Skip to Content

Physics and Astronomy

Physics and Astronomy Planet Units

All students who are enrolling for the first time from 2010 onward will need to complete a people unit and a planet unit. Both of these units need to be outside of the Department (of your major), and one must be outside your Faculty.

The department of Physics and Astronomy (part of the Faculty of Science) offers three Planet units:

  • Semester 1
  • Semester 2
    • PHYS159: Concepts in the Physical Sciences
    • ASTR178: Other Worlds: Planets and Planetary Systems
    • PHYS242: The Tradition of Science

ASTR170: Introductory Astronomy

This is a first year foundation unit in astronomy, suitable for aspiring physicists/astronomers and non-scientists alike. No prior knowledge of astronomy or physics is required. This unit gives a broad underpinning of basic astronomical subjects and concepts with minimal mathematical content. A diverse range of astronomical topics are covered, starting with the solar system, including comets and asteroids; and then increasing in scale to Galactic stars, nebulae, the interstellar medium, our own Milky Way galaxy, galaxy clusters, quasars, black holes and basic cosmology. Key fundamental physical principles, theories and observational technologies are covered. Experimental work is both hands-on and computer based, and covers such areas as galaxy classification, eclipses, spectroscopy and geometrical optics. A session at the Macquarie University Observatory forms an integral part of the practical work.

PHYS159: Concepts in the Physical Sciences

This unit provides an introduction to the concepts of the physical sciences for students from all subject areas. Key areas of physics have provided the basis for many developments in these and other branches of science, and some of the areas to be covered include: energy in all its forms; properties of matter; atomic structure and radioactivity; mechanics; power; direct-current electricity; waves; sound and light; and thermal properties of matter. The material is introduced with a minimum of mathematics and an emphasis on understanding the concepts. A well equipped laboratory provides students with an introduction to basic scientific measurements.

ASTR178: Other Worlds: Planets and Planetary Systems

This unit explores our solar system and the newly found planetary systems around other suns. We begin by examining the processes that have shaped the marvellous variety of worlds within our own solar system, from the scorched and buckled surface of Mercury, to the geysers of frozen methane on Neptune's largest moon, Triton. From this we build an understanding of how our solar system formed and subsequently evolved to become the system that we inhabit today. We then turn our attention to the ongoing discovery of a startling variety of planets around other stars and the advanced observing techniques employed. These provide a new and challenging perspective on our place in the Universe that is modifying the scientific theories of how generic planetary systems are formed. The unit highlights breaking news as the unit proceeds. As part of this unit there is the opportunity to observe the planets with the telescopes of the Macquarie University Observatory.

PHYS242: The Tradition of Science

What is Science? How have influential thinkers such as Einstein and Darwin shaped our view of the world? This unit presents a big picture of science as a great triumph of the human mind and imagination. Scientists have given us a powerful framework for understanding our world from the microscopic scale to the scale of the whole universe. This unit gives students insight into some of the big ideas of science, from cosmology and the universe through the mysteries of quantum phenomena; to nanoscience and nanotechnology, from atoms to the evolution of life itself. Through considering the tradition of science, students gain an understanding of the power and dynamism of scientific knowledge. The unit provides intellectual enrichment for both science and non-science students. Detailed learning objectives and web based notes are available. Assessment is by written assignments; there is no final examination.

See Also

Exercitationem

Visi ut aliquid ex

Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur.

Visi ut aliquid ex

Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatu

Et harum quidem rerum facilis est et expedita distinctio.