Introductory Astronomy
Look up at the night sky and fill your mind with wonder: Where did we come from? Why do stars shine? Are we alone? Explore these questions with us when you take one of our introductory astronomy courses, Astronomy 103 and 104.
Astronomy 103-Online:
We put the universe at your finger tips in this online version of Astronomy 103. Learn about astronomy in a playful and immersive online course built around the UW-developed game. Join us to explore the universe from the comfort of your couch and satisfy your physical science breadth requirement while you’re at it. Not yet a UW-Madison student? Good news! You can still take our summer courses! Click Here to find our how. Qualifying High School students welcome!
Astronomy 103:
This course takes you on a journey through our vast and ever-changing universe, from the big bang to the birth and death of stars. The topics covered in this course include lifecycles of stars; supernovae and creation of elements; white dwarfs, pulsars and black holes; the Milky Way and galaxies; distances of stars and galaxies; quasars; expansion of universe; an overview of modern cosmology and the big bang.
Astronomy 104:
Explore the diverse worlds of our solar system, and take a front-row-seat in the quest to discover new exoplanets around other stars throughout our galaxy. Topics covered in this course include the sky and celestial motions; ancient astronomy; the Copernican revolution; gravity, orbits, and interplanetary travel; formation of the solar system; a survey of the sun, planets and moons; asteroids, meteors and comets; origin of life, and exoplanets.
Astronomy 206:
Look up at the night sky and fill your mind with wonder: Where did we come from? Why do stars shine? Are we alone? Humankind has pondered these questions for millenia, making astronomy the oldest science. Explore the history of astronomy with us in Astronomy 206 and satisfy your humanities breadth requirement while you’re at it. Enroll now for summer 2020. Not yet a UW-Madison student? Good news! You can still take our summer courses! Click Here to find our how. Qualifying High School students welcome!
Enroll now for one of these courses and join us on a fascinating quest for knowledge and insight.