S194 – Introducing Astronomy
Below is the summary and course content from the OU's web site, the rest can be found here. My experiences about the course can be found here.	Level 1 30 points Length: 8 weeks or 5 months
Summary This course is one of a series of short courses that the Science Faculty has prepared on informative topics in science. These short courses can offer you greater flexibility in your study with the OU. You can: • Try out an area of study before you commit yourself to a longer course, or top up your knowledge and skills between longer courses; • Study at different times of the year – four presentations are usually offered annually for short courses: February, May, September and November; • Choose how long to take over the course: either 8-10 weeks or up to 5 months. For each course presentation there is a choice of two alternative dates by which you have to submit the single piece of assessment: February course start completes end of April or end of July; May start completes end of July or end of October; September start completes end of October or end of January; November start completes end of January or end of April. Course Content Astronomy is often in the headlines with the regular occurrence of topics such as violent stellar explosions, distant galaxies and the ‘big bang’. This course will develop your understanding of such topics, with sections on planets, stars, galaxies, extraterrestrial life, and the origin of the Universe. It will also develop your understanding of some aspects of science that you can apply to other situations. If you are a beginner in science, you will find that the course book Introducing Astronomy introduces new scientific ideas as you need them, progressively developing more sophisticated concepts and skills. If you are an amateur astronomer, or have read popular books on astronomy, you will find that the course develops your understanding and introduces areas of astronomy that you have not met before.
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