Astronomical View of the World

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.

Online learning environment for the course & Activating Aalto ID

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. 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 IDDigital workspace of the course:
MyCourses

More details on completing the course will be available at MyCourses closer to the start of the course.

Workload

Lectures, assignments, and the learning diary.

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

1. The link leads to Completion methods tab of the course page  
2. From the top of the page (Version drop-down menu), check that academic year 2024-2025 is selected  

3. From the blue bar, click Lecture and open the Groups and teaching times tabto see the teaching time and the location of the course. Exam times can be seen by clicking Exam.
    

   Exam instructions at the Open University

Registration and course fee

Registration for Open University courses is done in Sisu-service. 

Course registrationRegistration for this course starts on 9.12.2024 at 9.00  
Registration for this course ends on 13.1.2025 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 rulesAccess Token on Aalto University Campus

To be able to enter campus premises and classrooms you need the student access token of Aalto University. You can get the student access token from campus lobby services. The access token need to be activated with your Aalto account and password before you can use it. Please, arrive the campus well in advance before your first class so that you can make the access token work. Please, see the instructions how to get and activate the access token: How to get an access tokenOtaniemi Campus, Espoo: Campus map

Individual study arrangements

If you need individual study arrangements in order to attend a course, contact the Open University in good time, at least 14 days before the start date of the course or the examination date. Further information and instructions for applying individual study arrangements can be found here:
Individual study arrangements at Open University