Foundations of Astronomy

• Credit value: 15 credits at Level 4
• Convenor: Professor Ian Crawford
• Assessment: a 2.5-hour written examination (75%) and continuous assessment of practical and written work (25%). There will be two pieces of assessed coursework, consisting either of two problem papers or one problem paper and one 1200-word essay.

In this module we introduce you to the science of astronomy.

There will be one visit to a professional observatory. In addition, practical observations will be conducted with our own telescope in the UCL Front Quad, weather permitting.

Indicative syllabus

• Astronomical nomenclature (constellations; star names and catalogues; stellar magnitudes; non-stellar objects etc)
• Astronomical coordinate systems
• Astronomical distance scale
• Techniques of astronomical observation (electromagnetic spectrum; telescopes; spectroscopy)
• Stars (classification; energy sources
• Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram (stellar evolution; nucleosynthesis)
• Interstellar medium
• Structure of the Milky Way Galaxy
• Extragalactic astronomy
• Cosmology

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• understand scientific hypothesis development and testing
• relate specific knowledge to a broader context
• understand and synthesise original research findings
• think quantitatively
• discuss the relationship between theory, empirical data and models.