Confronting The Big Questions: Highlights of Modern Astronomy

An introduction to modern astronomy's most important questions. The four sections of the course are Planets and Life in The Universe; The Life of Stars; Galaxies and Their Environments; The History of The Universe.

• Are we alone in the Universe?
• Planets and Life in The Universe - Exoplanets searches, exoplanet census, astrobiology
• How do Stars Evolve and Die?
• The Life of Stars - Star formation, fusion and stellar middle age, black holes and stellar death-
• What Exists Outside our Galaxy?
• Galaxies and Their Environments - Galaxy types, Active Galactic Nuclei, Clusters of Clusters of Galaxies
• What is the Fate of the Universe?
• The History of The Universe - Why the Big Bang? A History of Time, What Happened Before the Big Bang