Astronomical Geography

Knowledge and understanding

The course provides basic knowledge of the following topics: the celestial sphere, the motions of the Earth and the Earth-Moon system; light as an investigative tool and telescopes; the Solar System and extrasolar planets; the Sun and the stars; the Milky Way and galaxies; elements of cosmology. It also provides the basis for identifying the possible relationship of these phenomena with terrestrial phenomena and for understanding the methods of investigation of astronomy and astrophysics.

Applying knowledge and understanding

By the end of the course, students will have an overview of the main astronomical phenomena and will be able to recognise, describe and interpret them using a scientific method of investigation. In particular, they will be able to describe the apparent motion of celestial objects on the celestial sphere; to explain the occurrence of astronomical phenomena observable from the Earth, such as the seasons, the lunar phases, eclipses and tides; to recognise what information astronomers obtain from the spectrum of a star and what the H-R diagram represents; to explain how Kepler's laws and universal gravitation govern orbital motions in the Solar System and in extrasolar systems; and to identify the possible influence that certain astronomical phenomena may have on terrestrial phenomena.

Making judgements

By the end of the course, students will be able to recognise the order of magnitude of the variables describing an astronomical phenomenon and to identify the physical model that best applies to its description, as well as to assess the possible impact of an astronomical phenomenon on terrestrial phenomena. These abilities are developed through the analysis and classroom discussion of case studies.

Communication skills

By the end of the course, students will be able to describe an astronomical phenomenon and to communicate information, ideas and problems with an appropriate use of language, to both specialist and non-specialist audiences, making proper use of the terminology and the units of measurement of astronomy. This ability is developed through classroom discussion activities on the course topics and through the presentation, during the oral examination, of two topics agreed upon with the lecturer.

Learning skills

The course finally aims to develop the learning skills needed to undertake further study with a high degree of autonomy, together with the ability to keep one's own knowledge up to date. These abilities are developed through the independent study of the reference textbooks, of the teaching material provided by the lecturer, and of publicly accessible astronomical archives and databases.

The course consists of 42 hours of classroom teaching, corresponding to 6 ECTS credits. During the lectures students will be involved, both individually and in groups, through the discussion and analysis of specific cases that can help shed light on a particular astronomical phenomenon, so as to consolidate the knowledge acquired.

If the course is delivered in blended or remote mode, appropriate adjustments may be made to the above, in order to ensure consistency with the syllabus.

Basic knowledge of mathematics and physics is useful. No previous knowledge of astronomy is required.

Attendance at lectures is compulsory. 

Theme 1. Knowing the Heavens.

• The celestial sphere
  
• Astronomical coordinate systems
  
• The Earth's motions
  
• The Earth-Moon system
  

We will begin our journey by locating our place in the Universe, studying how the apparent motion of the stars on the celestial sphere can be used to decipher the movements of the Earth. We will then introduce the various coordinate systems used in astronomical observations to locate stars in the night sky as seen from the Earth, and we will look at the consequences of the Earth's motions for the alternation of day and night and for the seasons. We will then move on to the Earth-Moon system, shedding light on the lunar phases, on solar and lunar eclipses, and on the phenomenon of the tides.

Theme 2. Light as a "cosmic messenger".

• Electromagnetic radiation
  
• Spectra and the physical properties of astronomical sources
  
• Telescopes
  

We will explore the nature of light, the main "cosmic messenger", looking in depth at how light can be used to characterise the physical properties of astronomical sources. We will then see how astronomers use ground-based and space telescopes to study planets, stars, galaxies and the matter that lies between them.

Theme 3. The Sun and the stars.

• The Sun and solar activity
  
• Luminosity and spectral classification
  
• The Hertzsprung-Russell diagram
  
• Stellar structure and evolution
  
• Nucleosynthesis of the chemical elements
  

We will study the Sun and its activity, looking in depth at why it shines. We will then characterise the different types of stars that we observe in the cosmos, studying their birth, evolution and death, and highlighting their connection with the nucleosynthesis of the chemical elements in the Universe.

Theme 4. Planets and exoplanets.

• Gravitation
  
• The Solar System
  
• Exoplanets: methods of discovery and characterisation
  

We will travel through the realm of the planets and characterise the laws of gravitation that govern their "dance" around their host stars, starting from our own Solar System and moving on to the great number of exoplanets that astronomers have been able to discover thanks to different observational surveys. We will explore the main methods used to discover exoplanets and to determine their physical properties.

Theme 5. Galaxies.

• The Milky Way
  
• Galaxy formation and evolution
  

We will study the different types of galaxies present in the cosmos, starting from our own Galaxy, the Milky Way, and moving on to other galaxies, from the nearby Universe out to high redshift, characterising their dynamics and highlighting the physical processes that have driven their formation and evolution.

Theme 6. A brief introduction to cosmology.

We will finally discuss how galaxies interact with one another and how they are distributed on large scales, placing them within a broader cosmological model of the origin and evolution of the Universe, including those "dark" forms of matter and energy that still remain to be discovered.

Reference textbook 

• J. O. Bennett, M. O. Donahue, N. Schneider, M. Voit, The Cosmic Perspective, Global Edition, 10th ed., Pearson, 2026. Publisher's website: https://eu.pearson.com/products/9781292767505

Open-access online reference resource (optional)

• A. Fraknoi, D. Morrison, S. C. Wolff, Astronomy 2e, OpenStax, Rice University, 2022. Freely available online under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence at https://openstax.org/details/books/astronomy-2e 
  

Additional popular-science readings (optional)

• Andrea Cimatti, "L'universo oscuro. Viaggio tra i più grandi misteri del cosmo", Carocci Editore, 2021.
• Giovanni Covone, "Altre Terre. Viaggio alla scoperta di pianeti extrasolari", HarperCollins Italia, 2023.
  
• Paul Murdin, "La vita segreta dei pianeti: ordine, caos e unicità del sistema solare", Corbaccio, 2020.
• Amedeo Balbi, "L'ultimo orizzonte: Cosa sappiamo dell'universo", UTET, 2019.
• Walter Riva, Marina Costa, Davide Zambonin, "Sistema Solare. Dai pianeti del sole ai mondi delle altre stelle", Nuinui, 2025.

Competences are assessed through a single oral examination.

The oral examination, lasting approximately 40 minutes, consists of:

• a presentation on two topics of the student's choice, taken from two different themes of "Course content" (30 minutes, followed by 5 minutes of specific questions on the presentation);
  
• one additional question on a further topic of the syllabus not covered in the presentation (5 minutes).
  

The two topics chosen by the student must be agreed upon with the lecturer before the examination date, preferably by e-mail.

Examination dates

Please check the following web pages:

https://studenti.smartedu.unict.it

https://www.dipbiogeo.unict.it/corsi/l-32/calendario-esami-archivio

Please note that booking through the Smart_Edu platform is compulsory. Students who have not booked will not be admitted to the examinations.

Information for students with disabilities and/or specific learning disorders (SLD)

To ensure equal opportunities and in compliance with current laws, interested students may request a personal interview in order to plan any compensatory and/or dispensatory measures based on educational objectives and specific needs. Students can also contact the CInAP (Centro per l'integrazione Attiva e Partecipata — Servizi per le Disabilità e/o i DSA) referring teacher within their department (https://www.cinap.unict.it/content/referenti).

Additional information

Learning assessment may also be carried out on-line, should the conditions require it.

The additional question asked during the oral exam will concern one of the topics listed in the "Detailed Course Content" section, from a different theme than those chosen for the presentation. For example (the list is not exhaustive): "present and discuss some astronomical coordinate systems", "tell me about the H-R diagram", "explain what is meant by a core-collapse supernova", "describe the Milky Way from a morphological point of view", etc.