Mars has captivated the human imagination since the very earliest civilizations. It is the most explored planet in the solar system and that is unlikely to change. Getting to Mars is relatively easy, surviving on Mars will be the real challenge. The free online course "How to Survive on Mars: The Science Behind the Human Exploration of Mars" will introduce the key scientific … [Read more...]
Learn About The Sun and the Total Eclipse of August 2017
A total eclipse is one of the most spectacular sights you can ever see! It looks like the end of the world may be at hand. There is a black hole in the sky where the sun should be. Pink flames of solar prominences and long silver streamers of the sun's corona stretch across the sky. It gets cold, and animals do strange things. People scream and shout and cheer, and remember the … [Read more...]
Learn About the Science of Stars and Stones – A Free Course
Archaeoastronomy is the “science of stars and stones”: it studies the relationships between the ancient monuments and the sky, in order to gain a better understanding of the ideas of the architects of the past and of their religious and symbolic world. This course provides the first complete, easy introduction to this fascinating discipline. Archaeoastronomy … [Read more...]
In the Night Sky: Orion
In this four week course, you will explore the night sky, discover how stars formed and find out about exoplanets, all through the constellation of Orion. This course will change the way you see the night sky. In the Night Sky Course Content Starting with its famous nebula where new stars and planets are being formed, this course will cover: The seven brightest … [Read more...]
Introduction to Planetary Science and Astronomy
The Planetary Society's Director of Projects, Dr. Bruce Betts, returned to the virtual classroom at California State University Dominguez Hills for the Spring 2014 semester teaching Physics 195: Introduction to Planetary Science and Astronomy. Here is an archive of all 13 classes. 1: Tour of the Solar System Take a tour of the Solar System in class 1 of Dr. Bruce Betts' 2014 … [Read more...]
The Red Planet – A Free Course
Many robotic spacecraft have been sent to explore the cold, dry and dusty surface of Mars. They reveal a world not so dissimilar to Earth, shaped by meteor impacts, volcanic activity, weather and flash flooding. In addition, recent discoveries inform us about the possibilities for life on Mars – both in the past and the present. Red Mars is one of the four rocky planets … [Read more...]
The End of Space and Time? A Free Course
Robbert Dijkgraaf's focus is on string theory, quantum gravity, and the interface between mathematics and particle physics, bringing them together in an accessible way, looking at sciences, the arts and other matters. Today, I will tell you a grand story, which is our thinking of space and time, and in some sense, what is the role of geometry, mathematics in understanding the … [Read more...]
Cosmology – A Free Course
This course of the Theoretical Minimum series will concentrate on cosmology, the science of the origin and development of the universe. Along the way, students will take a close look at the Big Bang, the geometry of space-time, inflationary cosmology, cosmic microwave background, dark matter, dark energy, the anthropic principle, and the string theory landscape. 1. The … [Read more...]
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