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Mike Brown

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The Science of the Solar System

Caltech

About this Course

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Learn about the science behind the current exploration of the solar system in this free class. Use principles from physics, chemistry, biology, and geology to understand the latest from Mars, comprehend the outer solar system, ponder planets outside our solar system, and search for habitability in our neighborhood and beyond. This course is generally taught at an advanced level assuming a prior knowledge of undergraduate math and physics, but the majority of the concepts and lectures can be understood without these prerequisites. The quizzes and final exam are designed to make you think critically about the material you have learned rather than to simply make you memorize facts. The class is expected to be challenging but rewarding.

Flexible deadlines

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Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Approx. 29 hours to complete

English

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Skills you will gain

Solar Systems
Chemistry
Geology
Astrobiology

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Approx. 29 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.91/5 (193 Ratings)

Mike Brown
Top Instructor

Offered by

Caltech

Caltech is a world-renowned science and engineering research and education institution, where extraordinary faculty and students seek answers to complex questions, discover new knowledge, lead innovation, and transform our future. Caltech's mission is to expand human knowledge and benefit society through research integrated with education. We investigate the most challenging, fundamental problems in science and technology in a singularly collegial, interdisciplinary atmosphere, while educating outstanding students to become creative members of society.

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating96%(6,894 ratings)

Week1

Week 1

3 hours to complete

Unit 1: Water on Mars (week 1)

3 hours to complete

11 videos (Total 133 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

11 videos

Introduction to Science of the Solar System9mLecture 1.01: Early views of Mars11mLecture 1.02: Mars has canals!13mLecture 1.03: Taking the temperature of Mars19mLecture 1.04: Mars DOES have water (in the atmosphere)! 10mLecture 1.05: Heating and composition of the polar caps18mLecture 1.06: Let's fly to Mars 9mLecture 1.07: The first missions to Mars 7mLecture 1.08: Water on earth 9mLecture 1.09: Mariner 9 -- Mars had FLOWING water!17mLecture 1.10: Viking and the start of modern Martian science6m

1 reading

Note on the next lecture10m

1 practice exercise

Quiz 130m

Week2

Week 2

3 hours to complete

Unit 1: Water on Mars (week 2)

3 hours to complete

10 videos (Total 142 min)

10 videos

Lecture 1.11: Craters and surface ages15mLecture 1.12: Outflow channels15mLecture 1.13:Valley Networks9mLecture 1.14: Climate cycles on Mars 16mLecture 1.15: Was early Mars warmer and wetter? 18mLecture 1.16: Atmospheric escape14mLecture 1.17 Martian topography15mLecture 1.18: Gamma ray spectroscopy and subsurface water14mLecture 1.19: Glaciers on Mars!10mLecture 1.20 Origin of low latitude ice 11m

1 practice exercise

Quiz 230m

Week3

Week 3

3 hours to complete

Unit 1: Water on Mars (week 3)

3 hours to complete

10 videos (Total 141 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

10 videos

Lecture 1.21: Evolution of the interior18mLecture 1.22: Thermal spectroscopy and mineral identification14mLecture 1.23: Geology from the Opportunity rover 15mLecture 1.24: Geochemistry from the Opportunity rover 10mLecture 1.25: Introduction to guest lecturers 7mLecture 1.26: Mineralogy on Mars, Part 1 10mLecture 1.27: Mineralogy on Mars, Part 2 17mLecture 1.28: Results from the Curiosity Rover, Part 1 12mlecture 1.29: Results from the Curiosity Rover, Part 2 18mLecture 1.30: Where was the water on Mars?16m

1 reading

Note on the next lectures10m

1 practice exercise

Quiz 330m

Week4

Week 4

3 hours to complete

Unit 2: The insides of giant planets (week 1)

3 hours to complete

11 videos (Total 114 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

11 videos

Lecture 2.01: Introduction to Jupiter 8mLecture 2.02: Measuring density 14mLecture 2.03: Using density 7mLecture 2.04: Hydrostatic equilibrium 14mLecture 2.05: Hydrogen equation of state 12mLecture 2.06: Heat transport14mLecture 2.07: Theoretical internal structure 9mLecture 2.08: A core from gravity?6mLecture 2.09: Magnetic fields11mLecture 2.10: The upper atmosphere and the Galileo probe 7mLecture 2.11: Picture models 7m

1 reading

Note on the next section10m

1 practice exercise

Quiz 430m

Week5

Week 5

3 hours to complete

Unit 2: The insides of giant planets (week 2)

3 hours to complete

10 videos (Total 140 min)

10 videos

Lecture 2.12: Planetesimal formation19mLecture 2.13: Core formation 15mLecture 2.14: Core-collapse vs. Disk instability 15mLecture 2.15: Saturn and the ice giants 12mLecture 2.16: Discovering hot Jupiters11mLecture 2.17: Densities of hot Jupiters 7mLecture 2.18: Inflating hot Jupiters12mLecture 2.19: Kepler and the sub-Neptunes 18mLecture 2.20: Exoplanet spectroscopy20mLecture 2.21: Juno and future exploration8m

1 practice exercise

Quiz 530m

Week6

Week 6

3 hours to complete

Unit 3: Big questions from small bodies (week 1)

3 hours to complete

12 videos (Total 162 min)

12 videos

Lecture 3.01: Introduction to the small bodies16mLecture 3.02: The formation of small bodies16mLecture 3.03: The formation of terrestrial planets16mLecture 3.04: The surface density of the solar system11mLecture 3.05: An ode to comets5mLecture 3.06: The composition of comets13mLecture 3.07: Where do comets come from?10mLecture 3.08: The formation of the Oort cloud15mLecture 3.09: Meteorites and the beginning of the solar system11mLecture 3.10: Types of meteorites: Chondrites11mLecture 3.11: Types of meteorites: Achondrites13mLecture 3.12: Asteroids and meteorite delivery19m

1 practice exercise

Quiz 630m

Week7

Week 7

3 hours to complete

Unit 3: Big questions from small bodies (week 2)

3 hours to complete

9 videos (Total 155 min)

Week8

Week 8

2 hours to complete

Unit 4: Life in the solar system (week 1)

2 hours to complete

10 videos (Total 108 min)

10 videos

Lecture 4.01: Introduction to life 10mLecture 4.02: Photosynthesis 8mLecture 4.03: Water 9mLecture 4.04: Alternative energy sources 11mLecture 4.05: History of life on Earth8mLecture 4.06: Mars -- The Viking experiement 9mLecture 4.07: Mars -- Microbial hitchhikers 8mLecture 4.08: Mars -- Methane?16mLecture 4.09: Mars -- Methane!!5mLecture 4.10: Mars -- a habitable environment18m

1 practice exercise

Quiz 830m

Week9

Week 9

3 hours to complete

Unit 4: Life in the solar system and beyond (week 2)

3 hours to complete

11 videos (Total 134 min)

11 videos

Lecture 4.11: Oceans on Europa18mLecture 4.12: Energy on Europa13mLecture 4.13: Exploring Europa11mLecture 4.14: Enceladus12mLecture 4.15: Introduction to Titan12mLecture 4.16: Weird life on Titan8mLecture 4.17: Habitable zones 12mLecture 4.18: Detecting exo-life 11mLecture 4.19: Looking around M-dwarfs 10mLecture 4.20: A mission to find life in the solar system 15mLecture 4.21: All good things must come to an end 7m

1 practice exercise

Quiz 930m

Week10

Week 10

2 hours to complete

Final exam

2 hours to complete

4 videos (Total 75 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

Reviews

4.8

273 reviews

5 stars
90.65%
4 stars
5.69%
3 stars
1.35%
2 stars
0.67%
1 star
1.62%

TOP REVIEWS FROM THE SCIENCE OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM

by BFApr 26, 2021

Very interesting, filled in many gaps in my understanding of the science around all of the space missions. Everything was explained very clearly. A bit harder than I expected.

by LDAug 26, 2020

I knew nothing about the solar system, but learned more than I will ever forget. Thank you.

Excellent course. Love Mike as a teacher. So informative and brilliant!

by LCJan 28, 2023

This was a fantastic course pitched at the right level. It was interesting and very informative and has sparked my desire to learn once again.

Thanks Mike

by CEMar 3, 2020

Learning facilitated by good lecturing, well prepared lectures and excellent quizzes.

Lecturer Mike Brown, enthusiastic about his subject, generous in sharing his knowledge, humorous, and honest.

View all reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
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.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

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The Science of the Solar System

The Science of the Solar System

About this Course

Skills you will gain