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, course video, photographic material, astronomy support for the duration of the course (by post, email, telephone, internet telephone and fax) , news group for student discussion, and a course website.

You need:

Good access to a computer with CD-ROM player. The computer needs to be able to run an internet browser which we can supply though it is not essential for it to be connected the internet. Good access to video player (VHS format).

Commitment:

The course lasts for four months. We expect that during a typical week you will need to spend 30 minutes watching course video material, 1 to 2 hours on computer and/or photographic exercises, 45 minutes reviewing the relevant material on the CD-ROM and in your textbook and doing multiple choice questions and 10 mins in correspondence with tutor. Overall we expect that you will put around 120 hours of time into the course.

Assessment:

You need to email, post or fax us your work for the course. The weighting for the marking will be as follows: Coursework assignments (75%), End of module examination (25%). The usual rate for the submission of assignments will be approximately one per month.

The following is an outline of the course.

Stars form the basis of the observable universe, with almost all the light we see in the night sky being produced by stars, whether individual points, or the vast conglomerations of galaxies. They are also fundamental to the physics of the universe, processing the raw material of the Big Bang into the familiar elements that surround us and, indeed, make up our own bodies. An understanding of stars is, therefore, essential to an understanding of the universe as a whole and has always been a major component of astronomy. Whether we are trying to understand our own neighbour the Sun, or delving into the mysteries of Black Holes, searching for planets orbiting around other stars or looking back at the earliest objects in the universe, astronomy is based on a core of Stellar physics.

In this course you will be guided through our understanding of stars, looking at their formation, evolution and eventual "death", and seeing how our knowledge has developed through observation and theory. That knowledge will also be tested using data from professional telescopes to carry out experiments that show the physics of stars in action, and allow you to draw your own conclusions. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the gaps in our knowledge will be highlighted and explored - what are the questions that astronomers are tackling today, and how are they going about answering them?