This course is designed for students who wish to study modern astrophysics at a level beyond most popular books. It covers the formation and evolution of the solar system, extra-solar planets, the formation, evolution and death of stars, white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes, galaxies, cosmology, expanding space and the Big Bang. A feature of this course is guest lectures on cutting edge astrophysics by world famous researchers. Students wishing to specialize in astrophysics should take this course.

The topics covered in the ASTR1001 lecture course include: The Formation of the Solar System, Planets Beyond Pluto, Planets around other stars, Stellar Evolution and nucleosynthesis, Star Death: Black Holes, Neutron Stars and Supernovae, Galaxies: their puzzling properties, The Expanding Universe, Introductory General Relativity, The Big Bang, The Early Universe, Microwave Background and Galaxy Formation.

6 assignments distributed throughout the semester.

PHYS1101 and mathematics to at least the standard of MATH1013.

PHYS1201 and maths at least to the standard of MATH1014.