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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2015/2016

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Physics and Astronomy : Undergraduate (School of Physics and Astronomy)

Undergraduate Course: Discovering Astronomy (PHYS08039)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Physics and Astronomy CollegeCollege of Science and Engineering
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryDiscovering Astronomy is an introductory astronomy course that should be accessible to any student. We assume a basic level of numeracy, but no mathematics more complicated than simple algebra and simple trigonometry is used. The course covers a wide range of topics including The Solar System, Star and Planet Formation, Extrasolar Planets, Stellar Evolution, The Milky Way Galaxy, Galaxy Formation, Cosmology, and the Big Bang. The course has a set textbook that we follow quite closely and is supported by online material accessed from the course homepage.
Course description Not entered
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2015/16, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  None
Course Start Semester 1
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Lecture Hours 33, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 5, Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 5, Summative Assessment Hours 4, Revision Session Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 147 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 67 %, Coursework 33 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) 5 x Tutorial hand-ins (best 4 of 5 count 1/6 of final mark)
5 x Practical Workshop hand-ins (best 4 of 5 count 1/6 of final mark)
1 x Final exam (2/3 of final mark)
Feedback Not entered
Exam Information
Exam Diet Paper Name Hours & Minutes
Main Exam Diet S1 (December)Discovering Astronomy2:00
Resit Exam Diet (August)Discovering Astronomy2:00
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course the student should:
1) have a thorough understanding, at the appropriate level, of the basic observational results of stellar astrophysics and of the theoretical tools used in their interpretation.
2) understand the physics of the internal structure of a main sequence star
3) understand the current knowledge of formation of stars and planets
4) know how stars evolve from the main sequence, how they transmute the elements in their cores and how this relates to the history of the Universe
5) understand the ways in which different stars die: white dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes
6) understand the stellar context of the astronomy of the Universe
7) know the properties and history of our Milky Way Galaxy, and our place within it
8) Understand the origin and evolution of the major types of galaxies
9) Understand in outline the properties of massive black holes and the relativistic jets associated with them
10) Understand, at an appropriate level, current cosmology
Reading List
None
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
Additional Class Delivery Information Students are expected to attend 10 one hour tutorial/practical sessions - one every week, as arranged.
KeywordsDiscA
Contacts
Course organiserDr Philip Best
Tel:
Email:
Course secretaryMiss Paula Wilkie
Tel: (0131) 668 8403
Email:
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