary Nebula: A New Twist”
Link: YouTube: National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s “Planetary Nebula: A New Twist” (YouTube)
Instructions: This video focuses mostly on the structures of planetary nebulae. It has some beautiful Hubble Space Telescope images.
Watching this video should take approximately 5 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s Fusion Energy Education: “Planetary Nebulae”
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11.3.3 White Dwarfs
- Reading: University of Oregon: James Schombert’s “Planetary Nebula Phase”
Link: University of Oregon: James Schombert’s “Planetary Nebula Phase” (HTML)
Instructions: As with some previous articles, this goes into more detail than is needed for this course. Read the sections up to Nova carefully. Of course, read on if you find this interesting. It discusses the phenomena of nova in some detail, a topic we do not cover in this course.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: Astrophysics Science Project Integrating Research & Education: “Star Life Cycle”
Link: Astrophysics Science Project Integrating Research & Education: “Star Life Cycle” (HTML)
Instructions: This is a very informative and interesting sequence of activities that will help you understand the life cycle of low-mass stars and the H-R diagram in particular. There are seven sets of activities: one on protostars, three on stars, and three on the H-R diagram. Go through each one carefully and thoroughly.
Exploring these exercises should take approximately 45 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of Oregon: James Schombert’s “Planetary Nebula Phase”
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11.4 The Evolution of High Mass Stars
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11.4.1 The Production of Elements Up to Iron
- Reading: Castle Rock High School: Carl Stello’s “Evolution of High-Mass Stars”
Link: Castle Rock High School: Carl Stello’s “Evolution of High-Mass Stars” (HTML)
Instructions: This article discusses heavy element fusion and the death of a high-mass star.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Case Western Reserve University: Chris Mihos’ “Late Stage Nuclear Burning in High Mass Stars”
Link: Case Western Reserve University: Chris Mihos’ “Late Stage Nuclear Burning in High Mass Stars” (HTML)
Instructions: This is a brief description of the nuclear reactions in a high-mass star. It begins with carbon fusion and goes through to silicon burning. Do not worry about the specifics of each reaction, just focus on the development of concentric shells of progressively more massive elements.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Rochester Institute of Technology: Michael Richmond’s “Later Stages of Stellar Evolution in High-Mass Stars”
Link: Rochester Institute of Technology: Michael Richmond’s “Later Stages of Stellar Evolution in High-Mass Stars” (HTML)
Instructions: This article is a comprehensive treatment of the death of a high-mass star.
Reading this article should take approximately 30 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Castle Rock High School: Carl Stello’s “Evolution of High-Mass Stars”
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11.4.2 Supernovae and the Production of Elements More Massive Than Iron
- Web Media: The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science: Neil deGrasse Tyson’s “The Most Astounding Fact”
Link: YouTube: Neil deGrasse Tyson’s “The Most Astounding Fact” (YouTube)
Instructions: Astrophysicist Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson was asked the following by a reader of TIME magazine: “What is the most astounding fact you can share with us about the universe?” His answer is contained in this must-see video.
Watching this video should take approximately 5 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Oracle ThinkQuest: “High Mass Stars”
Link: Oracle ThinkQuest: “High Mass Stars” (HTML)
Instructions: This is a very brief description of the evolution of a high-mass star.
Reading this article should take approximately 5 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: National Aeronautics and Space Adminsitration, Chandra X-Ray Laboratory: “Crab Nebula”
Link: National Aeronautics and Space Adminsitration, Chandra X-Ray Laboratory: “Crab Nebula” (PDF)
Instructions: This article discusses the history of the Crab Nebula supernova. It also talks about the neutron star (pulsar) at its center.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: This article has been reposted for non-commercial, educational purposes. It is attributed to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Assessment: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 11 Assessment”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 11 Assessment” (PDF)
Instructions: When you have finished the entire unit, please complete this assessment without referring to the readings. When you are finished with the assessment, you can check your answers against the Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 11 Assessment – Answer Key” (PDF).
Completing this assessment should take approximately 2 hours.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science: Neil deGrasse Tyson’s “The Most Astounding Fact”
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Unit 12: The Formation of the Earth
In this unit you will be introduced to our current model for the formation of the solar system, with a particular emphasis on the formation of the earth. You will learn of the conditions on earth soon after its formation and how those conditions were transformed by geological evolution to its present, life-friendly environment.
Unit 12 Time Advisory show close
Unit 12 Learning Outcomes show close
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12.1 The Origin of the Solar System
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 12: The Formation of the Earth”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 12: The Formation of the Earth” (PDF)
Instructions: This article provides an overview of the material we will cover in Unit 12. Read it carefully, but please don’t think that you have to fix every single fact into your memory. What you should strive for is to be sure that it makes sense to you as you are reading it and that when you are finished you can briefly summarize the main points of the reading. You should read this both as you start and after you have finished working your way through the unit.
Reading this article should take approximately 45 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Solar Systems in the Making?”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Solar Systems in the Making?” (HTML)
Instructions: This article is a follow-up to the previous one and discusses observation suggesting solar system-like formations in other parts of the galaxy.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: YouTube: TheUniverseUnfolded’s “The Solar System: A Brief Glance”
Link: YouTube: TheUniverseUnfolded’s “The Solar System: A Brief Glance” (YouTube)
Instructions: This video is an overview of the solar system.
Watching this video should take approximately 10 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 12: The Formation of the Earth”
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12.2 The Age of the Earth
- Reading: United States Geological Survey: “Age of the Earth”
Link: United States Geological Survey: “Age of the Earth” (HTML)
Instructions: This article describes how the age of the earth has been determined by radiometric methods.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Evolution Evidence Page: “Radiometric Dating”
Link: The Evolution Evidence Page: “Radiometric Dating” (HTML)
Instructions: This is a more detailed treatment of determining the age of the earth than the previous article.
Reading this article should take approximately 20 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: United States Geological Survey: “Age of the Earth”
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12.3 The Geological Evolution of the Earth
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12.3.1 The Chemical Differentiation of the Earth’s Interior
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Geological Differentiation”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Geological Differentiation” (HTML)
Instructions: This article is a brief description of chemical differentiation.
Reading this article should take approximately 10 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Northwestern College: Tom Franke’s “The Iron Catastrophe”
Link: Northwestern College: Tom Franke’s “The Iron Catastrophe” (HTML)
Instructions: This is a description of chemical differentiation and includes a chart of element abundance of the whole earth compared to that of the crust.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Geological Differentiation”
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12.3.2 The Formation of the Earth’s Oceans
- Web Media: YouTube: National Geographic’s “Origins of Oceans”
Link: YouTube: National Geographic’s “Origins of Oceans” (YouTube)
Instructions: This video explains the origins of the oceans.
Watching this video should take approximately 5 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Duke University: The Simon Research Group’s “How Did the Oceans Form?”
Link: Duke University: The Simon Research Group’s “How Did the Oceans Form?” (HTML)
Instructions: This article complements the previous video.
Reading this article should take approximately 10 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: YouTube: National Geographic’s “Origins of Oceans”
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12.3.3 The Formation of the Earth’s Atmosphere
- Reading: Eastern Illinois University: John P. Stimac’s “Origin of the Earth’s Atmosphere”
Link: Eastern Illinois University: John P. Stimac’s “Origin of the Earth’s Atmosphere” (HTML)
Instructions: This article complements the previous link. The last section is on “Atmospheric Structure,” which we will not discuss in this course.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s SciJinks: “How Did Earth’s Atmosphere Form?”
Link: National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s SciJinks: “How Did Earth’s Atmosphere Form?” (HTML)
Instructions: This article describes the three types of atmosphere that developed over time on Earth.
Reading this article should take approximately 10 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Eastern Illinois University: John P. Stimac’s “Origin of the Earth’s Atmosphere”
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12.3.4 Plate Tectonics
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Evidence for Plate Tectonics”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Evidence for Plate Tectonics” (HTML)
Instructions: This article is a follow-up to the previous one and discusses the evidence for plate tectonics.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Consequences of Plate Tectonics”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Consequences of Plate Tectonics” (HTML)
Instructions: This is another follow-up to the two previous articles, this time listing some consequences of tectonic activity.
Reading this article should take approximately 10 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Plate Tectonics”
Link: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Plate Tectonics” (HTML)
Instructions: This article provides an introduction to plate tectonics.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: YouTube: National Geographic’s “The Early Earth and Plate Tectonics”
Link: YouTube: National Geographic’s “The Early Earth and Plate Tectonics” (YouTube)
Instructions: This video is an overview of the geological evolution with the emphasis on plate tectonics.
Watching this video should take approximately 5 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Department of Physics and Astronomy: “Evidence for Plate Tectonics”
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12.4 The Origin of the Moon
- Reading: The University of Arizona: H. Jay Melosh’s “Origin of the Moon”
Link: The University of Arizona: H. Jay Melosh’s “Origin of the Moon” (HTML)
Instructions: This article describes our current best theory for the origin of the moon. It includes computer-generated images for this theory.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Assessment: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 12 Assessment”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 12 Assessment” (PDF)
Instructions: When you have finished the entire unit, please complete this assessment without referring to the readings. When you are finished with the assessment, you can check your answers against the Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 12 Assessment – Answer Key” (PDF).
Completing this assessment should take approximately 2 hours.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of Arizona: H. Jay Melosh’s “Origin of the Moon”
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Unit 13: Biological Evolution
In this unit, you will be introduced to the concept that species arise through the modification of earlier forms of life. Particular emphasis will be placed on the line of descent of human beings through vertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, primates, and eventually, us.
Unit 13 Time Advisory show close
Unit 13 Learning Outcomes show close
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13.1 Chemical Evolution
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 13: Biological Evolution”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 13: Biological Evolution” (PDF)
Instructions: This article provides an overview of the material we will cover in Unit 13. Read it carefully, but please don’t think that you have to fix every single fact into your memory. What you should strive for is to be sure that it makes sense to you as you are reading it and that when you are finished you can briefly summarize the main points of the reading. You should read this both as you start and after you have finished working your way through the unit.
Reading this article should take approximately 45 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Robert A. Freitas, Jr.’s Xenology: An Introduction to the Scientific Study of Extraterrestrial Life, Intelligence, and Civilization: “Early Chemical Evolution on Earth”
Link: Robert A. Freitas, Jr.’s Xenology: An Introduction to the Scientific Study of Extraterrestrial Life, Intelligence, and Civilization: “Early Chemical Evolution on Earth” (HTML)
Instructions: This excerpt discusses the nature of chemical evolution in the early history of the earth.
Reading this excerpt should take approximately 10 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Evogeneao: Leonard Eisenberg’s “Evolution: All in the Family”
Link: Evogeneao: Leonard Eisenberg’s “Evolution: All in the Family” (HTML)
Instructions: This article starts with a discussion of evolution, and goes on to talk about Darwin and the criteria for what constitutes a scientific theory.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 13: Biological Evolution”
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13.2 Biological Evolution
- Reading: The Earth Life Web: Gordon Ramel’s “The Evolution of Mammals”
Link: The Earth Life Web: Gordon Ramel’s “The Evolution of Mammals” (HTML)
Instructions: This article discusses biological evolution from fish, the first vertebrates, but focuses on the evolution of mammals.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Evogeneao: Leonard Eisenberg’s “Evolution: All in the Family”
Link: Evogeneao: Leonard Eisenberg’s “Evolution: All in the Family” (HTML)
Instructions: This article starts with a discussion of evolution, and goes on to talk about Darwin and the criteria for what constitutes a scientific theory.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Palaeos’ “Amphibians, Systematics, and Cladistics”
Link: Palaeos’ “Amphibians, Systematics, and Cladistics” (HTML)
Instructions: This article covers biological evolution from 410 million years ago to 180 million years ago – the Paleozoic Era plus some of the Mesozoic Era. This period specifically includes lungfish and amphibians. As you read, follow some of the links to anything that seems interesting.
Reading this article should take about 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Palomar College: Dennis O’Neal’s “The First Primates”
Link: Palomar College: Dennis O’Neal’s “The First Primates” (HTML)
Instructions: This article covers primate evolution from the proto-primates up to about 5 million years ago, which is about the time of the last common ancestor for chimps and humans.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Earth Life Web: Gordon Ramel’s “The Evolution of Mammals”
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13.3 Human Evolution
- Reading: Becoming Human
Link: Becoming Human (HTML)
Instructions: This is an interactive site with lots of information on human evolution. Browse the site to see if there is something of particular interest to you.
Studying this site should take approximately 10 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: “What Does It Mean to Be Human?”
Link: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History: “What Does It Mean to Be Human?” (HTML)
Instructions: This article is intended primarily for educators. You should read the first part, “Introduction to Human Evolution,” which includes a video on some of the evidence, and the second part, “How Do We Know?”
Reading this article and watching the short video should take approximately 30 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Assessment: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 13 Assessment”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 13 Assessment” (PDF)
Instructions: When you have finished the entire unit, please complete this assessment without referring to the readings. When you are finished with the assessment, you can check your answers against the Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 13 Assessment – Answer Key” (PDF).
Completing this assessment should take approximately 1 hour.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Becoming Human
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Unit 14: Extraterrestrial Life
In this chapter, you will be introduced to our current thoughts on the existence of life beyond the confines of earth. Drawing on our understanding of the development of life on earth, we will speculate on its existence elsewhere. We will look at the Drake equation, a formula for estimating the number of technological civilizations that exist in our galaxy now, and review the arguments over the existence of extraterrestrial life.
Unit 14 Time Advisory show close
Unit 14 Learning Outcomes show close
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14.1 The Habitable Zone
- Reading: Yahoo News: Mike Wall’s “NASA Telescope Confirms Alien Planet in Habitable Zone”
Link: Yahoo News: Mike Wall’s “NASA Telescope Confirms Alien Planet in Habitable Zone” (HTML)
Instructions: This reading discusses the finding of an extrasolar planet within the habitable zone of its star. The discovery was made by the Kepler observatory, whose mission is to hunt for earth-sized alien planets in the habitable zone of their parent star, where liquid water, and perhaps life, might be able to exist.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Yahoo News: Mike Wall’s “NASA Telescope Confirms Alien Planet in Habitable Zone”
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14.2 The Drake Equation
- Web Media: SETI Institute: “Join the Team”
Link: SETI Institute: “Join the Team” (HTML)
Instructions: If you find the search for extraterrestrial intelligence fascinating, you may want to join in that effort. Here is a link that explains how you can become involved. Look it over for a few minutes and see if you are interested.
Studying this resource should take approximately 10 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Active Mind Directory: “The Drake Equation”
Link: The Active Mind Directory: “The Drake Equation” (HTML)
Instructions: This site describes the various terms in the Drake equation. It also allows you to put in the values you think are most appropriate for each term, and it will calculate what the expected number of potentially communicating civilizations there are in our galaxy.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.The Saylor Foundation does not yet have materials for this portion of the course. If you are interested in contributing your content to fill this gap or aware of a resource that could be used here, please submit it here.
- Web Media: SETI Institute: “Join the Team”
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14.3 Arguments For and Against Extraterrestrial Life
- Web Media: YouTube: Neil deGrasse Tyson’s “Are We Alone?”
Link: YouTube: Neil deGrasse Tyson’s “Are We Alone?” (YouTube)
Instructions: This video is a very nice, balanced approach to the question.
Watching this video should take approximately 5 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Assessment: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 14 Assessment”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 14 Assessment” (PDF)
Instructions: When you have finished the entire unit, please complete this assessment without referring to the readings. When you are finished with the assessment, you can check your answers against the Saylor Foundation’s “Unit 14 Assessment – Answer Key” (PDF).
Completing this assessment should take approximately 1 hour.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of Oregon: James Schombert’s “Fermi’s Paradox (i.e., Where Are They?)”
Link: University of Oregon: James Schombert’s “Fermi’s Paradox (i.e., Where Are They?)” (HTML)
Instructions: The first third or so of this article is entitled “Fermi’s Paradox (i.e., Where are They?)”. Be sure to read this section. The other two parts are “Solutions to Fermi’s Paradox” and “The Big Picture,” which are optional.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: YouTube: Neil deGrasse Tyson’s “Are We Alone?”
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Final Exam
- Final Exam: The Saylor Foundation’s “ASTR101 Final Exam”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “ASTR101 Final Exam”
Instructions: You must be logged into your Saylor Foundation School account in order to access this exam. If you do not yet have an account, you will be able to create one, free of charge, after clicking the link.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Final Exam: The Saylor Foundation’s “ASTR101 Final Exam”
