Grade levels: Senior High (10-12)

This lesson details the life and the death of stars. The fact that stars spend most of their lives on the main sequence consuming their nuclear fuel in a stable manner is detailed and illustrated, as well as how a star’s mass determines how quickly it consumes its fuel, how long it will live and how it will die. A presentation of the study of stellar remnants, the leftover products after a star dies, concludes the lesson and leads us to the topic of the next lesson, neutron stars and black holes.

This lesson describes the fascinating objects that remain after the deaths of large stars-neutron stars and black holes. Gamma-ray bursts and hypernovae are presented as some of the most energetic objects in the universe.

Most discussions of galaxies begin with our very own Milky Way. This lesson presents the history of the study of the size and scale of our galaxy and our place in it. The anatomy of the galaxy is introduced and the mapping techniques are unveiled.

This video lesson looks at the classification of galaxies in general, and discusses the fact that, when these “island universes” were discovered, how the perceived size of our universe increased immensely. It goes on to describe distance indicators and introduces the Hubble Law. The lesson ends with interaction and evolution of galaxies and with a sneak peek into the furthest depths of the universe

Scientists discuss the possibility that the early seeds of life on Earth were delivered by comet impacts and the reasons why it is believed that the first life began on the deep seafloor near hydrothermal vents. The discussion continues with a look at Europa’s subsurface ocean and the pros and cons of life forming in that hostile location. The life zone or habitable zone of a star is defined and the efforts to detect signatures of that life using future spacecraft missions are described. The efforts and difficulties of communicating with an intelligent extraterrestrial civilization are discussed.

This lesson takes students on a journey from planet Earth to the distant galaxies and superclusters. It is illustrated with stunning computer animation and photographs from NASA, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and astronomical observatories. This journey introduces the planets, stars, and galaxies that will be presented and discussed throughout the course.

Explaining the concept of a scientific model, this lesson introduces the celestial sphere as a model to help describe and organize the night sky. Several specialists explain how different cultures named stars and constellations, and brought the aspects of the sky into their buildings and structures, such as those of Chaco Canyon in the southwestern United States.

This video lesson explains the motion of Earth around the sun and its yearly cycle. Astronomers explain the unique orbital and size relations between the rotation of Earth, the sun, and the moon and how this makes a total solar eclipse possible at predictable intervals, known as the Saros cycle. The lesson concludes with a description of the ecliptic and explains how that differs from constellations that are contained in the zodiac.

A presentation on the foundations of astronomy, The Birth of Astronomy examines the observations, theories, and contributions of Aristotle, Ptolemy, and other ancient scientists and philosophers. Copernicus, Tycho Brahe, Kepler, Galileo, and Sir Isaac Newton’s contributions are discussed throughout this lesson.