Certificate Of Professional Development In Astronomy

The Universe Through A Small Telescope (ROG)

The course starts with "An Evening with the Stars" conducted at Royal Observatory Greenwich. It is a multimedia astronomy course that uses interactive CD-ROM material, but can also be supplied on paper for those without a computer. The course is delivered in one module lasting approximately four months. In addition to a detailed knowledge of astronomy, the course will enable you to become familiar with using a small telescope to make your own observations, and then using your observations to determine the properties of celestial objects.

Qualifications required:

School science or maths (UK GCSE equivalent)

The course begins with "An Evening with the Stars". This comprises of an evening at The Royal Observatory Greenwich looking at the night sky using telescopes. Details of these evening events can be found by looking on the National Maritime Museum website (www.nmm.ac.uk) and enter "An Evening with the Stars".

Qualification gained:

A Certificate of Professional Development in Astronomy will be awarded for the successful completion of this module. This module is assigned 12 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, relevant sky charts, full tutor support for the duration of the course (by post, email, telephone and fax), news group for student discussion and course website.

You need:

Good access to a telescope of at least 3½" aperture (either reflector or refractor). If you require the course on CD-ROM you will also need a computer with CD-ROM player (preferably running Windows 95, 98 or 2000). The computer needs to be able to run an Internet browser although you do not need to be connected to the Internet to take the course.

Commitment:

The course lasts for four months. Over the duration of the course we expect that during a typical week you will need to spend 2 to 3 hours making observations and analysing your data and 10 minutes or so in correspondence with your tutor. Due to the unreliable nature of the weather the workload will not be consistent and you will need to take advantage of any clear nights that occur. In addition, over the duration of the course you are expected to produce a two page 'popular article'. Overall we expect that you will put around 120 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: Observational projects (70%), Popular Article (30%). The usual rate for the submission of assignments will be approximately one per month.

Cost for module:

The Universe Through A Small Telescope is a single module course, and hence is worth 12 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: Observing Evening
The course begins with the "An Evening with the Stars" Observation Evening at ROG. The programme starts with a tour of the night sky in the Planetarium, followed by a viewing session with a 28-inch refractor. Depending on the season and what objects are visible in the night sky, objects that may be viewed include Saturn, the Moon and Mars.

2: The Moon
The Earth's nearest neighbour is easily the brightest object in the night sky and one that everyone is familiar with. This section discusses the geology and topography of the Moon and details the many theories that have arisen concerning its origin. Also included is information on the phases of the Moon and the effects of libration on what we can observe. The practical exercise associated with this section involves measuring the heights of the mountains on the Moon from your observations. In addition this section contains information on eclipses (both solar and lunar) and details observation of the Sun and what features you can expect to see e.g. flares, prominences and sunspots.

3: Observing the Planets
The eight other known planets in our solar system provide an interesting and varied collection of targets for observations. This section details what you can expect to see with a small telescope on each of the planets and their major satellites along with the best times to observe them. Information is given on how the orbits of the planets affect their visibility and discussion is given to topics such as retrograde motion and timings of favourable oppositions. The practical section of this chapter will involve using your observations of the Moons of Jupiter to calculate the planet's mass using simple physical laws. In addition this section includes information on observing asteroids and comets and details some of the meteor showers you may be able to see.

4: Variable Stars
Not all of the stars in the night sky have a constant brightness. There are many types of variable stars ranging from pulsating Cepheid variables to eclipsing binaries. This chapter covers the types of variable stars and gives the best examples of each type. The practical assignment involves using your observations of certain variable stars to produce light curves and thus determine the type of variable. This chapter also provides detailed information on the spectral classification and magnitude system and advice on comparing magnitudes and measuring angular separations of multiple stars.

5: Deep Sky Objects
This section covers objects such as globular clusters, nebulae, the Milky Way and distant galaxies. Details are given on how to observe the Andromeda galaxy and what you should expect to see. The practical part of this section will involve you making your own observations of favourably positioned star clusters and nebulae such as the Hyades, Pleiades and the Orion Nebula, then comparing and classifying the objects you have seen via a multitude of criteria such as colour, nebulosity, star density and the presence of dust bands.

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.
Please indicate if you have already completed the Evening with the Stars at ROG.

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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