Courses

Introduction to Astronomy by Prof. Saul Rappaport (CC BY-NC-SA).

Introduction to Astronomy provides a quantitative introduction to the physics of the solar system, stars, the interstellar medium, the galaxy, and the universe, as determined from a variety of astronomical observations and models.

Images

Astronomy 2E by Andrew Fraknoi, David Morrison, Sidney Wolff (CC BY).

A collection of images created or adapted by Douglas College with a grant from BCcampus Open Education for the Astronomy: OpenStax textbook. Many of the images are available in several formats, with labelled and unlabelled versions to be used for assessment purposes.

Supplementary Materials

Astronomy of Many Cultures by Andrew Fraknoi (CC BY-NC-ND).

This resource guide, for instructors and students in introductory astronomy courses, focuses on the contributions to astronomy of African, Asian, Hispanic, South Pacific, Islamic, and Native American cultures. It also contains a section on reports and articles for achieving greater diversity in science.

Black Lives in Astronomy: A Resource Guide (CC BY-NC-ND) compiled by Andrew Fraknoi  (CC BY-NC-ND).

This focused resource guide, “Black Lives in Astronomy,” includes specific written and video resources about and by 25 black astronomers, as well as general materials to examine the history and issues facing black members of the astronomical community. It includes both older, established scientists and people early in their careers. It is aimed at the Astro 101 and amateur astronomer level, and thus does not include any technical materials. I hope this resource will give instructors and students examples of authentic black voices that can be shown in class or used in assignments.

Worksheets and Solutions from OpenSTAX (CC BY-SA).

A collection of worksheets and solutions that align with the Astronomy (OpenStax) textbook adapted by B.C. faculty.

Textbooks

Astronomy – 1st Canadian Edition by Department of Physics and Astronomy at Douglas College and OpenStax and Jennifer Kirkey (CC BY).

The first Canadian edition of an introduction to astronomy open textbook. It was adapted from the Astronomy open textbook published by OpenStax by Jennifer Kirkey at Douglas College.

BCIT Astronomy 7000: A Survey of Astronomy by OpenStax (CC BY).

An adaptation of the Canadian edition of the Astronomy originally published by OpenStax for courses at the British Columbia Institute of Technology.

General Astronomy published by Wikibooks (CC BY-SA).

This Wikibook introduces the reader to that tapestry and the process that revealed it to humanity. It presents astronomy not only as a field of knowledge, but also as a human endeavor in science.

Tools

Stellarium by Stellarium (Open source).

Stellarium is a free, open source planetarium for your computer. It shows a realistic sky in 3D, just like what you see with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope.

Videos

Astrobiology and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life by Prof Charles Cockell (CC BY-NC).

A collection of videos (33) looking at the possibility of life in space as part of the Astrobiology and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life (ASTROBIO) open online course.

AstroTech: The Science and Technology behind Astronomical Discovery by various (CC BY-NC).

A collection of 4 videos on astronomy as a discipline.

Limits of Resolution: The Rayleigh Criterion Video Series  by A. C. Insights (CC BY)

Four videos created to accompany the chapter on “Limits of Resolution: The Rayleigh Criterion” in College Physics (OpenStax). The videos provide an introduction and answer the following questions: How far apart can we see stars in the Andromeda Galaxy? How big of a telescope is needed to resolve Moon craters? How big of a telescope is needed to resolve the Moon Landing?

Media Attributions

• BC Map by Adamwashere (CC BY-NC-SA).