Astronomy

Dates for 4-Week Course: 
May 8 to June 2, 2028 

Grades: This course is intended for students in grades 11-12.  Although tenth graders are allowed to enroll, we recommend, if possible, that they instead take the course the next time it is offered, when they are in 12th grade.

Note: For the final week of this course, students have the option to join us in-person in Paonia, Colorado.

Times for Live Sessions:  Monday through Thursday, Starting at 9:15am MT (which is 11:15am ET and 8:15am PT). On Friday at 9:15am MT there will be student group meetings. Each session lasts around 60 minutes.  Additionally, the students spend around 30 minutes each day watching a recorded presentation.

Course Description

Astronomy has shaped and guided the development of math and science perhaps more than any other field. And yet, no other topic has become so neglected. Until quite recently, people looked up into the heavens with awe and a sense of security. The heavens provided guidance and wisdom to countless generations of cultures, and, at the same time, presented itself as a great, mysterious puzzle. Our goal together as a class is to become re-connected with the heavens and begin to comprehend some of the mysteries that they present to us.

We will begin by studying first the geography of the earth. We will become familiar with the motions of the sun, moon, stars, and neighboring planets through the sky, and gain an understanding of what they teach us about our place in the Cosmos. We will come to recognize more than twenty of the key constellations, including the zodiac. We will explore the different ways in which peoples and cultures around the world related to the heavens throughout history. How did people navigated using the stars, even across thousands of miles of open ocean? How can you tell time by the phase of the moon? Are we alone in the universe, and what would the answer mean to you?

We will explore all of these questions, and more, as we reconnect with the oldest science, elegantly on display above us on a daily basis.

Topics Covered (subject to change):

• The Celestial Sphere and Celestial Circles
• Earth’s seasons and what causes them
• Stargazing: Key Constellations and Stars
• The ecliptic and the constellations of the zodiac
• The daily and annual movements of the sun, moon, and stars through the sky depending upon where you are on the earth
• Comets, retrograde motion, and eclipses
• The phases of the moon.
• Cultural astronomies around the world
• The history and evolution of astronomy as a science
• Kepler’s laws of planetary motion
• Newton’s universal law of gravitation (and its limits)
• Basic anatomy of the solar system – what all is out there?
• Basic introduction to planetary science, modern cosmology, and active areas of study within the field of astrophysics.

In-Person Experience (May 23 to May 29, 2026): The students participating in this course are invited (but not required) to join us at Jamie’s home in Western Colorado for a week of activities. This will include amazing stargazing (unaffected by city lights) at night, and various activities (including hiking in the beautiful nearby mountains) during the day. 

Sleeping Arrangements: Students may sleep in a tent (or even a hammock), Jamie’s main house, the Phi House, or at a neighbor’s house.  

Meals: Preparing and cleaning up meals will be shared on a rotating schedule. This could will be a great opportunity to cook your favorite meal for your friends. 

Transportation to and from Montrose Regional Airport:  Paonia is around 1 hour from the Montrose airport.  We will transport students back and forth from the Montrose airport.   

Time for other school work:  All other Academy classes end before the in-person week. However, students will be able to work on other courses, if needed.  

Cost: As with all main lessons, the course will be $380. For students joining us in CO, the estimated cost for the in-person week will be an additional $550, which includes lodging, food, and transportation for the week (not including your cost of getting to Colorado).  This cost is an estimate, and will vary somewhat depending upon enrollment.