ASP1010 Earth to cosmos: Introductory astronomy
Faculty of Science
ASP1010 Earth to cosmos: Introductory astronomy is a level 1, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Science, offered in 2024 in Semester 1 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2024
- Semester 1
- Clayton
- Assessment
- Exam 40%
- and 1 other task
This is the 2024 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before ASP1010
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After ASP1010
No unit lists ASP1010 as a prerequisite in the 2024 handbook.
Overview
This unit focuses on concepts that will allow you to gain understanding of key astrophysical phenomena. The topics covered include the night sky, the historical development of astronomical knowledge, our solar system, comets and asteroids, the sun, exoplanets, other stars, stellar remnants such as black holes, the Milky Way, other galaxies, quasars, dark matter, and cosmology in general.
Offerings in 2024
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- In-semester activities, quizzes and testsOther60%
- Final assessment - Exam (2 hours and 10 minutes)Exam40%
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Describe the evolution and general properties of planets, solar systems, stars, and galaxies;
- 2
Explain celestial and planetary motions across the night sky using naked eye observations and planetarium software;
- 3
Describe the scale of the universe and discuss Earth's place within it;
- 4
Explain how telescopes work and be able to distinguish between the different types of instruments used for astronomical observations;
- 5
Demonstrate ability to analyse and solve problems using quantitative and qualitative analysis.
Workload and teaching
- Laboratories24 hours
- Applied sessions24 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
The workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours spread across the semester (roughly 12 hours per week) - approximately an even mixture of attendance at scheduled activities and self-scheduled study time. Learning activities comprise a mixture of instructor directed, peer directed and self-directed learning, which includes face-to-face and online engagement.
For this unit, we have implemented a learner-oriented teaching approach, where our responsibility (as instructors) is to find ways to help you learn astronomy in an efficient and engaging way, and your responsibility is to actively engage in your own learning process. Our main goals for this unit is for you to understand the nature of science through the eyes of astronomy and develop a lifelong interest in astronomy. The assessment is structured to help you monitor your learning and to help us tailor the unit materials to be challenging, as well as attainable.
Learning resources
Required resources
The prescribed e-textbook for this unit is open source astronomy textbook from OpenStax https://openstax.org/details/books/astronomy
Technology resources
Calculator
Where it fits
ASP1010 is part of 3 areas of study in the 2024 handbook.
Contacts
- Unit Coordinators
- Associate Professor Amanda Karakas
- Chief Examiners
- Associate Professor Amanda Karakas
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for ASP1010?
ASP1010 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is ASP1010 offered?
In 2024, ASP1010 runs in Semester 1 at Clayton.
Does ASP1010 have an exam?
Yes. The exam is worth 40% of the final mark, alongside 1 other task.
Which majors and minors include ASP1010?
ASP1010 is part of Astrophysics.