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.

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Confronting The Big Questions: Highlights of Modern Astronomy

Instructor: Adam Frank
26,261 already enrolled
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(499 reviews)
What you'll learn
Students will be able to summarize foundational principles related to the life of planets, stars, galaxies, and the universe.
Skills you'll gain
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There are 4 modules in this course
Planets and Life in The Universe - Exoplanets searches, exoplanet census, astrobiology
What's included
20 videos8 readings1 assignment
The Life of Stars - Star formation, fusion and stellar middle age, black holes and stellar death-
What's included
19 videos1 assignment
Galaxies and Their Environments - Galaxy types, Active Galactic Nuclei, Clusters of Clusters of Galaxies
What's included
17 videos1 assignment
The History of The Universe - Why the Big Bang? A History of Time, What Happened Before the Big Bang
What's included
15 videos1 assignment
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Status: PreviewUniversity of Arizona
Status: PreviewCaltech
Status: PreviewUniversity of Arizona
Status: Free TrialDartmouth College
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Reviewed on Mar 30, 2019
Very good overview. I thought that some of the questions given were not covered in the lectures, e.g., that all valid combinations of color charge have to be colorless.
Reviewed on Aug 7, 2017
Outstanding. Nuanced, yet accessible. Love the professor's infectious passion about the subject, and also his rather lovely choice of words at times!
Reviewed on Jan 25, 2016
Good overview of the topic. Inspiring lecturer. No need for any complicated math. Having a background in physics on advanced high school level should probably be enoughto pass this course.
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