Astrophysics
Undergraduate · Physics
Syllabus focus
Topics typically covered
Standard syllabus
Radiation and stellar physics
- Blackbody radiation and stellar spectra
- H-R diagrams and stellar classification
- Nuclear burning stages in stars
- White dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes
- Binary stars and mass transfer
Galaxies and cosmology intro
- Milky Way structure and rotation curves
- Galaxy types and active galactic nuclei
- Distance ladder and Hubble's law
- Dark matter evidence
- Big Bang model and cosmic microwave background
Observational methods
- Telescopes: resolution and collecting area
- Photometry and spectroscopy
- Radio, X-ray, and multi-messenger astronomy
- Extinction, reddening, and calibration
- Error analysis in astronomical measurements
STEM / applied
Instrumentation and data
- CCD reduction and bias/dark/flat correction
- PSF fitting and aperture photometry
- Spectral line identification in practice
- Space mission data archives (JWST, HST)
- Python astronomy stacks: Astropy basics
Planetary and exoplanet science
- Transit and radial velocity methods
- Habitable zone and atmospheric retrieval
- Solar system formation models
- Asteroid mining and space resources context
- Planetary magnetospheres and space weather
Career and research skills
- Reading ADS abstracts and arXiv preprints
- Proposal writing for telescope time
- Collaboration tools in large surveys
- Communicating astrophysics to public audiences
- Ethics in astronomical image processing
Study units
Each unit includes a study guide, worksheets, review, practice test, and answer key. One unit is free; subscribe for the full class.
- Radiation and stellar physics
Blackbody radiation and stellar spectra
Coming soon - Galaxies and cosmology intro
Milky Way structure and rotation curves
Coming soon - Observational methods
Telescopes: resolution and collecting area
Coming soon
Notes
Topics reflect common upper-division physics syllabi at US colleges and universities. Prerequisites, lab pairing, and mathematical depth vary by department.