Astronomy and Outer Space Explorers

With the modern scientific age of powerful telescopes, astronomers have peered farther out into space and have uncovered an incredibly fascinating Universe. From our very own unique Solar System to the mysterious quasars, astronomy is an engaging and diverse area of science.

This ongoing class is for the astronomy-loving student who wants to learn about our Universe beyond the planets in our Solar System. Each week, an optional handout will be provided where learners can draw and take notes about the topic.

The session will cycle back through at the end of the 18-week period. 

🌟𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞:

Topic 1: March 17
Topic 2: March 24
Topic 3: March 31
Topic 4: April 7
Topic 5: April 14
Topic 6: April 21
Topic 7: April 28
Topic 8: May 5
Topic 9: Mary 12
Topic 10: May 19
Topic 11: May 26

** No class: June 2 & 9 **

Topic 12: June 16
Topic 13: June 23
Topic 14: June 30
Topic 15: July 7

** No class: July 14 & 21 **

Topic 16: July 28
Topic 17: August 4
Topic 18: August 11

Topic 1 -- Constellations
Have you ever looked up at the night sky and wondered, “What is that bright object?” or “Where is the North Star?” In this class, students will learn about objects they can see in the night sky right from their own backyard and how it changes over the course of the year.

Topic 2 -- Telescopes
When Galileo first peered through the telescope at the night sky, astronomy was immediately changed forever. For the first time, moons of other worlds were visible and astronomers could take first-hand observations of distant places. In this class, we will learn the basic principles of how telescopes work and why they are so important to astronomy.

Topic 3 -- Rovers
Rovers are incredible tools that astronomers and scientists use to study other worlds without having to leave Earth. In this class, we will learn about where rovers have been sent, how they have helped scientists study our solar system, and plans for future missions.

Topic 4 -- Moons
Each planet in our solar system has unique and fascinating characteristics. But this also applies to those bodies orbiting around the planets: their moons. In this class, we will investigate several of our Solar System’s fascinating moons and their incredible features.

Topic 5 -- Comets and Asteroids
Down to the smallest detail or seemingly unimportant object, we see great detail in each and every aspect of our universe. This is true for the interesting groups of objects in our Solar System known as comets and asteroids, and in this class, we will study about these special celestial bodies.

Topic 6 -- Dwarf Planets
As telescopes and scientific techniques improve, so does our understanding of the cosmos. After a discovery was made of small, rocky objects beyond the orbit of Pluto, astronomers realized they needed to make a new classification for these objects: the dwarf planet. In this class, we will discuss the 5 known dwarf planets and what is known about them.

Topic 7 -- Exoplanets
While our Solar System is unique, scientists have discovered thousands of other worlds beyond our own. In this class, we will study about how astronomers can detect exoplanets and learn about some interesting features of these alien planets.

Topic 8 -- The Sun and Main Sequence Stars
Our Sun, in a sense, is the anchor for our Solar System. While much is known about our nearest star, scientists are still unraveling more incredible discoveries about our crucial, life sustaining Sun. It has also given us insight to learn more about other stars we see throughout the Universe. In this class, we will study about our consistent, yet active Sun, as well as other stars that have similar features to our Sun.

Topic 9 -- White Dwarfs and Brown Dwarfs
What happens when a star like our Sun ends its life? Are their objects that are too big to be planets but not big enough to be stars? These are questions astronomers are actively researching, and in this class, we will investigate what is currently known about white dwarfs and brown dwarfs.

Topic 10 -- Giant and Supergiant Stars
As astronomers have studies the Universe around us, they have come to realize that there are stars much larger than our Sun. In this class, we will learn about these giant and supergiant stars and talk about their fascinating characteristics.

Topic 11 -- Nebulae
As astronomers have observed the Universe, they have classified a special group of objects as nebulae: clouds of gas and dust in interstellar space. In this class, we will talk about the different types and look at specific examples.

Topic 12 -- Supernovae
What happens when a massive star ends its life? Based off of our current understanding of the Universe, astronomers believe a supernova will occur. In this class, we will look at these incredible objects and what astronomers know about them.

Topic 13 -- Neutron Stars and Black Holes
Sometimes it is said that “fact can be stranger than fiction.” This holds true for the type of objects astronomers call neutron stars and black holes. While there is still much about them that is unknown, scientists are beginning to unravel some of their mysteries. In this class, we will talk about what evidence astronomers have about these mysterious objects.

Topic 14 -- Pulsars and Magnetars
Pulsars and magnetars are special types of neutron stars. In this class, we will discuss their fascinating features and what astronomers have discovered about these strange objects.

Topic 15 -- The Milky Way
The Milky Way, our home galaxy, is what astronomers call a spiral galaxy and it can sometimes be seen stretching across our night sky. In this class, we will learn about the Milky Way, where and when we can see it, and what other objects also call it home.

Topic 16 -- Galaxies
Our Milky Way galaxy is one of estimated billions of other galaxies in our Universe. In this class, we will learn about galaxies and how astronomers classify the different types.

Topic 17 -- Astronomical Mysteries Part 1: Supermassive black holes, AGN, and Quasars
While still not fully understood, astronomers are gathering data to unravel the mysteries to some of the largest and farthest structures in our Universe such as supermassive black holes. Along with these objects, astronomers are researching other phenomenon that seem to be correlated: AGN and quasars. In this class, we will learn about these incredible objects.

Topic 18 -- Astronomical Mysteries Part 2: Dark Matter
Dark matter is another astronomical mystery. In fact, we know more about what dark matter is not than we know what it is. In this class, we will discuss the evidence for dark matter and current research around this topic.

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Classroom Expectations and Guidelines:
**My goal is to keep classes close to the scheduled amount of time, however, sometimes classes with low enrollments or especially talkative students may go over or under a few minutes.

Classes will begin and end at the scheduled times, even if learners are late to the classroom or absent.

**If no learners are in the classroom, I will wait 10 minutes before exiting the classroom. As stated in Outschool’s policy, “If your learners have not joined the meeting 10 minutes after the start time, the meeting may be canceled, at the teacher’s discretion.  This is considered a missed meeting and you are not entitled to a refund.”

**To ensure safety and security, ALL of my students are required to turn their cameras on at the beginning of class so I can check identity. They may turn their cameras off after I have verified them. Students will also be asked to speak throughout each class, so a working microphone is required. This also helps ensure security and safety.

**All students will be muted upon entering the classroom to prevent background noise and distractions. Please familiarize your child with the “Mute” and “Unmute” button in Zoom. (Parents are not required to be present during class, but it is helpful to be nearby in case your child has IT issues.)

**I follow all Outschool refund policies. Please familiarize yourself with them here: https://support.outschool.com/en/articles/16379-refund-policies-and-happiness-guarantee

**For multiple learner’s from your household, Outschool’s policies states, “Parents are welcome to enroll two or more learners in the same section of a class provided that the class has enough spaces. You will need to enroll each learner separately for the section, but learners are welcome to share a device if that would make it easier to attend class.”