InstantCREDIT Course
Astronomy
This course provides students with a comprehensive, practical introduction to astronomy with an emphasis on critical thinking about humanity’s place in the universe. The course covers modern theories and observations as well as ideas regarding nature, the evolution of galaxies, quasars, stars, black holes, planets and the solar system.
At a Glance
Course Value: 3 Credit Hours
Course Level: Lower-Level Undergraduate
Course Length: 65 lessons
🗎 Download Syllabus in Word Format
Course Level: Lower-Level Undergraduate
Course Length: 65 lessons
🗎 Download Syllabus in Word Format
Course Outline
Click on a chapter name below to expand and see the lessons contained in that chapter.
Ch. 1: A Modern View of the Universe- 2: The History of the Universe
- 3: Spaceship Earth
- 5: The Reason for Seasons
- 6: The Moon, our Constant Companion
- 7: Ancient Mystery of the Planets
- 9: Ancient Greek Science
- 10: The Copernican Revolution
- 11: The Nature of Science
- 13: Newton's Laws of Motion
- 14: Conservation Laws in Astronomy
- 15: The Force of Gravity
- 17: Learning from Light
- 18: Collecting Light with Telescopes
- 20: The Nebular Theory of Solar System Formation
- 21: Explaining the Major Features of the Solar System
- 22: The Age of the Solar System
- 24: The Moon and Mercury: Geologically Dead
- 25: Mars, a Victim of Planetary Freeze Drying
- 26: Venus, a Hothouse World
- 27: Earth as a living planet
- 29: A Wealth of Worlds: Satellites of Ice and Rock
- 31: Asteroids
- 32: Comets
- 33: Pluto and the Kuiper Belt
- 34: Cosmic Collisions - Small Bodies vs Planets
- 36: The Nature of Planets Around Other Stars
- 37: The Formation of Other Planetary Systems
- 39: Nuclear Fusion in the Sun
- 40: Sun-Earth Connection
- 42: Patterns in the Stars
- 43: Star Clusters
- 45: Life as a Low Mass Star
- 46: Life as a High Mass Star
- 48: Neutron Stars
- 49: Black Holes: Gravity’s Ultimate Victory
- 51: Galactic Recycling
- 52: The History of the Milky Way
- 54: Distances of Galaxies
- 55: Galaxy Evolution
- 56: The Role of Supermassive Black Holes
- 58: Evidence for the Big Bang
- 59: The Big Bang and Inflation
- 61: Structure Formation
- 63: Life in the Solar System
- 64: The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
- 65: Interstellar Travel and Implications for Civilizations
Course Requirements
All of our courses are scored on a 1,000 point scale. You must accumulate a total of 700 points in the course to pass the course. Below is the breakdown of how points are allocated:
| Study Questions | 300 points |
| Graded Exam #1 | 100 points |
| Midterm Exam | 200 points |
| Graded Exam #2 | 100 points |
| Final Exam | 300 points |
For additional details on the assignments, exams, and retake policies, check the syllabus for this course (link provided near the top of this page).
Exam Proctoring
The Final Exam for this course is administered in conjunction with a 3rd party online proctoring service, PSI Services' RPNow. RPNow proctoring allows you to take the exam on a desktop or laptop computer from anywhere you have internet access at any time, no scheduling required.
Proctoring costs $15 (paid directly to PSI Services at the time of the exam) and is ONLY required for the final exam.
Earning Credit for this Course
This course has been reviewed by ACE Credit and is recommended for 3 lower-level credit hours. Upon successful completion of this course, it will be added to your ACE transcript which is then sent to your school to be evaluated for transfer credit.
Getting Started
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