It is important to read the information below before beginning the course.
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Welcome to the course
I have been interested in astronomy since I was very young, and constructed my first telescope at the age of 12 using my father's shaving mirror. This, of course, did not give good images but taught me the rudiments of practical telescope making. In 1958, I went to work on solid propellant rocket motors as an engineer at the Weapons Research Establishment in South Australia, where I found that the library had many advanced books concerning astronomy. My hobby then became my second most important activity: constructing reflecting telescopes and installing them into small observatories for specific use.
In 1983, my wife Cathie accompanied me on the first of several solar eclipse expeditions to Java, then later to Banka Island, New Guinea, Hawaii and several in Australia, the latest in Western Australia in February 1999. Here we searched for the diamond ring, the bright beams from the sun when eclipsed by the edge of the moon. This is a phenomenon known as Baily's beads. I have also visited the US Naval Observatory in Washington DC on several occasions to discuss my solar eclipse observations with a specialist.
I joined U3A two years ago, and having prepared my own web pages concerning the activities at the Calwell Lunar Observatory in Canberra, I became interested in preparing and conducting a U3A Online course on astronomy. In this, I hope to interest people like you in the subject, and to give myself an opportunity to talk to you about the universe, and how to observe it from your part of the world.
Astronomy is the study of our universe, and, viewed very broadly, includes all aspects of the solar system and beyond. The present course takes this very broad view, covering specific topics such as: how to find astronomical objects; the earth and the moon; the solar system; the greater universe; telescope design and use; how to do your own research; the history of astronomy; and whether there is intelligence outside the earth. These topics are described in more detail in the Topics page; my aim here is to provide some questions and answers and administrative notes that may help you decide whether or not to participate in this course.
What will I learn from this course?
Participating in this course should help you to do these things:
Are there any special requirements for this course?
The two absolute requirements are a strong interest in, and commitment to, learning more about astronomy via the Internet. It will be a demanding course, and if you have no scientific background or experience in Internet use, you may find some of the terms and concepts very hard to understand. However, regardless of their educational level, many people throughout the ages have become good amateur astronomers and, if you can put enough time and effort into it, you can do the same.
Activity 1: If you haven't already done so, click the Topics page to get a more detailed overview of the course and the kinds of terms and concepts you will encounter. This will help you decide whether to stay with us!
How long will the course take?
There is a considerable amount of reading and limited practice in this course and I have assumed that it will take you eight weeks, at the rate of one week per topic.
I have provided a sample calendar, which you can see by Clicking here. You can print and use this one or you can, of course, design your own. I suggest that you plan at least two short sessions a week rather than one long one. (Don't forget to include time for activities, some of which will be at night.) To begin with, just fill in the first week or so, by which time you should know what changes to make in your schedule.
Do I need any special equipment?
A telescope is not essential but could give you pleasure when you know how to use it. I suggest you consider buying a small one (300 magnification), with a telescope mounting, preferably an equatorial type. You should have it set up as explained in the course, so that you get maximum comfort and efficiency. When it is in focus you will have a window on the universe.
Will I need any textbooks or reference books?
It is not possible to place on the Internet all of the information and pictures that you may need, so I advise you to have an encyclopedia handy. You will meet many unusual words and terms, so you may need also an basic astronomy book that contains a glossary. This will help you understand astronomical terminology and help you learn to identify astronomical objects in the night sky.
How will my progress be assessed?
You will not have to sit for exams or to present written work. Instead, you will assess your own progress through the practical and theoretical activities included in each week's topics.
Another way of assessing your progress is to think about how the design, content and presentation of the course helped you, or did nor help you. We have provided a Course Evaluation page so that when you have completed the course, or especially if you decide not to complete it, you can fill your evaluation, and e-mail the page to me. Your comments are important to us: we need them to help us improve the course.
How can I get help if I need it?
You should be able to get help by doing the things listed below.
- Using your community's library and other information services, which may include computer classes for seniors (even if you can't attend these, the organisers may identify helpful contacts for you).
- Contacting me on e-mail with questions about anything related to astronomy (not astrology and horoscopes!).
- Joining the special U3 Online Astronomy discussion group to share with me and participants other any questions or comments you have. At the end of each week's notes, there is a link to a discussion group for the subject covered. You can click on this link to contribute to the discussion or to read the contributions of others.
- Contacting other participants directly with questions and comments. Their e-mail addresses, and yours, will be in the Address Book.
- Carrying out the Activities, and especially those provided below.
Activity 2: find help on using the Internet Click Tips for using the Internet and try out any tip you find particularly useful.
Activity 3: find Internet information sources.
Click the following web-site, and see what resources it offers you : Astronomy Education Resources http://www-hpcc.astro.Washington.edu/scied/astro/astroindex.html Activity 4: find local information sources
Do a survey of local information sources available to you. For example:
- Is there an Astronomical Society member or amateur astronomer in your community?
- Do you have access to any form of Seniors' Information Service?
- Does your community, school, church or library offer computing classes or advice?
- Does your local library provide a home loan service? Does it provide reference, search and interlibrary loan services? Does it have public Internet access? Is there a community bus service that will take you to the library?
Activity 4: participate by telling us about yourself. Studying on-line isn't like studying face to face and can be lonely. So please introduce yourself with a short statement telling us who you are and why you want to learn astronomy on-line. Click the Address Book to submit your statement.
Administrative notes The presentation and on-line delivery of this course are the result of the combined work of many people.
- The course material was prepared by Byron Soulsby from U3A in the ACT. With the help of his wife Cathie, he wrote the text provided the diagrams and prepared the astronomy web page design.
- His design was based on the online course preparation work undertaken by a team from the Faculty of Education, University of Canberra including Noel Vanzetti (Web Designer), Alan Nicol (Graphic Designer), Katja Mikhailovich (Adult Educator) and Bruce Murn (Adult Educator).
- Chirp Web Design was responsible for the technical presentation of the course on the web, and for the design of the interactive aspects of the course, although Byron adapted most of the pages for this astronomy course.
- Bess Flores from Adelaide assisted in the copy and structural editing of the material.
- Without the initial inspiration of Dorothy Braxton (A.C.T. U3A), Rick Swindell (Griffith University) and Jack McDonell (U3A Network Victoria), this whole project might not exist.
Copyright This work is Commonwealth copyright. It may be reproduced in whole or in part for study or training purposes, subject to the inclusion of an acknowledgement of the source and to it not being used for commercial purposes or for resale. Reproduction for purposes other than those indicated requires the written permission of the Commonwealth Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and copyright should be addressed to the Director, On-line Education and Training Section, DETYA (Loc 412), GPO Box 9880, Canberra City, ACT 2601.
Disclaimers
The views expressed here do not necessarily represent the views of the Commonwealth Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs.
The author and publisher assume no liability for any alleged or actual damages arising from the use of, or the inability to use, this course, including damage caused by virus contamination from links used in this course.