This unit explores our solar system and the newly found planetary systems around other suns. We begin by examining the processes that have shaped the marvellous variety of worlds within our own solar system, from the scorched and buckled surface of Mercury, to the geysers of frozen methane on Neptune's largest moon, Triton. From this we build an understanding of how our solar system formed and subsequently evolved to become the system that we inhabit today. We then turn our attention to the ongoing discovery of a startling variety of planets around other stars and the advanced observing techniques employed. These provide a new and challenging perspective on our place in the Universe that... -- Course Website
Instructor: Physics staff
