Introduction to Astronomy

This course offers a survey of astronomy designed primarily for non-science students, with a strong emphasis on active learning outside the classroom. It covers the development of astronomy, naked-eye observations of the night sky, modern observational equipment and techniques, the solar system, stellar evolution, galaxies, the Hubble expansion, the Big Bang, dark matter, dark energy, and startling new theories of the origin and destiny of the universe. Students will conduct lab activities involving night-sky observations, as well as introductory experiments in some of the basic physics that astronomers use to explore the cosmos.

Prerequisites

Precalculus 11 with a C or VCC MATH 0861/0871 with a C or 72% on the VCC Intermediate algebra assessment or equivalent.

What you will learn

• - The view from Earth: Observational fundamentals of astronomy.
  - The ancient mystery of planetary motion and the birth of the scientific method.
  - More physics essentials for astronomers: The nature of light and matter.
  - Astronomical tools from basic to state-of-the-art.
  - Our solar system: Origins and properties of the planets, moons and the sun.
  - A survey of other stars and solar systems.
  - The lives of stars.
  - Galaxies and other large-scale structure in the universe.
  - The origin and destiny of the cosmos.

How to register

This course is offered as part of a VCC program only.

Contact us

If you have any question, please email at advising@vcc.ca.

† This information is intended as a guideline only. Program and course details are subject to change with the approval of VCC's Board of Governors.