This image is a composite of several types of radiation astronomy: radio, infrared, visual, ultraviolet, soft and hard X-ray. Credit: NASA.

The course objective is to provide students with the principles of radiation astronomy. At the end of the course, a student should have a well-rounded knowledge of astronomy, radiation, and observational and theoretical astronomy, each as they apply to radiation sources in the sky especially at night.

The course is built upon the ongoing research performed by astronomers, astrophysicists and astrochemists around the world and in the not so empty space above the Earth's atmosphere.

In line with the Wikiversity ideal of learning by doing are sixteen laboratory opportunities, an equal number of problem sets at several levels, and participatory lessons. To present a wide variety of concepts within radiation astronomy, there are forty-eight resources. References from the scholarly literature are included to challenge the student and open doors to further curiosity. Some sixteen supplemental quiz section resources are included for additional learning.

The course material is layered from a primary/secondary level, to a university/tertiary level, and topped off with an introduction to research of which some is here at Wikiversity. A label indicating the education level may not be present for each resource.

The general subject area is astronomy. This includes knowledge of physics, chemistry, geography, history, and other subjects.

Prerequisites

Although a working knowledge of calculus and physics is beneficial, most concepts presented require only an understanding of algebra. Additional learning resources are also provided through the course to increase a student's background knowledge.

Suggested prerequisites:

• Astronomy keynote lecture
• First astronomical radiation sources
• Mathematical astronomy

Ancillary course materials

Completion levels

This course is dynamic, but may also be taken as a semester offering by Wikiversity, see the syllabus for the next formal class period.

resources and quizzes may have a level of completion icon following it based on ≥ 100 kb equals 100 %, or 100 questions is 100 %, the midterm and final are based on 300 questions equals 100 %:

1. This resource is a stub, which means that pretty well nothing has been done yet. 0-5%.
2. This resource is just getting off the ground. Please feel welcome to help! 6-15%.
3. Been started, but most of the work is still to be done - 16-30%.
4. About halfway there. You may help to clarify and expand it - 31-45%.
5. Almost complete, but you can help make it more thorough - 46-60%.
6. Ready for testing by learners and teachers. Please begin! 61-75%.
7. This resource is considered to be ready for use - 76-90%. R
8. This resource has reached a high level of completion - 91-100%. C

All resources have been completed in time for students taking the course during any semester. Updates to any resource that do not affect course content may occur at any time. Other updates may occur either with appropriate notices or where the subsequent update is incorporated in any subsequent hourly, midterm or final quiz. Additional content revisions or updates will occur between semester offerings.

A completion icon may not be present for resources already at 100 %.

Resource changes that affect content after the beginning of a semester are not included in that term's requirements:

1. Rocky objects described in Meteorites that are not meteorites or the product of meteorite falls or strikes are being removed as they are duplicates of material already in the course. Students are responsible for this material where it occurs outside the meteorites resource.

Resources

Each set of three resources are associated with the learning-by-doing laboratory experiences, mini-resources plus quizzes for the student to test their learning progress with some additional information, 2-3 lengthier exams often referred to as 'hourlies' (may take an hour to work through at a timed pace), a mid-term exam which is all-encompassing for the first half, and a final exam over the entire course material. The examinations are designed to be taken iteratively as many times as the student desires to achieve a thorough working knowledge of the subject.

Quiz section resources

Resources under development for likely inclusion

Resources under development for possible inclusion

Laboratories

For the course, sixteen laboratories should be completed. Examinations containing information from any laboratory will list it.

Lessons

Lessons are participatory original research projects. They are part of the history of science and only require some skills in map reading and comparison and contrast. Some familiarity with literature searching such as on Wikipedia, SIMBAD, or the web is beneficial and included in the instructions.

Problem sets

Under development:

1. Lenses and focal length
2. Neutrino emissions

Quizzes

The quizzes may be rated by number of questions, with 100 questions being a high level of completion, even though some are at lower numbers of questions.

Hourlies

1. Hourly - resources 1-16
2. Hourly - resources 17-32
3. Hourly - resources 33-48

Midterm examination

• Principles of radiation astronomy/Midterm quiz

Final examination

• Principles of radiation astronomy/Final quiz

Alternate examinations that may be used by your college or university for credit (and a grade) in this course will be available from Wikiversity by courier for closed proctored session testing of proficiency.

Syllabus

While this course may be taken in any order by each student, it may also be taken during a specific calendar period comparable to a university semester such as from January through May or August through December.

Consult the syllabus for the weekly schedule.

Entities

1. Several courses could be offered dealing with radiation astronomy.
2. A dynamic-only course could be offered dealing with specific radiation astronomies or potential radiation astronomies.

Student participation

For the period 8/17 to 9/16/2014, a minimum of 20 unregistered students is viewing or reading each resource in the fall presentation of the course. A maximum number of 1126 hit the radiation astronomy keynote resource of 9/8/2014. This assumes each student hit the resource only once during the period.

Radiation astronomy, which has no direct comparison on Wikipedia, had 2,123 for the period. This is comparable to a special astronomy on Wikipedia, see below.

As a cross-wiki comparison,

1. X-ray astronomy on Wikipedia had 3,315 hits versus 172-193,
2. Astronomy had 362-368 versus Astronomy on Wikipedia had 51,445-54,120,
3. Ultraviolet astronomy had 1,256-1,288 on Wikipedia versus 181-198 on Wikiversity,
4. Gamma-ray astronomy 1,967-1,857 on Wikipedia versus 285-292,
5. Astrophysics 27,988-26,607 on Wikipedia versus 164-165, and

Projects:

1. 2015 49. 27083 Astronomy, includes all subpages

Course participation:

1. 2014 144. 9999 Mathematical astronomy
2. 2015 218. 7830 Astronomy/Mathematics
3. 2015 518. 3515 Mathematical astronomy
4. 2016 110. 13881 Astronomy/Mathematics
5. 2014 401. 4623 Astronomy
6. 2015 434. 4118 Astronomy
7. 2016 474. 3647 Astronomy
8. 2014 231. 7043 Principles of Radiation Astronomy
9. 2015 403. 4431 Principles of Radiation Astronomy
10. 2016 611. 2572 Principles of Radiation Astronomy
11. 2014 234. 7025 Radiation detectors
12. 2014 275. 6254 Gamma-ray astronomy
13. 2015 506. 3863 Meteorites
14. 2014 567. 3505 Cosmic-ray astronomy
15. 2014 595. 3406 Blue astronomy
16. 2014 604. 3367 Neutrino astronomy
17. 2014 612. 3349 Galaxies
18. 2014 667. 3146 Regional astronomy
19. 2014 680. 3092 X-ray astronomy
20. 2014 694. 3050 Proton astronomy
21. 2014 699. 3029 Ultraviolet astronomy
22. 2014 715. 2978 Optical astronomy
23. 2014 726. 2931 Neutron astronomy
24. 2015 736. 2301 Radiation astronomy/Detectors
25. 2014 738. 2882 Violet astronomy
26. 2015 738. 2279 Intergalactic medium
27. 2015 739. 2272 Radiation detectors
28. 2015 753. 2180 Radiation astronomy/Courses/Principles/Syllabus/Spring
29. 2014 769. 2801 Source astronomy
30. 2015 794. 1991 Proton astronomy
31. 2014 810. 2695 Positron astronomy
32. 2014 873. 2549 Crater astronomy
33. 2015 878. 1635 Planetary science
34. 2014 883. 2631 Visual astronomy
35. 2014 895. 2511 Interstellar medium
36. 2014 897. 2511 Theoretical astronomy
37. 2014 921. 2436 Interplanetary medium
38. 2015 947. 1385 Astrophysics
39. 2014 951. 2369 Radiation telescopes
40. 2015 965. 1336 Stellar science
41. 2014 968. 2323 Astrophysics
42. 2015 971. 1314 Radiation astronomy/Courses/Principles/Syllabus/Fall
43. 2014 983. 2305 Intergalactic medium
44. 2014 984. 2304 Principles of Radiation Astronomy/Syllabus
45. 2015 985. 1264 Planets/Quiz
46. 2015 987. 1262 Saturn
47. 2014 994. 2280 Radiation geography

The top 100 learning projects for 2015 (through October), includes all pages and subpages, concerning the course are

1. 49. 27083 - Astronomy, with 40 subpages.

The ranking of astronomy resources in this course during 2015 of the top 1000 in number of hits here at Wikiversity are

1. 218. 7830 - Astronomy/Mathematics or Mathematical astronomy
2. 403. 4431 - Principles of Radiation Astronomy
3. 434. 4118 - Astronomy
4. 518. 3515 - Mathematical astronomy
5. 652. 2823 - Classical planets
6. 736. 2301 - Radiation astronomy/Detectors or Radiation detectors
7. 738. 2279 - Intergalactic medium
8. 739. 2272 - Radiation detectors
9. 753. 2180 - Radiation astronomy/Courses/Principles/Syllabus/Spring
10. 794. 1991 - Proton astronomy
11. 878. 1635 - Planetary science
12. 947. 1385 - Astrophysics
13. 965. 1336 - Stellar science
14. 971. 1314 - Radiation astronomy/Courses/Principles/Syllabus/Fall
15. 993. 1236 - Classical planets/Quiz

Those astronomy resources not specifically a part of the course are

1. 322. 5382 - School:Physics and Astronomy
2. 950. 1372 - Planets
3. 985. 1264 - Planets/Quiz
4. 987. 1262 - Saturn
5. 995. 1236 - Planets around other stars
6. 998. 1233 - Category:Introduction to the Planets
7. 999. 1233 - Introduction to the Planets

The top 100 learning projects for 2014, includes all pages and subpages, concerning the course were none.

The ranking of astronomy resources in this course, or often mentioned, of the top 1000 here at Wikiversity are

1. 144. 9999 - Mathematical astronomy
2. 226. 7135 - Stellar science
3. 231. 7043 - Principles of radiation astronomy
4. 234. 7025 - Radiation detectors
5. 275. 6254 - Gamma-ray astronomy
6. 401. 4623 - Astronomy
7. 506. 3863 - Meteorites
8. 567. 3505 - Cosmic-ray astronomy
9. 595. 3406 - Blue astronomy
10. 604. 3367 - Neutrino astronomy
11. 612. 3349 - Galaxies
12. 642. 3259 - Electron astronomy
13. 667. 3146 - Regional astronomy
14. 680. 3092 - X-ray astronomy
15. 694. 3050 - Proton astronomy
16. 699. 3029 - Ultraviolet astronomy
17. 715. 2978 - Optical astronomy
18. 726. 2931 - Neutron astronomy
19. 734. 2899 - Template talk:Astronomy resources
20. 738. 2882 - Violet astronomy
21. 769. 2801 - Source astronomy
22. 810. 2695 - Positron astronomy
23. 873. 2549 - Crater astronomy
24. 883. 2531 - Visual astronomy
25. 895. 2511 - Interstellar medium
26. 897. 2511 - Theoretical astronomy
27. 921. 2436 - Interplanetary medium
28. 951. 2369 - Radiation telescopes
29. 968. 2323 - Astrophysics
30. 983. 2305 - Intergalactic medium
31. 984. 2304 - Principles of Radiation Astronomy/Syllabus
32. 994. 2280 - Radiation geography

Those astronomy resources not specifically a part of the course are

1. 302. 5933 - School:Physics and Astronomy
2. 734. 2899 - Template talk:Astronomy resources
3. 814. 2683 - Astronomy Project
4. 963. 2338 - Portal:Physics and Astronomy

See also

Further reading

• Eberhard Haug; Werner Nakel (2004). The elementary process of Bremsstrahlung. River Edge NJ: World Scientific. p. Scientific lecture notes in physics, vol. 73. ISBN 9812385789.
• Kaufmann, W. J. (1994). Universe. W H Freeman. ISBN 0-7167-2379-4.
• Smith, E.V.P.; Jacobs, K.C.; Zeilik, M.; Gregory, S.A. (1997). Introductory Astronomy and Astrophysics. Thomson Learning. ISBN 0-03-006228-4.
• Tenorio-Tagle G, Bodenheimer P (1988). "Large-scale expanding superstructures in galaxies". Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics 26: 145–97. http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-iarticle_query?1988ARA%26A..26..145T.  General overview.
• Vedrenne G; Atteia J.-L. (2009). Gamma-Ray Bursts: The brightest explosions in the Universe. Springer. ISBN 978-3540390855.

External links

• Bing Advanced search
• Google Books
• Google scholar Advanced Scholar Search
• International Astronomical Union
• JSTOR
• Lycos search
• NASA/IPAC Extragalactic Database - NED
• NASA's National Space Science Data Center
• NCBI All Databases Search
• Office of Scientific & Technical Information
• PubChem Public Chemical Database
• Questia - The Online Library of Books and Journals
• SAGE journals online
• The SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System
• Scirus for scientific information only advanced search
• SDSS Quick Look tool: SkyServer
• SIMBAD Astronomical Database
• Spacecraft Query at NASA
• SpringerLink
• Taylor & Francis Online
• Universal coordinate converter
• Wiley Online Library Advanced Search
• Yahoo Advanced Web Search

{{Radiation astronomy resources}}{{Stars resources}}

Type classification: this resource is a course.