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Nydus Open Learning

Astronomy

Astronomy · Cosmology

Cosmology

The expanding universe from its evidence: Hubble's law and the distance ladder, the Friedmann equation, curved space and cosmological distances, the microwave background and the first elements, dark matter and dark energy, and the growth of structure and inflation.

Ages 18+ 15 lessons about 8 hours in all

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  1. 1 Hubble's law and the distance ladder
  2. 2 Cosmological redshift and the scale factor
  3. 3 The Hubble time and the oldest stars
  4. 4 The Friedmann equation and critical density
  5. 5 Matter, radiation and vacuum universes
  6. 6 Density parameters, age and fate
  7. 7 Curvature and the Robertson-Walker metric
  8. 8 Cosmological distances and supernovae
  9. 9 The cosmic microwave background
  10. 10 Recombination and decoupling
  11. 11 Big Bang nucleosynthesis
  12. 12 The evidence for dark matter
  13. 13 Acceleration and the cosmological constant
  14. 14 Structure growth and the background ripples
  15. 15 The horizon and flatness problems and inflation