Early Learning...

[Perkil8r]

Wahoo, 1st thread in the new section!

 

I'll keep this post to the point and try to keep it up to date as and when / if anybody has any links to add. Here are some links to some websites that have courses that you can follow online or download etc. in various areas of Astro related sciences.

 

http://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/~pogge/Ast162/Audio/ Astronomy 162. From Ohio University. An Introduction to Stars, Galaxies, & the Universe by Prof. Richard Pogge.

 

Contains podcasts and notes. Quite easy to follow.

 

http://www.astronomy.ohio-state.edu/~pogge/Ast161/Audio/ Astronomy 161. Again from Ohio University. An Introduction to Solar System Astronomy by Prof. Richard Pogge.

 

Contains podcasts but no notes. Quite easy to follow but not as easy as 162 without notes.

 

http://search.mit.edu/search?site=ocw&client=mit&getfields=*&output=xml_no_dtd&proxystylesheet=http%3A%2F%2Focw.mit.edu%2Fsearch%2Fgoogle-ocw.xsl&proxyreload=1&as_dt=i&oe=utf-8&departmentName=web&filter=0&courseName=&q=astronomy&btnG.x=0&btnG.y=0 Astronomy related courses from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

 

Many, many courses, almost all of which you can download course notes, lecture notes, readings and many have videos of the lectures etc. Also look at the main list too as this link is a search for "Astronomy" there are various subject matters such as Aeronautics and Astronautics as well as various geology type subjects relating to both Earth and the Planets and beyond!

 

http://webcast.berkeley.edu/series.html#c,d,Astronomy Astronomy related courses from UC Berkeley.

 

Quite a few here, not all are complete and some are quite difficult to follow due to the lecturer. Easier to follow in some respects due to the graphic nature of a video over a simple podcast for audio only.

 

http://www.thegreatcourses.co.uk/greatcourses.aspx Astronomy related lectures on DVD.

 

Not free, but available to buy as either digital download or as DVD format, hundreds of varied topics and courses covered.

 

None Lecture Based Information.

 

http://www.science.nasa.gov/ Many aspects of science covered by NASA

 

Loads of varied topics. Most quite brief explanations, a lot of information though and plenty of videos and diagrams etc.

Edited February 17, 2013 by Perkil8r

[+Graham]

Nice one Mike.

Will be having a gander through a few of those.

[Perkil8r]

Please feel free to post any links and I will add them into the opening post.

 

My Story.

 

I only got into Astronomy a little over a year ago, although I had a scope as a small child. My childhood scope was poor, and to be fair I was also at the age when things became boring very quickly. I never stopped looking up in wonder though, and last year after a trip to the Kennedy Space Centre I was hooked, so bought a scope. I then started doing some Astrophotography which really has gripped me very firmly. However I have been longing to learn more about what I am looking at and imaging. Very recently I have started to follow some of the lectures in Astronomy 162 by the Ohio University, indeed I am at this moment just up to the end of unit 3. They are very easy to follow, and have me fixed to the laptop listening and following the notes. I then aim to go on and follow 161 and then probably start on some of the others I have so far found.

 

But What Next?

 

I don't know. I'd like to do a real course, in what I don't know yet as the Astro Sciences area is so huge and covers so many different threads. Hopefully by the time I get further in on the freebies I will find an area that interests me most. At the moment I am hugely interested in Nebulae. Most likely because it's what I usually end up imaging, so learning about what I am imaging and how it came to be, and later what will happen to it etc. is something I find interesting. I did find the formation and types of stars very interesting too though, but then everything we know is there because of stars in one way or another, so I guess stars are a very important part of the chain.

 

Maybe some of you will know of courses or routes I can take to further my knowledge? If so please shout up! Cost is an issue though, so maybe you know of ways to fund education? Again, please shout up!

 

My Best Bit So Far?

 

Learning about White Dwarfs and the birth of Planetary Nebulae. Actually made me say "wow" out loud.

[BAZ]

A very inspirational post there Mike.

 

I was pretty much along the same lines, a Tasco 50mm in my early teens, which was badly disrupted by wine, women and song, then kids in that order.

Not until I met Krys, who is like minded, did my interest get sparked again. I now here Iam, pretty much obsessed by it all.

 

Thanks for sharing the links, I will be having a go at them.

 

I would say the only thing that put me off doing a course is the cost, which I feel is a bit steep. However, if I get into it, get the gist of what it's about, and when I feel a bit more confident I might commit.

[Tweedledee]

I did an excellent OU course - "How the Universe Works". It gave an excellent grounding of particle physics, big bang, evolution of the universe, stellar evolution etc. etc.

Then I did another called "The Planets - an Introduction". Both were immensely enjoyable.

 

These short courses are a couple of hundred pounds each, but that is just an extra incentive to get the most out of it for the money. Also with OU you are building up points towards a degree and/or lesser qualifications along the way.

 

Go along to an OU open day. I went to one at Nottingham, and spent a nice couple of hours chatting with professors and students, and came away with lots of free info sheets. http://www3.open.ac.uk/contact/events.aspx

[Sheila]

I did a full degree with the OU and included astronomy and planetary science and some cosmology.  Took 6 years at 60 points a year.  hard work and also

quite expensive but i got a tremendous amount out of it.  This was the 'paper learning side' of the subject.  This is the reason I am here at

all, i learnt all the tech/learning stuff but had never done any practical astronomy.

 

So here I am starting from scratch and being a nuisance to you all, also having a very steep learning curve but enjoying it a lot.  Well most of the time

 

Sheila

[cosmic dave]

A very inspirational post there Mike.

I was pretty much along the same lines, a Tasco 50mm in my early teens, which was badly disrupted by wine, women and song, then kids in that order.

Not until I met Krys, who is like minded, did my interest get sparked again. I now here Iam, pretty much obsessed by it all.

Thanks for sharing the links, I will be having a go at them.

I would say the only thing that put me off doing a course is the cost, which I feel is a bit steep. However, if I get into it, get the gist of what it's about, and when I feel a bit more confident I might commit.

Lol this sounds familiar Martyn...

[+RonC]

Doesn't it just !!

[Guest Turtleboy]

Substitute the telescope with a bass guitar and I'm right there with you guys.

[philjay]

I started at about 10 or 11 years old, being fascinated by the really dark skies we had where we lived, right on the outskirts of Derby before light pollution was invented. 

I read every astronomy related book in the school library then progressed onto the town library and soon cleared that.

 

When I could afford a scope I started with a tasco type 50mm on table top tripod which showed me enough to get me hooked on the practical side. Then came a Prinz Astral 60mm, then a wonderful Tasco 76mm 10TE. I was, (as I am now) completely hooked on practical astronomy, the theoretical and astrophysics side although interesting just left me cold, mainly because I have a lousy memory for numbers and astronomy uses numbers BIG NUMBERS, so I stood no chance

 

Prior to leaving school I applied to the Royal  (Herstmonceaux) Observatory for a Techinical assistants post but didnt get anywhere because I didnt have the match qualifications but I still wonder what life would have been like if I had gone down that route.

 

I built my own scopes and modified many, then in the 80s, marriage, life, work took over and practical astronomy got left behind but I vowed to return one day. 

 

In 1999 I did return and was gob smacked at the kit that was available to the amateur. I bought a humble ST120 on EQ3 to get back in then the rest is history as they say

[Perkil8r]

I've added none lecture based info at the end of the 1st post. If you have any science related links with an educational slant, please feel free to share these too, I will add them to the 1st post to keep them all in one place.

[Tweedledee]

Hi Mike,

This might interest you...

http://www.thegreatcourses.co.uk/greatcourses.aspx

 

I keep thinking of getting a course of DVD lectures off this site, they look really good.

[Perkil8r]

Very interesting Pete. Thanks, will add it to the list

[Tweedledee]

Hi Mike,

Another resource which I think would be extremely useful for anyone to read before embarking on a course is "Astronomy A Self Teaching Guide" by Dinah L. Moche. It is under a tenner from Amazon. It gives a beginner a good grounding in every aspect of astronomy. It is easy to read with lots if illustrations and is laid out in bite size chunks with questions at the end of each section (with answers) to test your understanding. It is not over complicated but explains even the more difficult stuff really well. If you do not consider yourself a beginner, it will fill in any gaps in your basic knowledge.

If Keplers Laws have you in a quiver or the Hertsprung Russell Diagram looks a bit scary, then this book will explain it in simple terms and put it all into perspective in your head.

[Perkil8r]

Hi Mike, Another resource which I think would be extremely useful for anyone to read before embarking on a course is "Astronomy A Self Teaching Guide" by Dinah L. Moche. It is under a tenner from Amazon. It gives a beginner a good grounding in every aspect of astronomy. It is easy to read with lots if illustrations and is laid out in bite size chunks with questions at the end of each section (with answers) to test your understanding. It is not over complicated but explains even the more difficult stuff really well. If you do not consider yourself a beginner, it will fill in any gaps in your basic knowledge. If Keplers Laws have you in a quiver or the Hertsprung Russell Diagram looks a bit scary, then this book will explain it in simple terms and put it all into perspective in your head.

Would you believe I have that book already and forgot maybe I should pick it up and read it!

[Tweedledee]

I have the book myself and think it is really good.

 

I think you'd get on well with that book Mike.

[Perkil8r]

I did start reading it when I got it, but I was very busy at that time so didn't have much time to read too much of it. I then actually put it away (a rare thing as I am untidy) and forgot I had it until you mentioned it. I will add it to the opening post under a heading of books or something

[catman161]

Hmm that book sounds intriguing-thanks Pete

[+Graham]

Nice one Pete.

Have just ordered it and waiting in anticipation.