====== AST 100: Our Cosmic History ======
This course, co-offered with PHY 100: Physics for the Next Generation, explores the grand narrative of the universe—from its origins to the emergence of life and our cosmic future. Designed to be accessible, the curriculum avoids complex mathematics, instead utilizing sight, sound, telescopes, and imagery to help students discover their place in the cosmos.

To cultivate students as "citizens of the universe," the course integrates astrophotography as an art form. Using Unistellar eQuinox and iTelescope equipment, students capture and process images to forge a personal connection with the cosmos. This artistic practice allows learners to not just study the universe, but to actively visualize and feel their place within it through their own observations.

===== - Content =====
Students can use [[https://notebooklm.google.com/notebook/00f567bd-531c-4844-b7c3-988166939c25|this curated Google NotebookLM]] for asking questions, creating learning materials and learning on their own pace.

^  ^ Chapters and topics ^ Week ^
^ 0 ^ [[.:ast100:0|Seven Ages of the Universe]] ^ 1--2 ^
| 0.1 | [[.:ast100:0.1|Spacetime and energy-matter]] | ::: |
| 0.2 | [[.:ast100:0.2|Cosmic evolution]] | ::: |
| 0.3 | [[.:ast100:0.3|Observable universe]] | ::: |
| 0.4 | [[.:ast100:0.4|Light and telescopes]] | ::: |
^ 1 ^ [[.:ast100:1|Particle Age]] ^ 3--4 ^
| 1.1 | [[.:ast100:1.1|The four fundamental forces]] | ::: |
| 1.2 | [[.:ast100:1.2|Formation of elementary particles]] | ::: |
| 1.3 | [[.:ast100:1.3|Synthesis of elements]] | ::: |
| 1.4 | [[.:ast100:1.4|Cosmic Microwave Background]] | ::: |
^ 2 ^ [[.:ast100:2|Galactic Age]] ^ 4--5 ^
| 2.1 | [[.:ast100:2.1|The Milky Way]] | ::: |
| 2.2 | [[.:ast100:2.2|Types of galaxies]] | ::: |
| 2.3 | [[.:ast100:2.3|Formation and evolution of galaxies]] | ::: |
| 2.4 | [[.:ast100:2.4|Hubble's law]] | ::: |
^ 3 ^ [[.:ast100:3|Stellar Age]] ^ 5--6 ^
| 3.1 | [[.:ast100:3.1|The Sun]] | ::: |
| 3.2 | [[.:ast100:3.2|Types of stars]] | ::: |
| 3.3 | [[.:ast100:3.3|Formation and evolution of stars]] | ::: |
| 3.4 | [[.:ast100:3.4|Stellar remnants]] | ::: |
^ **MIDTERM** ^^ 7 ^
^ 4 ^ [[.:ast100:4|Planetary Age]] ^ 8 ^
| 4.1 | [[.:ast100:4.1|The Solar System]] | ::: | 
| 4.2 | [[.:ast100:4.2|Types of planets]] | ::: |
| 4.3 | [[.:ast100:4.3|Formation and evolution of planets]] | ::: |
| 4.4 | [[.:ast100:4.4|Discovering exoplanets]] | ::: |
^ 5 ^ [[.:ast100:5|Chemical Age]] ^ 9 ^
| 5.1 | [[.:ast100:5.1|The Periodic Table]] | ::: |
| 5.2 | [[.:ast100:5.2|Formation of oceans and atmospheres]] | ::: |
| 5.3 | [[.:ast100:5.3|Origin of life on earth]] | ::: |
| 5.4 | [[.:ast100:5.4|Biosignatures in exoplanets]] | ::: |
^ 6 ^ [[.:ast100:6|Biological Age]] ^ 10 ^
| 6.1 | [[.:ast100:6.1|Tree of life]] | ::: |
| 6.2 | [[.:ast100:6.2|Rise of the eukaryotes]] | ::: |
| 6.3 | [[.:ast100:6.3|Mass extinctions]] | ::: |
| 6.4 | [[.:ast100:6.4|Life in the universe]] | ::: |
^ 7 ^ [[.:ast100:7|Cultural Age]] ^ 11--12 ^
| 7.1 | [[.:ast100:7.1|Human history]] | ::: |
| 7.2 | [[.:ast100:7.2|Constellations and mythology]] | ::: |
| 7.3 | [[.:ast100:7.3|Role of the sky in culture]] | ::: |
| 7.4 | [[.:ast100:7.4|Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence]] | ::: |
^ **FINAL** ^^ 13 ^

===== - Assessment =====

^ Assessment ^ Sections 1, 3, 5 ^ Sections 2, 4 ^
| Attendance | 10% | 10% |
| Punctuality | 10% |  |
| [[.:ast100:Infographics]] (4) | 10% |  |
| [[.:ast100:Investigations]] (4) |  | 20% |
| Astrophotography (1) | 10% | 10% |
| Quizzes (4) | 10% | 10% |
| [[.:ast100:presentations|Midterm presentations]] | 25% | 25% |
| [[.:ast100:presentations|Final presentations]] | 25% | 25% |
^ Total ^ 100% ^ 100% ^

===== - Reference books =====
  - Eric Chaisson, //[[https://cup.columbia.edu/book/epic-of-evolution/9780231135603|Epic of Evolution]]//, Columbia University Press.
  - Thomas Arny and Stephen Schneider, //[[https://www.mheducation.com/highered/product/explorations-introduction-astronomy-arny-schneider/M9781266673375.html|Explorations: Introduction to Astronomy]]//, McGraw Hill.
  - Fred Spier, //[[https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/book/10.1002/9781444323498|Big History and the Future of Humanity]]//, Wiley.
  - Jay M. Pasachoff and Alex Filippenko, //[[https://www.cambridge.org/bd/universitypress/subjects/physics/astronomy-general/cosmos-astronomy-new-millennium-5th-edition?format=PB&isbn=9781108431385|The Cosmos: Astronomy in the New Millennium]]//, Cambridge University Press.
  - David Christian, //[[https://www.ucpress.edu/books/maps-of-time/paper|Maps of Time: An Introduction to Big History]]//, University of California Press.