The Open University (OU) have a site called OpenLearn where they post some of their course materials. Several astronomy units for different ability levels are available. You can read, save and print the information. These units are taken from accredited courses, however, you cannot enrol for free or have your work marked.

My personal experience of the OU, having studied with them several times, is that their course materials are very well-written, and accompanied by useful images and videos. If you’re interested in studying astronomy, you might find it useful to work through a unit. Different colleges/universities will of course vary in their materials, but it might give you an idea as to how you’d handle studying.

Useful introductory-level course units include:

Jupiter and its moons (S196_1)

This unit takes about 12 hours to complete, giving you a well-rounded introduction to the planet Jupiter. It includes details on Jupiter’s surface, atmosphere, magnetic field and rotation. As its title suggests, you’ll also gain a foundation in Jupiter’s satellites.


Motion under gravity (S103_3)

This short unit only takes 4 hours, and is well worth it if you find gravity difficult to understand. As well as explaining gravity, this unit also goes into energy conservation and other forms of energy.


The evolving Universe (S197_1)

Taking around 12 hours to complete, this unit looks at the early universe – a must if you’re interested in getting into cosmology, or even if you just want to know a little more about what happened after the big bang.


The Moon (S196_2)

An introduction to the Moon with only 6 hours of study, this unit covers missions, rotation, surface, observation and more. It’s definitely worth taking a look if you’re curious about the moon but don’t know much about it.


The Sun (S194_1)

This unit takes around 8 hours, offering a solid introduction to the Sun. It covers observation, radiation and what goes on inside. If you’re curious about the nuclear reactions that make the Sun work, this unit may give you your answers.


Maths for Science (S151_1)

This unit takes about 14 hours and is useful to those who’d like to learn some math that will equip them for science study. Although not an astronomy course, I thought I’d include it for readers interested in covering a bit of math, including measurements, probabilities and statistics.


Finding information in science and nature (LIB_8)

Taking around 9 hours to complete, this unit is also more general, but very useful. It teaches you how to find and evaluate information in a science context, essential skills if you want to study or write about science.

To view these course materials, visit the Science and Nature section of the OpenLearn website.


Sources

Science and Nature, OpenLearn (The Open University) website, accessed: 15th February 2009, various authors (see acknowledges for each course).