Online Class: Current Discoveries of the Universe 101

This comprehensive course will take you on a journey to explore the deepest parts of the Universe and find answers to some of our most fundamental questions.

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  • 17
    Lessons
  • 34
    Exams &
    Assignments
  • 15
    Hours
    average time
  • 1.5
    CEUs
 
 

Course Description

When we think of famous astronomers and astronomical discoveries, we have a tendency to look far back in history. We often invoke the names of the great astronomers of the Renaissance, that time period when an enormous amount of knowledge was imparted to the world. But, in doing so, we neglect to pay homage to the Golden Age of Astronomy, which is happening right now. Some of the most profound questions about life are being answered by discoveries being made in our own lifetime, many even in the past decade. This course will explore many of these discoveries, with an emphasis on more recent discoveries that have given us insight into such tantalizing questions as: How did the Universe begin? When did it happen and under what conditions? How do stars form? What are they made of? How was the Earth formed? Are there other planets? Do they have life too?

We will start with the recent discoveries of Exoplanets, or planets that exist outside our solar system. We will explore the conditions that are necessary to form life on these planets. We will then move on discuss Dark Energy, this mysterious force that is believed to comprise most of the Universe. Other topics include the sensational discovery of the Higgs boson particle, a discovery that filled in one of the missing pieces of one the most important concepts in physics; we'll look at the age and expansion of the Universe, gamma-ray bursts, the mysterious Cosmic Microwave Background radiation, and the tantalizing concepts behind String Theory. This comprehensive course will take you on a journey to explore the deepest parts of the Universe and find answers to some of our most fundamental questions.

Courses Frequently Bought Together:
  • Completely Online
  • Self-Paced
  • 6 Months to Complete
  • 24/7 Availability
  • Start Anytime
  • PC & Mac Compatible
  • Android & iOS Friendly
  • Accredited CEUs
Universal Class is an IACET Accredited Provider
 

Course Lessons

Lesson 1. The Golden Age of Astronomy

This comprehensive course will take you on a journey to explore the deepest parts of the Universe and find answers to some of our most fundamental questions. 30 Total Points
  • Complete: Lesson 1 Assignment
  • Assessment: Lesson 1 Exam

Lesson 2. Exoplanets

There have been some exciting discoveries just in the past decade, that point to tantalizing evidence that suggests that there are places in the Universe that could support life. 30 Total Points
  • Complete: Lesson 2 Assignment
  • Assessment: Lesson 2 Exam

Lesson 3. The Age of the Universe

Strides in recent years have enabled scientists to more accurately measure the age of the Universe, and the knowledge we have learned just in the last decade has forced us to rethink many previous assumptions. 30 Total Points
  • Complete: Lesson 3 Assignment
  • Assessment: Lesson 3 Exam

Lesson 4. Expansion of the Universe

The inflationary theory espouses that the Universe expanded incredibly rapidly at the moment of the Big Bang. 30 Total Points
  • Complete: Lesson 4 Assignment
  • Assessment: Lesson 4 Exam

Lesson 5. Dark Energy

The surprise discovery of the past decade is that the expansion of the Universe is speeding up. 30 Total Points
  • Complete: Lesson 5 Assignment
  • Assessment: Lesson 5 Exam

Lesson 6. Dark Matter

In this lesson, we will examine what Dark Matter is, how it can be detected, and why its recent discovery is so important. 30 Total Points
  • Complete: Lesson 6 Assignment
  • Assessment: Lesson 6 Exam

Lesson 7. How Planets and Galaxies Form

Until very recently, astronomers have only been able to observe the end result of planets, not the actual formation process. 30 Total Points
  • Complete: Lesson 7 Assignment
  • Assessment: Lesson 7 Exam

Lesson 8. Water on the Moon and Mars

In this lesson, we will discuss what is being hailed as one of the most significant discoveries in the past century, the discovery of water on both the Moon and Mars. 20 Total Points
  • Complete: Lesson 8 Assignment

Lesson 9. Gamma -Ray Bursts

Gamma-ray bursts are, simply put, the most powerful sources of energy observed by astronomers. They are believed to be the most powerful sources of energy in the Universe since the Big Bang. 40 Total Points
  • Complete: Lesson 9 Assignment
  • Assessment: Lesson 8 Exam
  • Assessment: Lesson 9 Exam

Lesson 10. String Theory, or the Theory of Everything

A growing amount of scientists now believe that all matter in the Universe is comprised of such a building block. Scientists call this very thin "rubber band" a string; a string (like a violin string) that oscillates and vibrates to form matter. 30 Total Points
  • Complete: Lesson 10 Assignment
  • Assessment: Lesson 10 Exam

Lesson 11. Dwarf Planets

The official definition of a dwarf planet is an object that has become large enough to become round due to its gravitational force, but not large enough to clear its neighborhood of nearby objects. 30 Total Points
  • Complete: Lesson 11 Assignment
  • Assessment: Lesson 11 Exam

Lesson 12. Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMBR)

CMB Radiation permeates the entire Universe. It is the remnants of the Big Bang explosion, and is described as an isotropic radiation covering. 30 Total Points
  • Complete: Lesson 12 Assignment
  • Assessment: Lesson 12 Exam

Lesson 13. Coronal Mass Ejections

Astronomers have long known about solar flares. However, recent discoveries about them are raising concerns among astronomers and they are warning that we need to be better prepared to deal with them. 30 Total Points
  • Complete: Lesson 13 Assignment
  • Assessment: Lesson 13 Exam

Lesson 14. Special Relativity. Part 1.

Some of the concepts discussed about relativity will sound familiar and you might be prompted to think that we have always had this knowledge. However, it is important to note that most of this knowledge has been acquired just within the past few decades. 30 Total Points
  • Complete: Lesson14 Assignment
  • Assessment: Lesson 14 Exam

Lesson 15. Special Relativity. Part 2.

The first law of the Theory of Special Relativity is that the laws of (Newtonian) physics are true for all frames of reference. 30 Total Points
  • Complete: Lesson 15 Assignment
  • Assessment: Lesson 15 Exam

Lesson 16. The KT Extinction

In May, 2010, astronomers in England released a statement that contained one of the most significant discoveries in modern science. 30 Total Points
  • Complete: Lesson 16 Assignment
  • Assessment: Lesson 16 Exam

Lesson 17. The Higgs Boson Particle

Over 300 feet below the ground, somewhere beneath the border between France and Switzerland, there is a circular tunnel that contains a machine that is searching for a particle that might explain all the mysteries of the Universe. 30 Total Points
  • Lesson discussions: Let us know what you think of this course; Program Evaluation Follow-up Survey (End of Course); Course Comments
  • Complete: Lesson 17 Assignment
  • Assessment: Lesson 17 Exam
510
Total Course Points
 

Learning Outcomes

By successfully completing this course, students will be able to:
  • Define the golden age of astronomy.
  • Describe exoplanets.
  • Summarize the age of the universe.
  • Describe expansion of the universe.
  • Describe Dark Energy and Dark Matter
  • Describe how planets and galaxies form.
  • Describe gamma-ray bursts.
  • Summarize String Theory.
  • Recognize dwarf planets.
  • Describe cosmic microwave background radiation.
  • Coronal Mass Ejections
  • Describe Coronal Mass Ejections and Special Relativity.
  • Describe The KT Extinction.
  • Summarize The Higgs Boson Particle.
  • Demonstrate mastery of lesson content at levels of 70% or higher.