Astronomy is the oldest science. For thousands of years, human beings have studied the lights in the night sky and tried to understand the workings of the cosmos. But for most of our history, our view has been limited. By observing the night sky with our eyes, we are only able to see the Universe in the wavelengths of light visible to our eyes. But visible light is only a small part of the entire electromagnetic spectrum.
Over the past century, astronomy has become a 'multi-wavelength' science, as astronomers have begun to study the sky using other regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. And the results have been astounding. Each new type of light, from radio waves to the infra-red, has provided a whole new window to the cosmos, revealing a Universe more weird and wonderful than we had ever imagined.
In this course we will look at the science of modern multi-wavelength astronomy. We will begin with long wavelength radio waves, move on to submillimetre and then infra-red light, and finally on to optical astronomy. Along the way we will encounter rapidly spinning neutron stars, hidden distant galaxies, stellar nurseries, violent supermassive black holes, and much more.
Learning outcomes
- To gain a deeper understanding of the methods of modern astronomy;
- To understand how and why astronomers use different regions of the spectrum;
- To gain an understanding of the types of astronomical objects we can see using different wavelengths.
