"Introduction to Astronomy" open for enrolments

[julianh72]

The Duke University "Introduction to Astronomy" course is starting again on December 1 2014, and is open for enrolments on Coursera now:
https://www.coursera.org/course/introastro

Also, Rutgers University "Analyzing the Universe" course has just kicked off today:
https://class.coursera.org/analyze-002

[mithrandir]

While we're here "ANUx: ANU-ASTRO3x The Violent Universe" started yesterday (Oct 14)

https://courses.edx.org/

[pmrid]

I have bitten the bullet and enrolled for the ïntroduction to Astronomy"course. I've procrastinated long enough.

It was the math that kept me away but I'll just have to deal with it. Gulp!! I just hope you can teach old dogs some new tricks.

Peter

[rustigsmed]

nice one peter,

it would be great to knock off this course.

I checked out the example math and decided it can wait till next year or the year after. i'll have to brush up on my old year 12 mathematics and be comfortable before diving in.

good luck :thumbsup:

[mithrandir]

I did "Intro to Astro" last time it was offered.

I've signed up again not to improve my results (over 90% but under 100%) but to see how much Ronen has changed it and offer a hand where needed. They might be after volunteer TAs.

The math isn't trivial but it isn't complex. I recommend you install "R" http://www.r-project.org/ and "MathJax" http://docs.mathjax.org/en/latest/installation.html to make life simpler.

R is intended for statistical analysis but it makes a great calculator. We made extensive use of in in the ANUx courses.

[lazjen]

I did this course last time it was offered. I thought it was pretty good even though I had some difficulty with the math (mostly being extremely rusty).

[malclocke]

2 years on and doing this course is still the best decision I've made since taking up this hobby. Anyone considering signing up just do it!

[pfitzgerald]

I signed up last week for the ANU course - 'tis a long time since I have had to do this type of studying - but I'm looking forward to it.

Paul

[michael_m]

I think I'll be signing up for it.

My only concern is the format it will take - I am out of internet range for a couple of weeks in January, so if I have to log on at specific times, that will be problematic. Does anyone know the weekly structure? Can lessons and assignments be downloaded and viewed asynchronously, or does everyone have to access certain sections online and/or at the same time?

Thanks, Mike

[wasyoungonce]

Usually each weeks video's and assignments are put up at the start of their week...US eastern time and can be downloaded. The assignments are given quite a time to be completed, unusually ~2 weeks from the time they were put up.

For example, last year, the 1st week was put up ~2/3 Dec and the submissions of assignment was due 23rd Dec!

The format looks a little different to last time but there is usually a break over the Christmas period, week 4, Week 4 is (was last time) a lay week but week 5 work was put up at the start of week 4 with assignment deadline 20th Jan.

Not saying that this will be the case this time but I expect it to be similar.

[julianh72]

It's worth noting that as well as accessing Coursera content via a browser on a PC / Mac (which as wasyoungonce says allows you to download a whole week's course content to your computer), there is also an Android app (and an iOS app as well, I believe), with similar functionality; that is, you can download the videos to your phone / tablet for off-line viewing at your leisure.

The Android app has also just been updated to support Chromecast, which means that if you have a Chromecast dongle on your TV, you can view the lectures on your big-screen TV.

[wasyoungonce]

Duke University on line Introduction to Astronomy (https://extend.duke.edu/courses/course-v1:DukeExtend+introastro+2016-2017/about?utm_source=courseraemailist&utm_campaign=new_course102516&utm_medium=email)course is on again...free and well worth it!:D

Better be quick...just "about to" start.

Brendan

edit:
If your wondering about maths and physics....anyone with yr11/12 maths physics is capable and your don't have to do the integration parts although they do teach you Newtons approximation method. I passed it and I'm as stoopid as they come!:thumbsup:

[kittenshark]

Very, very good course... I've taken it twice.

Also going to encourage people to seek homework help from us if they need to at the shop because we have a small training room now.

[wasyoungonce]

Actually that's decent and spot on Cheryl. Folks the course is designed to take you from the unknown blank sheet and teach you. You need little maths pretty much an idea of trig and how to transpose.

Even you you cannot it still is good to add value to basic understanding, ie "the coordinate system". Really there is no pass or fail!

[TheCrazedLog]

I downloaded all the videos last time for the course offered by Ronan. I'm now going through them all again, and have signed up to the new course. I just do it at my own pace. For me, I don't care about passing anything I just want to learn.

They're very good, definitely worth the time.

[wasyoungonce]

That's the ticket..its not a competition nor pass nor fail. Participation and learning is the goal.

Brendan

[bojan]

Two years ago I did it.
My main tool was Excel... excellent for calculations and for records.

[NoTan2]

I've just noticed this.

Does anyone happen to know if it's still possible to enrol?
Or perhaps more pertinent - when the first assignment is due?

[wasyoungonce]

Usually they accept late enrols up to a certain time...week 2~3 and allow later submissions of homework.

Email them.... They accepted late enrols up to ~week 4~5 when I dii it.

[NoTan2]

Many Thanks Brendan,

I'll give it a try.

[TheCrazedLog]

If anyone is interested, you can use GNU Octave which is a kinda open source version of Matlab, available here: https://www.gnu.org/software/octave/

You can do all your calcs in that and learn how to use a new bit of software at the same time.