Virtual Getting into Astronomy

Thursdays, September 24, October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, November 5, 12, 19, 26, December 3, 10, 2020, 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. 

Astronomy Foundations is an online course designed to introduce and orient astronomy enthusiasts to the night sky. Over the 12 sessions, we will cover a wide range of topics, from understanding our place in space, finding our way in the sky, and understanding a little more of the wide variety of astronomical objects that await your discovery. Each session will cover a specific astronomical topic in detail. These topics will include why the sky looks and moves as it does, the nature of planets and other solar system bodies, where stars come from, how they evolve and where they’re going, and how astronomers have learned what they are and how they have estimated their staggering distances. We will discuss clusters of stars small and large as well as the great “Star Cities” themselves - the galaxies, such as our own Milky Way. Throughout the course, we will occasionally circle back to review how to use the star maps to find some of the best and brightest of the night sky’s offerings for yourself.