First, you’ll examine some astronomy fundamentals. You’ll learn how modern astronomers measure the universe, using spectroscopy, imaging, and time-variability as observational tools.
Topic 1: Cosmic length scales
Starting with the sizes of things, this topic explains astrometry – how we measure the positions of astronomical objects. Then, photometry – how we measure the brightness of such objects. Eventually, we’ll combine both concepts to see how to measure distances in the Universe.
Topic 2: The spectral Universe
You’ll begin by understanding how continuum emission or black body radiation enables astronomers to determine stellar temperatures, radii and luminosities. And learn about energetic processes in evolving galaxies. You’ll move on to understand absorption and emission spectroscopy, particularly how astronomers use stellar spectroscopy to classify stars. Leading to the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram, a vital tool for understanding stars and stellar evolution. Finally, you’ll see how astronomers can exploit spectroscopy to examine how astronomical objects move through space relative to each other. And to look at motions within objects, focusing on the interior of stars, the rotation of a spiral galaxy, or gas turbulence in molecular clouds.
Topic 3: Mapping and classifying the Universe
You’ll exploit the multiwavelength view modern astronomy has of stars and galaxies. You’ll reach beyond pretty pictures to learn how we can quantitatively describe astronomical objects using image measurements. See how we construct all-sky images from detailed telescopic surveys. And build a systematic understanding of the constituents of a galaxy, and where in a galaxy we find them. But we know we cannot see all the Universe, even with electromagnetic images – by the end of Topic 3, you’ll understand how we hunt for dark matter and black holes.
After you have learned the astronomy essentials, topics 4–6 focus on how we use mapping, imaging, and spectroscopy tools to reveal the lifecycles of stars and galaxies.
Topic 4: Birth and life
This topic concentrates on how the action of a single force – gravity – can generate structure on all scales. From star formation, through stellar orbits, and onwards in scale, to galaxies and even the vast web-like structures that interconnect galaxies themselves. You’ll learn more about stars by studying the nearest star to us, the Sun. And understand the nuclear processes that fuel all stars at their core.
Topic 5: Evolution and death
This topic highlights what happens to nuclear processes in the final stages of stellar lifecycles. And the interplay between the lives of individual stars and the evolution of populations of stars within galaxies. You’ll see how the initial mass of a star plays a profound role in its eventual fate. Discover supernovae explosions, the formation of white dwarfs, neutron stars and red giants. Revise the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram and trace the evolutionary track of stars. Delving into stellar archaeology, you’ll see how stellar populations reveal how galaxies change with time. And see how the abundance of chemical elements is linked to star-formation histories.
Topic 6: Extreme Universe
By ‘extreme Universe’, we mean extremely dense or hot environments or extremely high gravitational or magnetic fields. This leads to some of the most extreme events in our Universe: from the impact of supermassive black holes that power active galaxies to binary star systems to pulsars. You’ll explore jets, outbursts and accretion processes. The topic finishes by describing the first detections of gravitational waves from merging pairs of black holes and neutron stars. And the emergence of multi-messenger astronomy – where gravitational and electromagnetic detections of astrophysical events are combined.
Topic 7: Cosmic timescales
Finally, in Topic 7 we synergise everything you’ve learned in S284 – looking from the perspective of cosmic timescales, rather than cosmic length scales. You’ll see how time-variability and time-domain astronomy are as crucial in understanding astrophysical processes as length scales and measurement techniques. You’ll identify how the Universe has evolved to its current state, and how it will evolve in the future. Having seen the importance of large-scale observational facilities to modern astronomy and the need for multiwavelength and even multi-messenger telescopes, we close by considering the impact of modern astronomy on the world at large. Whilst our quest for knowledge is unabated, what impact can the cost, building and situation of international observatories have on the local environment, customs or economy? What kinds of responsibilities must astronomers consider in their quest for ‘eyes on the Universe’?
You’ll understand key astronomy ideas, concepts and principles across themes of time and distance, applied to stars and galaxies, including multiwavelength observational methods.
You’ll have gained skills that enable you to:
You’ll actively engage with the module community through contribution and participation, plan your learning, reflect on your development, and use these reflections to inform your future work.
This course will not equip you to be a professional astronomer, but it offers a good first step. Studying astronomy builds several transferable skills. In particular, this module will highlight seven employability skills through the topic activities, which could form examples on your future CV:
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 submit one TMA a month. The TMAs are shorter than those on other modules; you'll typically complete part of them by simply working through the study materials. Each TMA will take you up to three hours, and is worth 8% of your overall assessment score.
There is also an exam. You’ll take it in two parts, one in January (study week 14) and one in May (study week 31). The first part is worth 12% of your overall assessment score, and the second 40%. You must attempt at least one part of the exam.
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.
S284 is a compulsory module in our:
S284 is an option module in our:
Astronomy (S284) starts once a year – in October.
It will next start in October 2026.
We expect it to start for the last time in October 2028.
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.
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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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Over 30,000 employers have used the OU to develop staff so far. If the module you’ve chosen is geared towards your job or developing your career, you could approach your employer to see if they will sponsor you by paying some or all of the fees.
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We know that sometimes you may want to combine payment options. For example, you may wish to pay part of your tuition fee with a debit card and pay the remainder in instalments through an Open University Student Budget Account (OUSBA).
We know that sometimes you may want to combine payment options. For example, you may get support from your employer to pay part of your tuition fee and pay the remainder by credit or debit card.
For more information about combining payment options, contact an adviser.
Please note: your permanent address/domicile will affect your fee status and, therefore, the fees you are charged and any financial support available to you. The fee information provided here is valid for modules starting before 31 July 2026. Fees typically increase annually. For further information about the University's fee policy, visit our Fee Rules.
