For more than two years, the James Webb Space Telescope, orbiting a million miles from Earth in the deep freeze of space, has sent back remarkable information and dramatic images of the faint heat rays that come from objects in the universe. The Hubble Telescope continues to observe some of the same stars and galaxies with visible light. Never before have we had images of the cosmos so rich in color and detail. In this profusely illustrated course, we will be taken on a guided tour of the wider universe as astronomers understand it today. Fraknoi will cover this information in everyday language and without any math. We will look at star birth and star death, the organization and structure of the Milky Way, cosmic mergers and collisions, and the great web of galaxies that gives us clues about the beginning and development of our cosmos.

Instructor: Andrew Fraknoi was the Chair of the Astronomy Department at Foothill College. He was chosen as the 2007 California Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Endowment and has won several national prizes for his teaching. He is the lead author of OpenStax Astronomy, a free, electronic textbook, which is the country’s most-used introductory text in the field. He has also written books for teachers, children, and the public. He appears regularly on local and national radio, explaining astronomical ideas in easy to understand terms. The International Astronomical Union has named Asteroid 4859 Asteroid Fraknoi to recognize his contributions to the public's appreciation of science.

Course dates: Tuesdays, January 28 to March 4, from 5:00 to 6:30 PM (Eastern)

Course preview (video): https://vimeo.com/951243618?share=copy

Registration is required to attend, and limited space is available.

Osher Online is a shared program exclusively for members of select Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes (OLLIs). This collaboration between the Osher National Resource Center and the School of Professional Studies at Northwestern University presents lecture and discussion-style courses over four academic terms – fall, winter, spring, and summer – yearly. The purpose of Osher Online is to share quality online courses and occasional special community events with local OLLIs.