HET602 Exploring the Solar System
Credit Points:12.5 Duration & Workload:
One semester, equivalent to a 5 contact hour per week lecture course Prerequisites:
Nil. No background knowledge of astronomy or physics will be assumed. Aims:
This unit is designed to provide an introduction to our solar neighbourhood & the challenges of extraterrestrial exploration. The emphasis will be on conceptual astronomy, not mathematical techniques. Content:
- Observing the night sky, star trails, the planets as wanderers
- Lunar orbit & phases, synchronous rotation, the tides
- Modelling the formation of the Solar System
- The Earth: structure, surface geology, atmosphere and magnetic field
- The Moon: interior, lunar surface characteristics and theory of formation
- The terrestrials: Mercury, Venus and Mars; comparative planetary geology
- Planets as habitats and signs of life
- The asteroid belt: properties and evolution
- The Jovian planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune
- Major and minor Jovian satellites; planetary rings
- Dwarf planets: Pluto, Charon and the Kuiper Belt
- Comets and the dirty snowball model
This unit will be presented in online delivery mode, with contact via newsgroup and email. Assessment Method:
Assessable newsgroup contributions, assignments and project. Textbook:
For information about the textbook, follow this link