This course is designed for students who learn about modern astrophysics. It covers:
1) The greatest unsolved mysteries of the universe, including dark matter, dark energy, quasars and life in space.
2) Exoplanets – how they are discovered, their properties and how they are challenging our understanding of solar systems.
3) The Violent universe – white dwarfs, neutron stars, special relativity and black holes.
4) Cosmology – the Big Bang, nature of space and time, observational cosmology, Inflation, entropy of the universe and ultimate fate of the universe.
You do not need any prior knowledge of astronomy to take this course, but you will need a strong background in maths and physics from school, because this course is designed to take you well beyond the level of popular science books, TV shows and web pages.
The course is purely online, but you will need to attend an in-person examination.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
1. Describe and explain the key issues in modern astrophysics.
2. Be able to analyse and interpret astronomical data, including images, spectra, data tables and charts.
3. Use physics and maths, including energy balance and circular motion, to estimate and explain a wide variety of astronomical phenomena
4. Be able to apply the techniques in this course to solve problem in unfamiliar contexts.
Indicative Assessment
Online automatically marked homework 70% (LO 1-4)Final in-person written exam 30% (LO 1-4)
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
3 hours of online lessons per week plus roughly 7 hours online assessment and discussion.Requisite and Incompatibility
Assumed Knowledge
There are no formal prerequisites, but preparation in maths and physics is assumed and recommended. In physics we recommend: NSW: a high standard in 2 unit physics or a multistrand science; ACT: a high standard in physics (major). In maths we recommend a satisfactory result in ACT Specialist Mathematics Major-Minor or NSW HSC Mathematics Extension 1 or equivalent. Students with a good pass in ACT Specialist Mathematics Major or NSW HSC Mathematics or equivalent should also be fine, but may need to do some background reading.Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2017 | $3444 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2017 | $4590 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4953 | 20 Feb 2017 | 27 Feb 2017 | 31 Mar 2017 | 26 May 2017 | Online | N/A |
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10122 | 24 Jul 2017 | 31 Jul 2017 | 31 Aug 2017 | 27 Oct 2017 | Online | N/A |
