Astronomy for VCE Physics

Name: Astronomy for VCE Physics
Rating: 4.5 (489 reviews)

Learn the VCE Physics Astronomy course through instruction, simulations and your own observations of the night sky.

Last updated 4/2014

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What you'll learn

By the end of this course you will have an understanding of the motion of the night sky
how to observe celestial objects

10 sections • 32 lectures • 40m total length

Introduction to Astronomy4:32
Introduction to the course: why astronomy is so important and fascinating.

The course follows the VCAA Units1/2 Physics detailed study. Details can be found here within the study design.
Definitions4:26
Introduction to Astronomy questions1:00
Question sheet for you to answer. Answers can be found within the lecture, but further research is recommended.
Watching the night sky activity1:00
Introduction quiz
Further reading, things to watch and sites to look at0:28
Starry Night software demonstration showing the ecliptic3:13
The starry night demo demonstrates the ecliptic with sun, moon, and planets on a common plane, labeling Mercury, Pluto, Uranus, and Jupiter, while the sky's motion is explored.
Getting started with Stellarium2:24
Software available from: stellarium.org
The Ecliptic as seen from outside the solar system1:40
Explore how the planets reside on a common plane around the sun and trace arcs called the ecliptic across the night sky.
Stellarium ecliptic and key functions2:52
Explore Stellarium's key functions by turning on the equatorial grid, labeling stars, and turning off light pollution to view Orion's belt, Betelgeuse, Rigel, and variable-star details.

The Zodiac2:16
Explore how constellations map to the zodiac by following the ecliptic, using Starry Night to visualize the sun and planets moving through Pisces, Aries, Taurus, and beyond.
A matter of time activity2:00
Checking your star sign3:17
Trace how zodiac signs relate to the sun's position along the ecliptic. See how precession shifts star signs over periods from Melbourne, and why current signs differ from ancient dates.
Check your star sign activity2:00

Phases of the Moon information1:00
This diagram shows why we see the moon as we do. On this diagram, the Moon is always lit from the right. As it revolves around the Earth, we are looking at the lit side, the dark side, or somewhere in between.

Additionally, the Moon is no longer geologically active. It's core has cooled and solidified and it has stopped rotating on it's axis. It is more dense on the side that faces us, and we always see this side from Earth.
Phases of the moon lecture1:43
An interactive applet demonstrates the moon’s phases from new moon to full moon over a 28-day cycle, showing waxing, first quarter, and Earth’s rotation under sunlight.
Phases of the moon activity0:24

This course covers the content as prescribed by VCAA for the Unit 1,2 Physics Detailed Study of Astronomy.

The course includes audio/video instruction, running simulations, analysing images and, importantly, your own observations of the night sky.

The course will take 3 weeks to complete, with 3 lessons per week.

Each lesson typically involves:

- the introduction of the theory (video and/or text)

- experiment/practical activity/night sky observation/simulation exercise

- further reading/references

- quiz

The final lessons will go through revision of course content, then a final test.