Exploring the Solar System
PostgraduateSWI-AST800052025
Course information for 2025 intake View information for 2024 course intake
Revolve around the solar system. Survey the stellar suburbs of stars, terrestrial and giant planets and the Moon and Sun. Understand Earth’s position. Study celestial activities of the night sky. Probe the solid surfaces of Mercury, Venus and Mars.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Enrol by
- 24 Aug 2025
- Entry requirements
- Part of a degree
- Duration
- 13 weeks
- Price from
- $3,220
- Upfront cost
- $0
- Loan available
- FEE-HELP available
Exploring the Solar System
About this subject
Students who successfully complete this subject will be able to:
- Explain the basic principles of both celestial motion and planetary astronomy, and summarise these concepts in a non-technical manner understandable to the general public
- Describe night sky observing and compare and contrast celestial phenomena
- Distinguish our place in the solar neighbourhood, and differentiate between our present environment on Earth and that of our companions in the Solar System
- Recognise and discuss the social implications of planetary research
- Use problem solving skills to explain and synthesise solutions to problems in solar system astronomy
- Design and create an essay on an astronomy topic, assessing and critiquing current knowledge, using credible sources of astronomical information and research articles
- Observing the night sky, star trails, the planets as wanderers
- Lunar orbit and phases, tidal forces, synchronous rotation
- Modelling the formation of the Solar System
- The Earth: structure, surface geology, atmosphere and magnetic field
- The Moon: interior, lunar surface characteristics and theory of formation
- The terrestrials: Mercury, Venus and Mars; comparative planetary geology
- Planets as habitats and signs of life
- The asteroid belt: properties and evolution
- The giant planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune
- Satellites and planetary rings
- Dwarf planets, Pluto and the Kuiper Belt
- Comets and the dirty snowball model
- The Sun: structure, nuclear power, solar activity and its effects on Earth
This subject aims to provide an introduction to our solar neighbourhood, including terrestrial planets, giant planets, minor bodies and the Sun. The emphasis is on conceptual astronomy rather than mathematical techniques.
- Computer Test (20%)
- Newsgroups (30%)
- Essay (50%)
For textbook details check your university's handbook, website or learning management system (LMS).
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- QS Ranking 2024:
- 19
- Times Higher Education Ranking 2024:
- 14
Entry requirements
Part of a degree
To enrol in this subject you must be accepted into one of the following degrees:
Core
- SWI-AST-GCE-2025 - Graduate Certificate of Science (Astronomy)
Elective
- OUA-PSU-GCE-2025 - Postgraduate Single Subjects
Equivalent subjects
You should not enrol in this subject if you have successfully completed any of the following subject(s) because they are considered academically equivalent:
SWI-HET602 (Not currently available)
Additional requirements
No additional requirements
Study load
- 0.125 EFTSL
- This is in the range of 10 to 12 hours of study each week.
Equivalent full time study load (EFTSL) is one way to calculate your study load. One (1.0) EFTSL is equivalent to a full-time study load for one year.
Find out more information on Commonwealth Loans to understand what this means to your eligibility for financial support.
Related degrees
Once you’ve completed this subject it can be credited towards one of the following courses
Graduate Certificate of Science (Astronomy)
PostgraduateSWI-AST-GCE
PostgraduateOUA-PSU-GCE