This course covers cosmology – the study of our entire universe. Where did the universe come from? How will it end? What is the nature of space and time? For the first time in human history, we can give precise, reliable answers to many cosmological questions, thanks to a spectacular series of recent breakthroughs. But many of the most fundamental mysteries remain unsolved. In this course we will cover the latest advances and the unsolved mysteries. We will explain the recent observations, and with the help of guest speakers Lawrence Krauss and Brian Cox, we will explore the theories behind modern cosmology.

This course is designed for people who would like to get a deeper understanding of astronomy than that offered by popular science articles and shows. You will need reasonable high-school level Maths and Physics to get the most out of this course.

This is one of four ANUx courses which together make up the Australian National University's first year astrophysics program. You can take these four courses in any order. These courses compromise the Astrophysics XSeries. Learn more about the XSeries program and register for all the courses in the series today!

Note that this course will be shutting down permanently on 2nd July 2025. Last day to enrol or upgrade is 31st December 2024.