Modern astronomy utilises a range of techniques across the electromagnetic spectrum that allow astronomers to measure the brightness, size and shape of astronomical objects, as well as their structure in many cases. This free course enables you to explore multiwavelength images of the Universe and make your own measurements of stars, nebulae and galaxies using online tools and databases. You will explore the different types of nebulae in the Messier catalogue, considering their sizes and distances using an interactive Scales tool, and use a web tool called Chromoscope to survey the Milky Way in different wavebands.
This free course is an adapted extract from the Open University course S284 Astronomy.