The course timeline is shown below. There is no exam. Instead, continuous assessment comes in form of weekly assignments and learning diaries. The three-credit course work consists of

  • twelve lectures, each with
    • preliminary work (reading an article, watching a video, etc.) and
    • assignments (short essay, questionnaire, reading, etc., with deadline at the end of the week),
  • two evaluation sessions during the exam weeks, with no lecture but other activities, and
  • four learning diary submissions (LD), with specific deadlines, and
  • participation in peer and self assessment for three LDs.
  • an excursion to the Helsinki Observatory museum. 

For workload and other details, see the description "How the course works" (Preliminary work for Lecture 1).

The last in-class lecture is on Tue 4.4.2023, and the last assignments etc. are due 18.4.2023. The grades and credits are expected in early May.


Course timeline

Note: There is also an excursion outside the lecture hours, on Tue 28.2. between 18-20, to the Helsinki Observatory museum. Participation is not mandatory, but highly recommended. More information will be published later.

L   Date Topic Theme LD DL
1
 10.1.
 Introduction and cosmic scales
  Background, basic celestial mechanics 31.1.
2
 17.1. Solar system
3
 24.1.
 Celestial mechanics from the ...
4
 31.1. One planet, one sky, one people   Ancient astronomy, from myths to science 28.2.
5
 7.2. "Sancta terra"
6
 14.2. Towards scientific astronomy
ES1
 21.2.   Evaluation session   [submit the 2nd LD only after this one]
7
 28.2. The past 100 years   Modern astronomy, astronomy in society 21.3.
8
 7.3. Astronomy in the 21st century
9
 14.3. Astronomy in art and popular culture
10 21.3 Cosmological view of the worldToday's astronomical worldview 11.4.
11 28.3. Future, open questions
12 4.4. Astrobiology (by Esko Valtaoja)
ES2
 18.4. Online tasks (approx. 2 hours in total), open after the last lecture, DL 18.4.
Last modified: Tuesday, 21 March 2023, 9:14 AM