The Astronomy Diploma Course begins by easing you in with an introduction to the subject itself and a brief look at its history. It outlines the various fields and branches of astronomy and discusses being an amateur astronomer – the equipment to use (and what you can see with the naked eye), what to look at and the free resources that will help you get started.
To navigate the sky, you need to understand how it is measured. This online astronomy course explains the systems used to measure, locate, and calculate distances between celestial objects and how to use a star map.
Where did it all come from? The Astronomy Diploma Course provides a brief discussion on cosmology and the origin of our universe. It considers the Big Bang and Steady State theories, what occurred before the universe existed, how our Solar System came into being, and theories on how the universe may end.
You’ll explore our Solar System - its structure, and the planets and various other bodies within it. The course details the relationship between the Earth, Sun and our Moon and explains more about each of these bodies individually, along with exploring how time is measured. The course provides information on each of the other planets in the inner solar system (Mercury, Venus, Mars) and the outer solar system (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) and how to observe them, along with discussing the nature of planets and planetary orbit.
The Astronomy Diploma Course outlines the make-up and phases of stars and describes star patterns and groups – constellations and asterisms. All 88 constellations are listed with locations, best times to see them and their origin. Those that are easiest to locate are highlighted with guides that will make viewing them easier.
The course describes the nature of comets, moons, asteroids, and galaxies (with extra detail about the Milky Way), and provides guidance on how to view them also.
