Free Online Course offered by Future Learn on Moons in our Solar System

Future Learn Platform is offering a free online course aiming at exploring many moons of our Solar System. For a fact the Earth is the only planet with just a single moon. Some are bigger than ours. Many are much smaller. Some moons have ongoing volcanic eruptions. Others have rivers of liquid methane. A small handful may even be home to primitive life.

This course will allow learners to explore the rich diversity of moons in our Solar System. With experts from The Open University in the UK, learners will explore the fundamental processes that have shaped them, and the relationship between our Moon and the Earth.

Course duration:

3 hours of study, for 8 weeks.

Enrollment eligibility:

1. An interest in learning about the moons of our Solar System and the methods used to understand them.
2. Prior knowledge of astronomy is not expected.

Topics covered:

1. What are moons?
2. Moons and what they are made of; craters and cratering.
3. Volcanism on moons, Europa, small moons.
4. Our Moon and how it has been explored.
5. What we have learned from the Moon.
6. Water on the Moon, and the future of lunar exploration.
7. Exploring other moons.
8. Moons and the future; how many of them host life?

Course objectives:

By the end of the course, learner will be able to:

1. Develop an awareness of the nature and diversity of moons in our Solar System.
2. Explain and understand the general nature of moons’ orbits and the effects of tides.
3. Describe some of the possible origins of moons.
4. Describe the compositions and nature of the surfaces and interiors of moons.
5. Calculate and understand how impact craters are formed and recognize their significance for dating surfaces.
6. Describe the nature and history of volcanic activity on several moons.
7. Assess and be aware of which moons may have subsurface oceans, and the implications for hosting native life.
8. Classify and become aware of the history of manned and unmanned lunar exploration, and of some of the major discoveries.
9. Identify and recognize aspects of lunar samples seen under the microscope.
10. Describe the different settings in which ‘water’ has been found on the Moon.
11. Describe and be aware of the history of discovery and exploration of moons, and of future prospects.
12. Reflect and suggest ways in which resources from the Moon may help future space exploration.

Course costs:

• Learner can join this course for free and get access to it for 10 weeks.
• Or upgrade this course for $74 and gets:

• Access to this course for as long as it’s on Future Learn.
• Access to this course’s tests as well as a print and digital Certificate of Achievement once he/she is eligible.

• Or buy unlimited for $269.99 for one year and gets:

• Access to this course, and hundreds of other FutureLearn short courses and tests for a year.
• A printable digital Certificate of Achievement on all short courses once they are eligible.
• The freedom to keep access to any course he/she has achieved a digital Certificate of Achievement on, for as long as the course exists on Future Learn.
• The flexibility to complete own choice of short courses in learner’s own time within the year.

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