Undergraduate Course: Discovering Astronomy (PHYS08039)
Course Outline
| School | School of Physics and Astronomy |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | Undergraduate (School of Physics and Astronomy) |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | Discovering Astronomy is an introductory astronomy course that should be accessible to any student. We assume a basic level of numeracy, but no mathematics more complicated than simple algebra and simple trigonometry is used. The course covers a wide range of topics including The Solar System, Star and Planet Formation, Extrasolar Planets, Stellar Evolution, The Milky Way Galaxy, Galaxy Formation, Cosmology, and the Big Bang. The course has a set textbook that we follow quite closely and is supported by online material accessed from the course homepage. |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Delivery period: 2013/14 Semester 1, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Learn enabled: Yes |
Quota: None |
|
Web Timetable |
Web Timetable |
| Class Delivery Information |
Students are expected to attend 5 one hour tutorial/practical sessions - one every 2 weeks as arranged. |
| Course Start Date |
16/09/2013 |
| Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 33,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 5,
Summative Assessment Hours 12,
Revision Session Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
144 )
|
| Additional Notes |
|
| Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) |
Written Exam
67 %,
Coursework
33 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
|
| Main Exam Diet S1 (December) | Discovering Astronomy | 2:00 | | | Resit Exam Diet (August) | Discovering Astronomy | 2:00 | |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course the student should:
1) have a thorough understanding, at the appropriate level, of the basic observational results of stellar astrophysics and of the theoretical tools used in their interpretation.
2) understand the physics of the internal structure of a main sequence star
3) understand the current knowledge of formation of stars and planets
4) know how stars evolve from the main sequence, how they transmute the elements in their cores and how this relates to the history of the Universe
5) understand the ways in which different stars die: white dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes
6) understand the stellar context of the astronomy of the Universe
7) know the properties and history of our Milky Way Galaxy, and our place within it
8) Understand the origin and evolution of the major types of galaxies
9) Understand in outline the properties of massive black holes and the relativistic jets associated with them
10) Understand, at an appropriate level, current cosmology |
Assessment Information
5 x Tutorial hand-ins (best 4 of 5 count 1/6 of final mark)
1 x Coursework (1/6 of final mark)
1 x Final exam (2/3 of final mark) |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Not entered |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Not entered |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | DiscA |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Philip Best
Tel:
Email: pnb@roe.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Paula Wilkie
Tel: (0131) 668 8403
Email: Paula.Wilkie@ed.ac.uk |
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