The module comprises four elements which interlink to provide the astrophysical foundations of the discipline and examples of how astrophysical research advances.
Two self-contained texts provide a quantitative account of the physics of stars and exoplanets and the astronomical techniques used to study them.
The text Stars investigates the properties of stars at different stages of evolution – how they form, what happens to them as they age, and what becomes of them when they die. You’ll explore physical processes that sustain stars’ energy output during each stage of evolution and drive the progression from one stage to the next, as well as the relationship between stages of stellar evolution and the production of chemical elements. In addition, you’ll develop your understanding of the basic concepts of hydrodynamics, thermodynamics, plasma physics, quantum physics and nuclear physics.
Exoplanet research saw rapid advances over the last decade, demonstrating that planets around stars other than the Sun are ubiquitous and diverse. Exoplanets explores the photometric and spectroscopic methods used in exoplanet detection and how the physical properties of star/planet systems are derived. The text concludes with an account of how the growing population of planets with known parameters informs our understanding of planet formation.
Alongside studying the two texts, you’ll engage with an observational astronomy project on transiting exoplanets. You’ll have observing time on the OpenScience Observatories’ Tenerife facilities and schedule observations of an exoplanet transit. You’ll obtain transit light curves and analyse the exoplanet’s characteristics.
The module concludes with three case studies relating to more recent research findings in stellar and exoplanetary astrophysics. These findings are conveyed through a series of activities using standard professional astronomy tools.
You’ll build on your mathematical, physics and astronomy knowledge to further develop your understanding of fundamental concepts in physics and astronomy in the specific context of stars and exoplanets.
You’ll develop the key skills of quantitative problem-solving and processing, interpreting and presenting data to investigate and support arguments and ideas in astrophysics. You’ll also further develop group working skills.
You’ll get help and support from an assigned tutor throughout your module.
They’ll help by:
Online tutorials run throughout the module. While they’re not compulsory, we strongly encourage you to participate. Where possible, we’ll make recordings available.
Course work includes:
You’ll have access to a module website, which includes:
Additionally, the website includes:
We also provide physical:
You can study this module on its own or use the credits you gain towards an Open University qualification.
S384 is an option module in our:
Astrophysics of stars and exoplanets (S384) starts once a year – in October.
It will next start in October 2026.
We expect it to start for the last time in October 2030.
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations, which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
There are no formal entry requirements for this module.
At The Open University, we believe education should be open to all, so we provide high-quality university education to anyone who wishes to realise their ambitions and fulfil their potential.
Even though there are no entry requirements, you’ll need an appropriate knowledge of mathematics and physics obtained through:
Are you ready for S384?
We recommend that you’ve completed:
Plus:
The S384 textbooks summarise assumed prior knowledge of astrophysical concepts and facts from OU level 2 modules. You should engage with this material before the module starts.
The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone, and this Accessibility Statement outlines what studying S384 involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.
To find out more about what kind of support and adjustments might be available, contact us or visit our Disability support website.
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There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.
If your income is not more than £25,000 or you receive a qualifying benefit, you might be eligible for help with some of these costs after your module has started.
There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.
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