Great if you're new to astronomy entirely, but most of this stuff is pretty basic. Depending on where you went to school, you probably already knew of a majority of this stuff. I only recommend for kids or absolute beginners.

Entertaining, but very basic. Suits a beginner with very little knowledge of physics.

Good content but it's a bit too easy.

I understand this course is build with general audience in mind. However I think it could keep the bredth of subjects more restricted and dive deeper into a few relevant and important subjects. My objections with the course are:

- Many times during the course, we were presented with terms (e.g., beta decay, degeneracy forces, etc.) that were never discussed before or after the lecture. Technical/Scientific terms like these should either be explained, or avoided (if the time/scope limit of the course does not allow further explanation). If we're expected to do the research ourselves, we should be advised to do so in context of an assignment or quiz.

- The assignments and quizzes were too easy to accomplish. They mostly can be answered by appealing to general knowledge or logic and can be completed without the exposure to the course material.

- Some course material are outdated with regards to the new findings. The course needs a revamp

- The support for questions and issues w/ the course is almost non-existent: the course forum is mostly inactive/non-responsive and the Discord channel has bots that waste students' time.

- There are no assessments on the reading material: some of the reading materials dive deep into the subjects in the course, however, since they never show up in the quiz or assignments, most people (if not all) ignore them

The coverage of night sky, which is the really practical part of astronomy was shoddy and uninspired. I learnt very little. Youtube videos by stargazers and astrophotographers did a much much better job. I am disappointed. Also, week 1 about science sounded very preachy, arrogant even. Humility is a nice attribute to have for science..

I can't have my certirficate and already I pay for it!

This was a very interesting and well-presented course. I found all the content fascinating and much of the information was new to me. I enjoyed the diversity in the tools and methods, from Monty Python to music and cartoons. I found that once I got started I could not stop. I really enjoyed the section about life. I had taken an online course about Extremophiles at Edinburgh with Coursera but I was very interested in the tree of life based on DNA. It made sense and it showed how human evolution was perhaps more precarious than we imagined. Other life forms may be carbon-based given the number of combinations of molecules possible with carbon but it doesn't follow that the form would be similar to ours.

I enjoyed learning about the new methods being used to construct telescopes and especially the really innovative way that ground based telescopes can use secondary mirrors (Adaptive Optics) to compensate for atmospheric conditions, thereby reducing cost by reducing the need for orbital telescopes. It was exciting to hear that gravitational waves have now been discovered and to learn how dark matter and dark energy affect the behavior of our universe. I liked the way that Chris got us through the subject matter without getting too deep into second level or third level calculus. We learned a little about string theory as well as Gravity and Space-Time. Also, the exciting discovery of the Higgs Bosun particle and field.

I have read some of Issac Asimov's non-fiction books on the table of elements and biochemistry and I was happy to see the table of elements very well explained here too. I found the week on exoplanets really exciting and have always thought that there must be a huge number of planets out there and different forms of life also. I'm not sure how many would occupy the same short time line that we are on, I expect not many but with the numbers of planets that appear to be habitable it might be possible.

Black holes are amazing objects. It would be nice to know more about them and how dark matter and dark energy factor into the equation. I vaguely remember that Fred Hoyle had proposed a steady state theory and I think that would be interesting to read about. The infinite expansion of the universe due to dark energy was news to me and I find this quite amazing. How do we explain the concept of infinity. Are we all on a huge mobius strip? I like the simplicity of Fermi's question: Where are they? I think they are out there somewhere but I suspect that they are quite different to us. Perhaps at the next stage of our life, if there is one, perhaps we can take a flight through the universe(s) in a different form at any speed we want. Wouldn't that be great?

As a general feedback, first I would ask you to be patient with my lousy English and expecting that you understand what I am trying to express, here it is:

The course is amazing!

I came with the expectation to learn a little bit about Time and Space and, in the end, I was caught by surprise that you have gone far beyond it.

Starting with “The Scientific Method”, going all the way thru “Cosmology” and finalizing with questions about the “Next steps”, this was an incredible and, more importantly, useful journey to me.

I understand and value very much the work involved on providing such comprehensive material, I gladly (most of the time) read, listened, watched, participated in most of them. The course, to me, took 63 days with an average of 6-12 hours a day, monday to monday; besides your material, which I mostly saved, I look for some extra information, mainly on Wikipedia and some other educational sites, I also made a bunch of notes, summaries and found extra references. My ‘final’ document has almost 900 pages in 135 MB. I thought it would be nice to share. Your efforts were not in vain.

One of the interesting extra findings was to learn about “Science for Monks” program. It caught my attention (for several days) for many reasons, one of them is that eastern people do not, in general, try to scientifically explain the nature, the search is much more related to a balance of the self and the nature as it is presented, in my (semi-)oriental point of view. A sort of ‘equilibrium’, the same as planets and atoms and nature as a whole try to reach.

Another reflection was about their martial art, kung fu, and how it is balanced with their spiritual matters and believes. As half japanese and with some Judo background, it took me a while to understand the balance between these two things, supported from what you are teaching in terms of Physics and, in the end, try to make a reasonable sense in my mind.

I believe things are somehow connected and, in the end, seek for balance.

Just to close the above finding, the explanation I gave to myself is that martial art could be understood as “Philosophy in moviment” and being so, it can be explained in terms of Physics. I am ok with that. By the way, as brazilian, shamefully, I suck at soccer too...

I can not thank you enough for making available so much knowledge and, mainly, ‘forcing’ me reflect on many things in several different ways. But, in the end, your guidance made me more curious and inspired to learn even more.

The course is amazing.

Hoping this feedback was ok, I sincerely hope you the best,

Thank you

This is a great introductory course to astronomy. Most of the course was made in the past decade, so you will see that some information about the most recent discoveries is outdated. But do not worry, edits and extra videos have been added to correct those problems; you will notice them because of the physical changes in Dr Impey. This is a conceptual course, with no heavy mathematics or physics. I strongly recommend reading all the material before watching the videos; you can pass the quizzes and activities (which are easy) just by watching the videos, but you will miss tons of useful information. I also suggest the podcasts (links are broken, but you can find them easily on YouTube). If you are really interested in astronomy and want to follow the latest news, you should check Dr. Impey’s YouTube channels @teachastronomy and @AstronomySOTA. Teach Astronomy has lots of more in-depth information (including the podcasts mentioned in the course), and Astronomy State of the Art has live sessions every other week in which Dr Impey answers as many questions as he can. I have not asked anything yet, because all the other questions seem more pertinent than mine, but whenever I develop a better understanding of the subject, I will do so. I enjoyed the course, especially because I’m not an expert. If you already have a strong basis in physics and mathematics this may seem a little boring, but that is not the purpose of the course. For everybody else, this is an excellent introduction to astronomy that will lead you to deeper spheres of knowledge down the road.

This is a fantastic introduction to astronomy by Dr. Impey, indeed it is so much more. You will survey topics like the history of science and star gazing, telescopes and instrumentation, planets and the sun, distant galaxies, cosmology and the big bang, and even astrobiology. The course doesn’t assume a lot of science, and math use is practically non-existent, though knowledge of freshman/AP physics and chemistry will help you understand the contents deeper (though these subjects are reviwed). In fact, by the end of the course you will be acquainted with the frontiers of physical sciences and have a conceptual understanding of some cutting edge results, so in that sense you will get a broad overview of modern physics as well.

Throughout, Dr. Impey mixes animation and multimedia to help elucidate concepts and motivate material. Assessments include multiple choice quizzes and essays that have you write out basics of that week’s content. The professor also hosts a weekly Q&A on stream so you ask questions in a live format similar to seeing him in office hours.

Things I came away with by the end of the course include why we have seasons, why we need space telescopes like Hubble, what makes planets like mars and exoplanets hospitable, how stars die and what black holes are, how we know the universe expands, and even some basic geology and nuclear physics. Great place to start learning astronomy, or even science more broadly.

Really fantastic! I'm an amateur, took the course with my high school daughter who is thinking of a career in astronomy so we wanted to explore basic concepts and understand what astronomers do. This was perfect for that purpose. I'm not sure she'll finish, but I found it so interesting I did. The course is just the right balance of videos, readings, activities. The videos are also well-done and it helps that it is not just a talking head the whole time, or reading of off a slide deck. I appreciate the sometimes fun and humorous asides in videos. Only critical feedback is that it seems to get out of date fast... the videos should have had time stamps on them or avoid terms like "recently", "about to" because we don't know if you are talking about something 5 years ago, or today. Hope to make time for more courses in the futur, thanks for doing this Chris and the Steward Observatory Team (and the teaching assistants, poor things, who have to wade through all of the comments from people confused about how to submit assignments... when there were actual questions, they answered promptly, clearly and well.)

A complete course from its theories, concepts, physics, mathematics, a visible world and a macroscopic world, where subatomic particles have life like our DNA, and in addition to being able to observe through telescopes and take astrophotos, and handle a telescope and edit astrophotos requires of studying and learning software, I think it has been fascinating, it took part of my life as an amateur Astronomy Fan in Chile, I have gone to conferences with Astronomers from universities with many people who have given their contribution to Astronomy in their universities, that is why I am still in this, feeding back knowledge. I have had several diplomas from Universities in Chile and from astronomy groups in Chile, from seti for being connected for more than a year with my computer, I went to zoonuniverse to classify galaxies of which I found a spiral galaxy yes. It was a total achievement, well maybe I don't have the money for this diploma but what I learned remains and I can continue researching...even if it is a copy of the diploma I appreciate it so I can stick it on my wall

Note that I am probably an unusual student in that I have both T.A.ed and lectured in the past. I would give this course at least 90% ("A") for a survey of Astronomy course [no Math or Physics prerequisites]. The professor (Dr. Impey) is quite skilled in communicating with non-majors and encouraging them to learn more about Astronomy and Cosmology. Also, the free textbook material superbly matches the course and contains links to more detailed study [excellent!] I'd like to try a course for majors with him as well. Maybe, I'd have to become a UofA student remotely from Dallas?

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Issues in course (How much is due to Coursera limitations?):

(1) Not enough lab work. Lab reinforces lectures and it is simply a lot of fun, especially for the novice.

(2) The writing assignments are reviewed by inexperienced peers -- we are unqualified and also this practice might tempt some to collusion.

(3) Some of the lectures need an update. Hopefully, this will happen in time for the next session.

This course has been a wonderful experience, leading and accompanying the student to the most interesting world of astronomy, explaining in the simplest possible way the behavior, origin and evolution of the most complicate thing that is: the Universe. From the history of science, the moon, the solar system, the stars, to the most recent theories regarding galaxies and cosmology and the possibility of life beyond Earth, everything is explained clearly and easily by professor Chris Impey and all the provided material, podcasts and texts.

If there is one thing that could be improved, in my opinion, is the use of external media in some lessons: in some there are used a bit too much, some felt unnecessary, like for example some abstracts from cartoons or comedies. The purpose to lighten and give some break to the explanation is accomplished, it is more a matter of personal tastes.

I rate 5 stars and definitely hope to see in future more courses from the University of Arizona and from professor Chris Impey.

This was an excellent and very comprehensive course, and it was enjoyable to take as someone who is interested in and curious about astronomy. I found the first week to be quite slow especially because the topic had to do with the sciences in general which I am already very familiar with, and it could have been condensed or limited further. However, after that, the course covered a great range of topics specific to astronomy, rich with details, providing a mix of both insightful questions and amazing answers. Everything was explained well, and it's nice to see the continuous development of astronomy from the past to the present along with speculation about the future.

The assignments weren't too difficult and revolved around details mentioned in the videos. The clips included in the videos helped keep the lectures interesting. All in all, it was well worth my time and I am happy to have taken this course.

Astronomy: Exploring Time and Space is an excellent way to gain an overall view of the science of Astronomy. The course contains just the right amount of rigor to challenge the student and to continuously stimulate the desire to know more about each of the topics copies. There isn't any math or physics to worry about although the role both of these areas play in the study of the universe and the stars and objects it contains is described when necessary. There are peer reviewed writen assignments that help develop a better understanding of the subject material. The course also has some of the best and most involved mentors of any Coursera course I have taken. They are also available to answer questions and are very knowledge of the course materials. Dr. Impey's lectures are clear and very enjoyable to watch and the accompanying course materials are also excellent.

Truly beautiful course, if you've got that tiny bit of love for the night sky or physics just dive into it. It's just perfect. Its the perfect blend of fun references, clippings and simulations with absolutely great teaching imparting so much knowledge and info, every little thing from the videos to the script to the theories and concepts are laid out just picture perfectly. I couldn't have asked for more, it's one of the best courses there is out there if not the absolute best one! One heck of a journey I'll never forget! Thank you so much for everything Prof. Impey! Just owe so much to you! You've put together the best course I could've asked for! You're one of the best teachers ever! Thanks a million University of Arizona! (PS If anyone back in Arizona see's this please, please let the Prof know!) Cheers!

This is a wonderful course, and I wholeheartedly recommend it, as a layperson with a lifelong interest in astronomy who has always wanted to formally study it. It is a good stepping-stone to more advanced or specialised courses, and the material is engaging and well-presented. The content ranges from introductory concepts, through an exploration of the solar-system, stars and galaxies, to relativity and cosmology, and the course ends with an intriguing and fascinating look at astrobiology and artificial life. The commitment and passion of the convenor, Prof Chris Impey, to his subject is apparent at every stage of the journey. Regular quizzes, short written assignments, discussion forums and videos, and exercises in both citizen-science and remote-viewing with online telescopes keep one engaged throughout.

I am very happy to have completed the course. I was able to learn a lot about various aspects of astronomy, especially galaxies and globular clusters that are objects that call my attention. I was able to read much of the material provided in teachastronomy, thank you for the kindness of making the material available. I watched all the videos of Professor Chris and I was able to follow well due to the availability of the subtitles in English, this was important. The interviews I could not follow completely by the lack of subtitles. This was a great opportunity for me that likes astronomy, but because of the distance that I live from the great centers of study, it is very difficult to access good and reliable information. I am very grateful and congratulate the institution for making this course available.

It is really very interesting course which doesn't require any special knowledge in physics or math. Here you will not find lot of math formulas. Everything is well structured with support of slide and text book. But the main thing which I liked here - is tasks with writing assignments. In order to prepare my answers for related prompts I was forced to read additional materials, re-read text book from the course and review slides from presentation again. When I was trying to formulate my own ideas and understanding about learned material I realized that my understanding about specific topic much more increased! So I got a lot of benefits in sense of understanding from such type of tasks. I appreciate Professor Impey's enthusiasm in teaching others about astronomy a lot. Thanks Professor!

I really enjoyed this course and I would like to follow up on it by taking another, related course. I heard that Professor Impey also teaches an Astrobiology course. That is the course I hope to take next. I enjoy his lectures and text, especially his sense of humor and use of popular media to expand upon the topics e.g. the Pink Floyd song "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" and lyrics, to illustrate how the band's tribute to their departed bandmate uses verbal imagery to describe his life and contributions in terms of astronomy, literally, of star birth and death (references to such). I also enjoy the online Q &A sessions and the related streams on Twitch and You Tube by other members of the teaching team, namely Vicky and Michael. I'm glad that I had this opportunity. Thank you.

A privilege and a blessing (in the spiritual sense) to have come across this unique course - and so brilliantly choreographed by Prof Chris Impey and his team. The course was very well structured, crisp and precise to a novice in Astronomy like me and to obtain a basic understanding of our cosmos, and our place in the universe. The Earth is unique ands seems to have been created with great care and precision by the superior being or intelligent presence in the universe. I wish I could live forever to be part of the fascinating progress in astronomy and be part of the future explorations and travels into the wider cosmos.

I look forward to enhancing my knowledge gained on Astronomy by undergoing further courses. My best wishes to the University of Arizona.

The Astronomy: Exploring time and space coarse by University of Arizona was very nice. I got new things to learn in the course about Astronomy. As expected the course has covered up all the Astronomy topics from cosmology, solar system to astrobiology. So now I am feeling great after completing the course today. I like the teaching patterns quizes and activities taken in the course. The activities like galaxy zoo and micro Observetory are much more inspiring to us. Also there were lots of live Q- A sections on YouTube by sir Chris Impey to solve the queries of students or learners . So Thank you to sir Chris Impey.

Also thank you very much to University of Arizona for providing such a great coarse to us. Also thank you to caursera.

What an amazing class and enjoyable experience this has been for me personally. I feel that now I can at least understand some basic fundamental properties of the cosmos. I have been a follower of Dr. Carl Sagan for many years and Professor Stephen Hawking (RIP) as well. I thank my lucky stars (pun intended) for wonderful teachers like professor Chris Impey who has created a remarkable presentation of facts, theories and ideas that we know about the universe and salts our curiosity to continue exploring the big questions of who we are, where we came from, and what does it all mean. That you professor Impey for all you and so many others introduced in this class have done.

All the best,

Michael Fredericksen (Indiana, USA)

I really enjoyed this course. As a relative beginner in the areas of physics and astronomy, I was concerned the content might end up being overly focussed on formulae and mathematics, but Prof. Chris Impey and the team behind Astronomy: Exploring Time and Space managed to balance the course on the right level of detail. I have found the content engaging and interesting (presented largely through video lectures) and the access to the wider course materials, such as podcasts, live-stream Q&As and online textbooks was a great bonus to build upon that learning. I would recommend this course to anybody who wants to learn the basics about astronomy and satisfy the desire to understand their universe just that little bit more.