its components and their properties, and how these elements interact as a system. However, much of
our knowledge remains incomplete, and so unanswered questions and mysteries figure prominently in
the story. This course addresses our scientific understanding of the Solar System, how we know what
we know, and many hotly debated questions at the cutting edge of scientific research.
Each week features original essays by Neil deGrasse Tyson and Denton Ebel, two distinguished
curators of the American Museum of Natural History. These essays provide a foundation for the
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its components and their properties, and how these elements interact as a system. However, much of
our knowledge remains incomplete, and so unanswered questions and mysteries figure prominently in
the story. This course addresses our scientific understanding of the Solar System, how we know what
we know, and many hotly debated questions at the cutting edge of scientific research.
Each week features original essays by Neil deGrasse Tyson and Denton Ebel, two distinguished
curators of the American Museum of Natural History. These essays provide a foundation for the
its components and their properties, and how these elements interact as a system. However, much of
our knowledge remains incomplete, and so unanswered questions and mysteries figure prominently in
the story. This course addresses our scientific understanding of the Solar System, how we know what
we know, and many hotly debated questions at the cutting edge of scientific research.
Each week features original essays by Neil deGrasse Tyson and Denton Ebel, two distinguished
curators of the American Museum of Natural History. These essays provide a foundation for the
overarching question posed during each week and include links to related websites. In addition, each
week includes at least one video that uses the NASA-funded OpenSpace software to complement the
essays with data visualizations narrated by AMNH’s Carter Emmart, Director of Astrovisualizaton, and
Jaqueline Faherty, Senior Scientist and Senior Education Manager.
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Syllabus
Why Solar? Why System?
We introduce the course with an exploration of the star at the center of it all, the Sun. How does star formation work, why do stars shine, and how does our star compare to others? We learn about the nuclear fusion at the Sun's core, the solar wind that streams off its surface, and how Earth’s magnetosphere protects us from particles that flow from the Sun. We turn our attention to the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), which monitors the Sun’s activity from a particular spot between the Sun and Earth and has for decades been collecting data that forms the basis for much of what we know about the Sun.
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