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This course is an introduction to astronomy – the study of the cosmos. Astronomy is the oldest science – and has played an important role in the cultures of our ancestors across the planet. It has provided the tools by which ancient peoples navigated the globe, and the calendar by which they lived and directed their lives. This course provides a historical background to the study of astronomy, and introduces the different techniques and tools used by astronomers to study the universe – showing how we have come to understand our place in the cosmos.

The course is particularly relevant to students wishing to learn or teach astronomy, physics or Earth sciences. The course is open to all and offers an accessible introduction to how science explains our place in the universe. The course will provide an important basis for students to understand the scientific method – particularly as applied to the observational sciences of astronomy and astrophysics.

This course forms an introduction to astronomy and astrophysics - the study of the universe around us. Astronomy is presented as a tool to understand our origins and place in the universe, and the way that our knowledge and understanding of astronomy has developed over the millennia is discussed in the course's early stages. The basic concepts that allow us to study the universe are then introduced, giving students the framework to understand how we study the cosmos, and laying the groundwork for their wider study of astronomy and astrophysics. The course teaches students how things move in the sky, and through space, explains the seasons, and how phenomena such as eclipses work.

On completion of this course students will be able to:

1. Describe and quantify the way in which different celestial bodies move – both across the sky and through space;
2. Explain how astronomers measure the distance to celestial objects, and calculate those distances using astronomical data;
3. Discuss the history of astronomy and the importance of astronomy to different cultures;
4. Explain how astronomers navigate the night sky;
5. Perform mathematical calculations to determine how astronomers should best observe certain phenomena;
6. Explain the origins of various astronomical phenomena.