This course is designed for students who learn about modern astrophysics. It covers the greatest unsolved mysteries of the universe, including dark matter, dark energy, the origin and fate of the universe, black holes, and life in space.
You do not need any prior knowledge of astronomy to take this course.
The course will assume that you have a maths and science background equivalent to school year 10, because this course is designed to take you well beyond the level of popular science books, TV shows and web pages.
The Semester 1 run of this course is taught in-person on the Acton campus. The Summer and Semester 2 sessions are taught purely online and can be taken from anywhere in the world.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Describe and explain the key issues in modern astrophysics.
- Analyse and interpret astronomical data, including images, spectra, data tables and charts.
- Use physics and maths, including energy balance and circular motion, to estimate and explain a wide variety of astronomical phenomena
- Apply the techniques in this course to solve problem in unfamiliar contexts.
Indicative Assessment
- Online automatically marked homework (20) [LO 1,2,3]
- In-class project work or online alternatives (30) [LO 1,2,3,4]
- Final exams - either in-person or online depending on the session. (50) [LO 1,2,3,4]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
The expected workload will consist of approximately 130 hours throughout the semester including:
- 40 hours of video lectures.
- For the in-person sessions, a single two-hour workshop each week. For online students, optional online help sessions.
- Approximately 66 hours of self-directed study for in-person sessions, or 90 hours for the purely online sessions, which will include online homework, quizzes and worked examples.
Inherent Requirements
No specific inherent requirements have been identified for this course.
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
No prescribed texts
Assumed Knowledge
There are no formal prerequisites, but preparation in maths and science is assumed and recommended. Year 10 maths and science is sufficient.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Summer Session
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1296 | 01 Jan 2026 | 23 Jan 2026 | 23 Jan 2026 | 31 Mar 2026 | Online | N/A |
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3328 | 23 Feb 2026 | 02 Mar 2026 | 31 Mar 2026 | 29 May 2026 | In Person | N/A |
Second Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8328 | 27 Jul 2026 | 03 Aug 2026 | 31 Aug 2026 | 30 Oct 2026 | Online | N/A |
Spring Session
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9325 | 01 Oct 2026 | TBA | TBA | 31 Dec 2026 | In Person | N/A |