Course information
Learning outcomes
After the course the student can describe the physical background behind the basic celestial phenomena and knows how to take the movement of the Sun and the stars into account in engineering, design and architectural projects. The student recognises the astronomical nature of various historical and architecturally and otherwise significant constructions, ranging from the Stonehenge to sundials and modern observatories. She is able to describe the basics of the current scientific worldview and understands how it has been built over the millennia, and has basic knowledge of the interplay between astronomy and arts, as well as the influence on society and culture in general.
Content
Basic astronomical concepts; influence of astronomy and space sciences to history, civil engineering, architecture and art, and to science and culture in general. For further studies the courses ELEC-E4210 Introduction to Space and ELEC-E4530 Radio astronomy are recommended.
Teacher
Anne Lähteenmäki, Joni Tammi
Study material
Online material provided during the course.
Workload
Lectures, assignments, and the learning diary.
Prerequisites
No prerequisites.
Evaluation
Assessment methods: The course consists of lectures, homework, learning diaries, peer assessment, and excursion.
Teaching time and location
The teaching time and the location of the course can be found at Sisu information system
- The link leads to Completion methods tab of the course page
- From the top of the page (Version drop-down menu), check that academic year 2025-2026 is selected
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From the blue bar, click Lecture and open the Groups and teaching times tab to see the teaching time and the location of the course. Exam times can be seen by clicking Exam.
Exam instructions at the Open University
The teacher has four (4) weeks to grade the exam submissions starting from the exam date.
Online learning environment for the course
MyCourses online learning environment is a tool for both students and teachers for communication and managing everyday course work. You need an Aalto User ID to log in to the course's MyCourses workspace and participate in teaching.
Digital workspace of the course:
MyCourses
More details on completing the course will be available at MyCourses closer to the start of the course.
Registration and course fee
Registration for Open University courses is done via the link below:
Course registration
Registration for this course starts on 8.12.2025 at 9.00
Registration for this course ends on 5.1.2026 at 23.59
It is not possible to register before the registration period has started or after it has ended.
The number of participants is limited to 5.
This course is organized by the Aalto University School of Electrical Engineering.
The course fee is paid upon registration for each course at a time and it is binding. Familiarize yourself with registration and payment rules as well as other guidelines for students:
Registration, payments and rules
Activating Aalto ID and Multifactor Authentication
You can activate your Aalto User ID the day after the registration and you should activate it no later than the day before the start of the course.
Instructions for activating your Aalto user ID
Once you have activated your Aalto user ID, also enable multifactor authentication. Some of Aalto University's services require multifactor authentication.
Instructions for using Multifactor Authentication
