Certificate Of Professional Development In Astronomy

The Universe Through A Large Telescope

Qualifications required:

School science or maths (UK GCSE equivalent)

Qualification gained:

A Certificate of Professional Development in Astronomy will be awarded for the successful completion of this module. This module is assigned 24 credit points which can be used to build up credits towards other academic qualifications at Liverpool John Moores University and other Universities.

We provide:

CD-ROM and necessary course software, full tutor support for the duration of the course (by post, email, telephone and fax), course video, news group for student discussion and course website.

You need:

Good access to a computer with CD-ROM player. You do NOT require a telescope for this course. The data required for this course is taken from the archives of large professional telescopes. You WILL need to be connected to the Internet frequently throughout this course.

Commitment:

The course lasts for nine months. You will be expected to produce four pieces of coursework and then take a multiple-choice test over the Internet at the end of the course. Overall we expect that you will put around 240 hours of time into the course.

Assessment:

You will need to email, post or fax us your work for the course. The weighting for the assessed work will be as follows: Coureswork (70%), Multiple Choice Test (30%).

Cost for module:

The Universe Through A Large Telescope is a double module course, and hence is worth 24 level one credits. Please see the main page here for the current prices.

Textbook:

The course is self-contained and there is no need to purchase additional books. However, you will find some useful material in Universe by Kaufman & Freedman, WH Freeman (£30 approx). If you would like to buy this book but have problems obtaining it locally you can order over the Internet from companies such as Amazon (www.amazon.co.uk) or Earth and Sky (01328 820083).

The following is an outline of the course. Contents are subject to change.

1: Periodic Variables
Types of variable star; Cepheid variables, Eclipsing binary stars. How do the light curves of these stars change over their period of variability?

2: Cataclysmic Variables
How are cataclysmic variables different from normal variable stars? Is their variation a one-off event or does it have some periodicity?

3: Supernova Light Curves
What does the light curve of a supernova tell us about these massive explosions of stars? How is it possible to identify the differences in the types of supernova and the stars that produce them?

4: Scale Differences in Different Passbands
How do galaxies appear different when viewed at different wavelengths? What can the radio and x-ray parts of the spectrum teach us about astronomical objects that visible light cannot?

5: H-R / C-M Diagrams
What are the component parts of an H-R diagram? How do stars evolve along various tracks? How can we use the distribution of stars on an H-R diagram to calculate the age of a star cluster?

6: Line Emission Measurement / Identification
What do the lines in a stars spectrum tell us about the temperature of the star, and the proportion of different elements in the star? How can the spectral lines in the spectrum of a galaxy tell us how far away that galaxy is and how fast it is moving?

7: Asteroid Identification / Orbit Plotting
How is it possible to identify asteroids on a photographic image? Using images taken at different times you will be able to chart the movement of an asteroid across the sky and thus calculate the properties of its orbit.

8: Gamma Ray Burst Emission Evolution
What is a gamma ray burst? Do they come from galactic or extra-galactic sources? Are all bursts the same, or are there distinct types? How does the light curve of a gamma ray burst change over time?

10: Nova Shell Expansion Rates
How quickly do the shells of novae move away from their parent star? What do these shells tell us about the age and frequency of the nova? Can you determine the distance of the star using the expansion rates of the shell?

11: Planet Hunting / Spectroscopic Binaries
How can we discover the presence of planets around other stars by examining the wobble in their motion? What other methods are available to determine the presence and properties of extra-solar planets?

12: Classification of Radio Sources
What can we see when we look into space using a radio telescope? What are the most powerful radio sources in the sky? What is the difference between radio waves emitted by stars and those emitted by galaxies?

13: Star Counts at Different Galactic Latitudes
How many stars can we see at various galactic latitudes? How does this help us determine the structure of the Milky Way Galaxy and determine our place in it?

Enrolment:

Please print out, fill in and return this enrolment form to the address below. Please either include a cheque payable to Liverpool John Moores University (only UK pounds accepted) or you may use your credit/debit card to pay online. If you wish to pay online we will send you the required student number on submission of your application form.  If you are unable to print the enrolment form please contact the address below or send us an email and we will send out a form to you via the mail. 

For more information on the course and any potential problems, please consult the Frequently Asked Questions.

Contact Distance Learning

Distance Learning,
Astrophysics Research Institute,
Liverpool John Moores University,
Twelve Quays House,
Egerton Wharf,
Birkenhead,
CH41 1LD,
United Kingdom.

Tel - +44 (0)151 231 2900
Fax - +44 (0)151 231 2926
Web - http://www.astro.livjm.ac.uk/courses/distance.shtml

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