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$17

weekly
Class

Applied Astronomy

Completed by 87 learners
Ages 13-18
Live Group Class
In this science class, students will apply math skills to various astronomical questions
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:
(401 reviews)

Live video meetings
1x per week
1-8 learners per class
45 min

What's included

1 live meeting
45 mins in-class hours per week
Homework
1 hour per week. Each week, I will provide a workbook for the topic we will be discussing. The workbook will be a place for students to take notes and write down equations. It will also include application questions for us to work on together. I provide extra questions for students to do on their own after class, and the answers will be posted each Friday.

Class Experience

Math is the language of science, and with it, astronomers can describe many aspects of how the Universe functions.  In this ongoing class, students will get to apply math skills to various astronomical questions such as how distances are calculated, how to use ratios to find sizes of geographical features of other planets and moons, and how we can calculate travel times and communication times to the planets in the Solar System.

PREREQUISITES: This is an intermediate to advanced class. Students are encouraged to bring a calculator to class. However, they should also have a solid foundation in multiplication, division, and algebra because we will use these skills often to manipulate of equations and solve for variables. While geometry, angles, and some trigonometric functions will be discussed and utilized, it will be at a basic level.

Each week, students will be guided through the mathematical steps astronomers use and will gain an appreciation for their practical value. Classes are not built upon previous material and students are welcome to join at any time. For each class, students will be provided with a worksheet to follow along with during class. **Some questions on the worksheet will be left for students to get additional practice outside of class.**

The class schedule is a follows:

Topic 1: Distances (Tuesday, February 11)
-Scientific notation
-Units of measurements used in astronomy and conversion factors
-Scaling

Topic 2: Angles (Tuesday, February 18)
-Earth’s tilt vs. other planets’ tilts
-The Moon’s phases

** No Class Tuesday, February 25**

Topic 3: Scales and Ratios (Tuesday, March 4)
-Find sizes of lunar craters and maria
-Find height of ejected material
-Using significant figures and taking averages

Topic 4: Mass and Weight (Tuesday, March 11)
-Calculating your weight on other worlds
-Algebraic manipulation to isolate a variable

Topic 5: Time and Stellar Location (Tuesday, March 18)
-Earth time vs. other planet’s time
-Converting to military time
-How to calculate a star's rise time

Topic 6: Apparent Magnitude: Observations and Calculating Δm (Tuesday, March 25)
-History of the magnitude system
-How modern astronomers use apparent magnitude
-Negative numbers

Topic 7: Apparent Magnitude: Brightness and Big Batch Processing (Tuesday, April 1)
-Negative numbers
-Logarithmic functions
-Using an astronomical database
-How to use a spreadsheet for large data batches

Topic 8: Absolute Magnitude (Reading a Star Chart and Calculating) (Tuesday, April 8)
-How to use a star chart to determine magnitudes
-Apparent magnitude vs Absolute magnitude
-Negative numbers
-Logarithmic functions
-Using an astronomical database
-How to use a spreadsheet for large data batches
-How to calculate percentage error in your measurements

Topic 9: Geometry in the Solar System: Inferior Planets (Tuesday, April 15)
-Inferior vs. superior planets
-Diagramming maximum elongation
-Copernican method to find distance to inferior planets (using geometric functions)

Topic 10: Geometry in the Solar System: Superior Planets (Tuesday, April 22)
-Inferior vs. superior planets
-Diagramming opposition, conjunction, and quadrature
-Copernican method to find distance to inferior planets (using geometric functions)

Topic 11: Kepler’s 1st Law (Tuesday, April 29)
-Ellipses
-Focal point and semi-major axis
-Eccentricity

Topic 12: Kepler’s 2nd and 3rd Laws (Tuesday, May 6)
-Proportions
-Graphing

Topic 13: Newton Extends on Kepler's 3rd Law of Motion (Tuesday, May 13)
-Algebraic manipulation of equations
-Calculating masses

Topic 14: Orbital Velocities (Tuesday, May 20)
-Recognize forces that keep bodies (like satellites) in motion
-Become familiar with the orbital velocity formulas
-Calculate the needed velocity for various situations

**No Class June 3 or June 10**

Topic 15: Escape Velocities (Tuesday, June 17)
-Recognize forces that keep bodies (like satellites) in motion
-Become familiar with the  escape velocity formulas
-Calculate the needed velocity for various situations

Topic 16: Travel Times in the Solar System (Tuesday, June 24)
-How spacecraft travel from Earth to other bodies in the Solar System
-How long communication takes from the spacecraft back to Earth

Topic 17: Black Holes: Schwarzchild Radius and Tidal Forces (Tuesday, July 1)
-Calculating constraints for non-rotating black holes
-Comparison of strength and size between stellar mass black holes and supermassive black holes

Other Details

Pre-Requisites
PREREQUISITES: This is an intermediate to advanced class. Students are encouraged to bring a calculator to class. However, they should also have a solid foundation in multiplication, division, and algebra.
Supply List
Each week, students should bring the weekly file (this will be sent before class), a calculator, straight edge, pencil, extra scratch paper.

See a detailed weekly list below:

Topic 1: Distances
-calculator
-pencil
-Topic 1 worksheet (will be sent before class)

Topic 2: Angles
-calculator
-pencil
-protractor
-Topic 2 worksheet (will be sent before class)

Topic 3: Scales and Ratios
-ruler (for measuring)
-calculator
-pencil
-Topic 3 worksheet (will be sent before class)

Topic 4:  Mass and Weight
-calculator
-pencil
-Topic 4 worksheet (will be sent before class)

Topic 5:  Time and Stellar Location
-calculator
-pencil
-Topic 5 worksheet (will be sent before class)

Topic 6: Apparent Magnitude
-calculator
-pencil
-Stellarium (not required but recommended): https://stellarium-web.org/
-Google sheets (not required but recommended. A specific link will be sent with instructions) 
-Topic 6 worksheet (will be sent before class)

Topic 7: Absolute Magnitude
-calculator
-pencil
-Google sheets (not required but recommended. A specific link will be sent with instructions) 
-Topic 7 worksheet (will be sent before class)

 Topic 7: Geometry in the Solar System: Inferior Planets
-calculator
-pencil
-straight edge (ruler)
-Topic 7 worksheet (will be sent before class)
-Optional items: colored pencils for diagramming and a compass (the kind to draw circles, not to tell directions)

 Topic 8: Geometry in the Solar System: Superior Planets
-calculator
-pencil
-straight edge (ruler)
-Topic 8 worksheet (will be sent before class)
-Optional items: colored pencils for diagramming

Topic 9: Kepler’s 1st Law
-extra paper for drawing
-two thumb tacks
-cardboard (Thick enough to insert thumb tacks without them coming through the bottom side. It can be doubled over to prevent this.)
-string (8-10 inches in length)
-calculator
-pencil
-ruler
-Topic 9 worksheet (will be sent before class)
-Optional items: colored pencils for diagramming

Topic 10: Kepler’s 2nd and 3rd Laws
-calculator
-pencil
-straight edge (ruler)
-Topic 10 worksheet (will be sent before class)
-Optional items: colored pencils for graphing

Topic 11: Newton Extends on Kepler's 3rd Law of Motion
-calculator
-pencil
-straight edge (ruler)
-Topic 11 worksheet (will be sent before class)

Topic 12: Orbital Velocities
-calculator
-pencil
-Topic 12 worksheet (will be sent before class)

Topic 13: Escape Velocities
-calculator
-pencil
-Topic 13 worksheet (will be sent before class)

Topic 14: Travel Times in the Solar System
-ruler  or straight edge for diagramming
-calculator
-pencil
-Topic 14 worksheet (will be sent before class)

Topic 15: Black Holes: Schwarzchild Radius and Tidal Forces
-calculator
-pencil
-Topic 15 worksheet (will be sent before class)
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:

Meet the teacher

4.9
401reviews
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Master's Degree in Science from The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
For the past 20 years, Alana has taught astronomy to children. She obtained her graduate degree in astrophysics from the University of Alabama. She also worked at the Angelo State University Planetarium, is part of NASA's Nightsky Network, and regularly provides astronomy outreach opportunities to her community.

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