Certificate Of Professional Development In Astronomy

Planetary Atmospheres

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 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, full tutor support for the duration of the course (by post, email, telephone and fax), course DVD, news group for student discussion and course website

You need:

Good access to a computer with CD-ROM player. 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. 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 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: Coureswork (70%), Multiple Choice Test (30%).

Cost for module:

Planetary Atmospheres 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: Formation of the Solar System
What are the current theories concerning the formation of the solar system? What key factors determine the original make-up of a planet's atmosphere? How does a planet's atmosphere evolve over time? This part of the course is an opportunity for people who are unfamiliar with computers to learn the use of a personal computer and to become accustomed to the world wide web.

2: The Terrestrial Planets
Why has the Earth's atmosphere evolved so differently from the atmospheres' of Venus and Mars? What role does the presence of water play in the evolution of terrestrial atmospheres? What are the general circulation patterns for the atmospheres of the terrestrial planets? Could the atmosphere of Mars have permitted life to evolve there in the distant past? How long ago did Mars have liquid water on its surface and could there be any liquid water today? What does the atmosphere of Venus tell us about the likely consequences of global warming here on Earth? What evidence is there for ice at the poles of the Moon and Mercury and what gases constitute the tenuous atmospheres of these barren worlds?

3: The Jovian Planets
How are the atmospheres of the Jovian planets different to those of the terrestrial planets? What causes the giant storms and cloud belts on Jupiter? What is the origin of the famous Great Red Spot? Why are the cloud belts on Saturn less prominent than those on Jupiter? What effect does Uranus' axial tilt have on its atmospheric dynamics? Why is the atmosphere of Neptune so dynamic when it is so far from the Sun? Which of the Jovian planets has the fastest winds and why? What has the impact from comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 taught us about Jupiter's atmosphere?

4: The Satellites of the Jovian Planets
How closely do the atmospheres of the outer planet's satellites compare to the terrestrial planets? To what degree does the atmosphere of Io depend upon volcanic emissions? What is the origin of the oxygen detected in the atmospheres of Europa and Ganymede? What lies beneath the dense atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan and why does it have such a thick atmosphere? How similar are the atmospheres of Pluto and Titan?

5: Extrasolar Planets
What is the current status of searches for planets outside our solar system? How do these objects compare with expectations based on our solar system? How long is it before we expect to detect solar system analogs? What can we determine about the atmospheres of the planets discovered outside our solar system? What indicators can we use to detect whether these planets may support life? How are the atmospheres of these planets different from our own?

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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