An introduction to modern astronomy's most important questions. The four sections of the course are Planets and Life in The Universe; The Life of Stars; Galaxies and Their Environments; The History of The Universe.
Confronting The Big Questions: Highlights of Modern Astronomy
Offered By
University of Rochester
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week
14 hours to complete
Are we alone in the Universe?
Planets and Life in The Universe - Exoplanets searches, exoplanet census, astrobiology
20 videos (Total 132 min), 8 readings, 1 quiz
20 videos
Scientific Notation4m
Our Place in the Cosmos6m
Comparative Planetology5m
Terrestrial Planets10m
Giant Planets9m
Gas Vs Ice Giants5m
Construction Debris9m
Exoplanets7m
Understanding Ellipses2m
Radial Velocities and the Doppler Shift4m
Transiting Planets3m
The Habitable Zone7m
What Exoplanets Have Taught Us8m
Condensation Theory6m
Planet Formation5m
Basic Chemistry2m
DNA and RNA6m
Appearance of Life9m
Are We Alone?9m
8 readings
General Overview10m
Grading and Logistics10m
Syllabus10m
About the Professor10m
About the Teaching Assistant10m
Optional Readings10m
Exercises and Activities10m
Lecture Notes10m
1 practice exercise
Week 1 Quiz50m
Week
23 hours to complete
How do Stars Evolve and Die?
The Life of Stars - Star formation, fusion and stellar middle age, black holes and stellar death-
19 videos (Total 127 min), 1 quiz
19 videos
Nuclear Fusion10m
The Nature of Light8m
Quantum Physics8m
Measuring Stars10m
Forming a Protostar6m
Brown Dwarfs And Very Low Mass Stars7m
The Structure of a G2 Main Sequence Star5m
Solar Magnetic Features8m
Red Giants and Planetary Nebulae8m
White Dwarfs3m
Supernovas and Neutron Stars6m
Frames of Reference2m
Special Relativity7m
General Relativity5m
Escape Velocity2m
Black Holes6m
Journey into a Black Hole7m
Answering the Question3m
1 practice exercise
Week 2 Quiz50m
Week
32 hours to complete
What Exists Outside our Galaxy?
Galaxies and Their Environments - Galaxy types, Active Galactic Nuclei, Clusters of Clusters of Galaxies
17 videos (Total 89 min), 1 quiz
17 videos
Interstellar Medium7m
Galactic Distances2m
Climbing the Cosmic Distance Ladder4m
Type Ia Supernovae3m
Metallicity3m
The Milky Way5m
The Galactic Disk5m
The Stellar Halo and the Bulgy Bar6m
The Galactic Center6m
Galactic Zoology6m
Introduction to Dark Matter3m
Types of Active Galactic Nuclei4m
Unified Model for AGN6m
Galaxy Groups and Clusters6m
Superclusters6m
Answering the Question4m
1 practice exercise
Week 3 Quiz50m
Week
42 hours to complete
What is the Fate of the Universe?
The History of The Universe - Why the Big Bang? A History of Time, What Happened Before the Big Bang
15 videos (Total 86 min), 1 quiz
15 videos
Hubble’s Law and the Big Bang6m
Space-Time and Quantum Fields5m
The Standard Model of Particle Physics9m
Dark Matter4m
In the Beginning4m
Phase Transitions in the Early Universe4m
BBN and Recombination7m
Observational Evidence5m
The Beginning of Large Scale Structure6m
The Era of Quasars5m
Dark Energy and Cosmic Destiny6m
The Multiverse5m
Recap-History of the Cosmos4m
Answering the Question6m
1 practice exercise
Week 4 Quiz50m
4.6
96 Reviews25%
started a new career after completing these courses
17%
got a tangible career benefit from this course
Top reviews from Confronting The Big Questions: Highlights of Modern Astronomy
Excellent course. Very clear lectures that cover a lot of ground in not a lot of time. Fantastic overview of most of what we know about astronomy and how we know it. Best class I've taken on Coursera.
The is the first time I have rated a course with 5 stars, but this one is worth it. I audited and did not take the exams, but I thoroughly enjoyed the lectures and I learned a lot.
Instructor
Adam Frank
ProfessorPhysics and Astronomy
About University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is one of the nation's leading private universities. Located in Rochester, N.Y., the University provides exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty through its unique cluster-based curriculum. Its College, School of Arts and Sciences, and Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences are complemented by its Eastman School of Music, Simon School of Business, Warner School of Education, Laboratory for Laser Energetics, School of Medicine and Dentistry, School of Nursing, Eastman Institute for Oral Health, and the Memorial Art Gallery.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
What is the refund policy?
Is financial aid available?
More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.
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