Astronomy 101: Introduction to Astronomy
In Astro 101 you'll learn modern answers to questions such as: What's up there? Where did it all came from? What will happen in the future? Specifically, you'll,
- Apply Physical Laws to Astronomy
- Examine and Analyze Astronomical Images
- Identify the Causes and Effects of Stellar Evolution
- Explain How Stellar Populations Change With Time
- Describe the Evidence for Modern Astronomical Theories
The course has been taught online since 2012, always in an asynchronous mode (i.e. few live meetings). If you prefer scheduled lectures, please consider the excellent A sections of Astro 101 and Astro 150. All of these courses are open to everyone, and there are no prerequisites. We do not assume or require an unusual scientific or mathematical background, but we do expect you to remember how to use scientific notation and algebra.
Required Materials
- A desktop, laptop, or Chromebook (some elements of the course do not function as well on a phone or tablet).
- Astronomy: At Play in the Cosmos 2nd edition, Adam Frank. W.W. Norton
We've organized this course around this textbook because it presents astronomy as a story about people--because it is! You can buy the textbook from various sources, but the print version is expensive because it includes access to resources we don't need. Instead, I recommend the ebook, available from W.W.Norton for (as of early 2026) $53.95. The first three chapters are free, so you can try it out. The first edition of the text will also work--most things are in the same order--but there are a few big typos which I've listed here: At Play in the Cosmos first edition Errata.
Things to Know
- Assignment Due Dates: The regular assignments for each module are all due on Wednesday, except quizzes, which are available on Thursdays.
- Late Work: We expect your work to be submitted in a timely fashion, but we know sometimes things happen, which is why we drop your lowest quiz and your lowest discussion. We do not drop any other assignments, but we do offer a two-day grace period for late labs. Canvas will automatically assign a zero to assignments turned in even one second late, but labs turned in within this two-day window will still be graded. Otherwise, we cannot guarantee that late work will be graded.
- Regrades, Redos, Make-Up Assignments, and Extra Credit: We do not offer regrades, redos, make-ups, or extra credit.
- Communications: I use Canvas Announcements to send out important information. If you need to contact me, follow these directions so I can respond to you in a timely manner:
- For questions about the course, or course content, post a message on the General Discussion Forum, or drop into the regularly schedule office hours. Times are listed on the Office Hours and Contact Info page.
- For questions about grading, first check the rubric, then drop into an office hour. We don't check submission comments left after grading.
- Academic honesty: Collaboration is not allowed on quizzes. While you are allowed and encouraged to work with members of the class on other assignments, in all cases your work should be in your own words. If you used other people's work, you must cite it. If you used generative AI tools, such as ChatGPT, we expect you will express ideas beyond those generated by the tool. If we suspect academic misconduct, we will withhold your grade and report the suspected activity to Community Standards & Student Conduct.
- The University of Washington Department of Astronomy Does Not Tolerate Harassment of Any Kind: Harassment is any behavior by an individual or group that contributes to a hostile, intimidating, unwelcoming, and/or inaccessible work environment. Anyone can experience harassment. If you believe that you are being harassed, please reach out to your instructor and/or SafeCampus.
- We Follow UW Policies: We follow the UW's guidelines for faculty, including not requiring notes from doctors. For a full list, see UW Syllabus Guidelines and Resources.
Accommodations & Support
Support is available to discuss safety and well-being 24 hours / 7 days a week through SafeCampus. Accommodations for temporary health conditions and permanent disabilities are organized through UW DRS.
Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy. Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form.
Assignments and Grading
Labs -- 50% of your grade
In most of the labs you will give a friend or family member a 5-question survey on astronomy, and then help them understand the correct answers. These labs have a pre-lab assignment which will help you prepare. One lab will give you a chance to choose your own astronomical experience, including directing a telescope to take observations for you! We do not drop any labs, but we do offer a two-day grace period for late labs.
Discussions -- 40% of your grade
The discussions are a chance to share and develop your thoughts with the rest of the class. You are expected to be thoughtful, thorough, and to write a reply to another post by the due date. Discussions lock after the due date and do not have a grace period, but we do automatically drop your lowest discussion score.
Quizzes -- 10% of your grade
Investigations from the Rubin Observatory are a major part of this class, but they aren't assignments themselves. Instead, each investigation has an associated quiz (and an associated discussion). Canvas is set to automatically drop your lowest quiz score.
Final Grade
Your final grade is determined by transforming your overall percentage to the 4.0 scale. A percentage score of at least 60% is required for credit. A score of 72% guarantees a 2.0 or higher, an 84% guarantees a 3.0 or higher, and a 97% guarantees a 4.0. If you have chosen Satisfactory/Not-Satisfactory grading you will need a 2.0 or better to receive credit.