Astronomy and the Atmosphere

Astronomy has been one of the most exciting fields of modern scientific research. New discoveries concerning the solar system, stars, galaxies, and the origin of the universe continue to be made. Even though our view is limited we have made great strides in deciphering the information we have gathered. The first part of the course starts at home and looks at the thin envelope of gases called the atmosphere. Beyond the local weather and climate aspects you will also explore the factors that affect its existence and how it in turn affects our view of space. The majority of time in the course will take us out of the atmosphere where you will explore the components of the solar system, look at the evolution of stars, evaluate the discovery of exoplanets, then move on to the larger structures of the universe; black holes, galaxies, clusters, filaments, and voids. You will wrap up the semester comparing different cosmological hypotheses and the implications of recent discoveries of dark energy and dark matter.

Learning Targets

All eAchieve Science course are designed around the same 4 educational learning targets:

1. Target 1: Obtain and evaluate information through accepted science and engineering practices.
2. Target 2: Know, use, and interpret scientific concepts correctly and appropriately
3. Target 3: Recognize and apply crosscutting concepts as they appear in core scientific ideas as well as through time.
4. Target 4: Employ appropriate literacy skills through writing, reading, and discourse in scientific and engineering contexts.