Intro to Astronomy

  • Earn 3 transferable credits
  • 100% online and Zoom-free
  •  Includes everything you need

Available through dual enrollment at partner high schools

College Credits

Earn 3 credits to save time + money on your degree

Engaging Experience

Top-rated instructors, interactive textbooks + cinematic lectures

In Your High School

The support + structure to thrive in your first college experience

  • Course
    overview
  • Brilliant
    Instructors
  • How It
    Works
  • Dedicated
    Support

Course
overview

We are all made of star stuff, and in this college-level Introduction to Astronomy course, we’ll discover just how that stuff wound up creating the universe around us.

The curriculum, filled with jaw-dropping views of the cosmos, explores everything from the Big Bang to the fate of the universe, and will touch on every microcosm of space in between.



Brilliant
instructors

Learn from a constellation of world-class instructors that includes NASA communicators, astrobiologists, astrophysicists, and the chief science officer from the American Museum of Natural History.



How it
works

Enjoy cinematic video lessons and enhance your learning with gorgeous interactive textbooks based on evidence-based active learning principles.

When it is time for exams, open windows are designed to fit around your schedule.



Dedicated
support

Hit a snag on the site? Have a burning question? We’ve got you covered.

Our dedicated Student Success team is available to assist you—and push you—to help you pass with flying colors.



“...a way to get college credit when life circumstances make it difficult for students.”

TechCrunch

“...accessible college classes at a fraction of the cost.”

Gizmodo

 

Transferable credits from a top 50 school

You'll earn college credits from the University of Pittsburgh upon course completion.

Meet your instructors

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Hakeem Oluseyi, Ph.D.

Florida Institute of Technology

Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi, PhD, is currently the Space Sciences Education Manager for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, in addition to being Distinguished Research Professor of Physics and Space Sciences at the Florida Institute of Technology.

Dr. Oluseyi is also the Chief Science Officer of the Science Channel, and is a leading authority on space in the media. He has appeared on numerous television shows, including How the Universe Works, NASA's Unexplained Files, and Space's Deepest Secrets.

Over his career, he has contributed to many areas of science. Among other things, he helped to design, build, calibrate, and launch the Multi-Spectral Solar Telescope Array; he is known for his research on the transfer of mass and energy through the Sun's atmosphere; and he has contributed to the development of important technologies including ultraviolet optics, detectors, computer chips, and ion propulsion.

outlier-professor-portrait-astronomy-jackie-faherty_282x362.webp

Jackie Faherty, Ph.D.

American Museum of Natural History

Dr. Jackie Faherty, PhD, is the American Museum of Natural History’s Senior Scientist and Senior Education Manager. Her unique position at the Museum allows her to pursue scientific research at the forefront of exoplanet characterization studies while still being able to mentor and advise education programs for students and the general public.

Dr. Faherty earned her B.S. in Physics at the University of Notre Dame and her PhD in Physics at Stony Brook University. She is the co-founder of Backyard Worlds: Planet 9, a citizen science project that asks the public to scan our solar neighborhood for cold worlds we’ve previously missed.

Her research focuses primarily on infrared astrometry and brown dwarfs. She is the author of more than 90 peer reviewed articles in Astrophysical journals and is regularly found giving public lectures in the Hayden Planetarium.

outlier-professor-portrait-astronomy-david-grinspoon_282x362.webp

David Grinspoon, Ph.D.

Planetary Science Institute

Dr. David Grinspoon, PhD is a leading astrobiologist and Senior Scientist at the Planetary Science Institute, who serves as an advisor to NASA on space exploration strategy.

Beyond his scientific research into exoplanets, Dr. Grinspoon is a prolific and award-winning writer. In addition to his four books, his writing has appeared in numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and Scientific American. He’s also made numerous television appearances, and has been a recurring guest (and guest host) on StarTalk.

When he isn’t building the foundation for humanity’s search for extraterrestrial life, his extracurriculars include music. He is an avid guitarist who currently plays with his rock group “The House Band of The Universe.”

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Michelle Thaller, Ph.D.

NASA

Michelle Thaller, PhD, holds many titles — she is the Assistant Director of Science Communication at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, as well as an Astrophysicist and Science Communications Strategist for NASA.

Thaller earned her B.S. in Astrophysics from Harvard and a PhD from Georgia State University. Her research has covered everything from colliding stellar winds to hot stars, binary star evolution, and evolved stellar companions.

She writes a monthly science column for the Christian Science Monitor and is a regular on-camera contributor for The History Channel and Science Channel. When her eyes aren’t trained on the skies, she can be found singing, acting, painting, drawing, or writing.

Compare courses

  TRADITIONAL COURSE
Outlier Intro to Astronomy
Credits Usually 3-4 credits from your school Earn 3 credits from the University of Pittsburgh
Format In-person or Zoom Interactive and 100% online (Zoom-free)
Instructors 1 per class 4 galaxy-class instructors
Lectures Specific time and place On-demand, anywhere
Exams Specific hour Flexible window

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What you’ll learn

This course covers all the basic principles and latest Astronomy topics you’ll need for college credit (and then some), plus:

The real reason the sky is blue

How humans traveled in a pre-GPS and Google Maps world

Einstein’s *real* formula (Hint: It wasn’t E = mc^2)

How the (non-edible) leftovers in the Cosmic Microwave Background explain the Big Bang.

How stars are born, and why that made you the unique human you are

Hear from our alumni

Frequently asked questions

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