Astronomy: The Evolving Universe

Course Code: SCIE 213

Academic Year: 2024-2025

What is going on in the heavens? Why is the moon changing phase? What causes the seasons? Why are calendars based on motions of objects in the heavens so complex? How did we come to make sense of the motions of our neighbours in the solar system? What is going on at each of these planets? How did they get formed? Our own sun is a star. What makes a star a star? How does our sun compare with other stars? What is the life cycle of a star? Why is that life cycle important to us? Why do most stars gather in clumps called galaxies? How do galaxies organize themselves to make up the whole universe? Are we alone? Humans have been asking these questions from the beginning of conscious awareness. This course attempts to explore these questions.