Admission Requirements
Open to students that are registered for the minor Our Universe, and who have followed as part of that minor The Evolving Universe and The Habitable Universe.
Description
In this course, students will start with the various ways mankind has historically explored the Universe and how insights from astronomy connected to their societies. Our journey will take us from the perspectives of prehistoric humans to the development of modern astronomy and the tools we use in the current day. The main theme of this course will be how we know what we know, connecting to the skills of measuring the Universe.
We also explore the meaning of the night sky and astronomical phenomena for present-day societies, both in the industrialized world and in indigenous communities.
Course objectives
At the end of this course the students will be able to:
Recall lore about the Universe and night sky from prehistoric and modern cultures and the role astronomy played in their societies.
Explain how different views of our solar system corresponded to movement of celestial bodies, and how to test the validity of these.
Understand how astronomical observations are used for timekeeping and navigation.
Understand the basic workings of telescopes.
Understand how we measure the Universe through parallax and stellar magnitudes
Recognize the importance of observing beyond the visible spectrum and understand what can be learned from observations at other wavelengths.
Explain the roles of interferometry, computer simulations and gravitational waves / multi-messenger in modern astronomy.
Explain the role of planetary missions and space telescopes.
Timetable
See MyTimetable.
Mode of Instruction
Lectures and tutorials.
In the practical sessions students will explore the concepts introduced in the lectures.
Assessment Method
Written exam (100%).
Participation in tutorial sessions (pass/fail).
Students need to pass each component to pass the course.
Reading list
See Brightspace.
Registration
Registration for courses and exams takes place via MyStudymap.
Contact
Minor coordinator: Prof.dr. Serena Viti | viti@strw.leidenuniv.nl
Course coordinator: Prof.dr. Huib Jan van Langevelde | vlangevelde@strw.leidenuniv.nl