The Astrophysics course will establish a firm introduction of the forces at work upon the fabric of the universe and how these dynamics interplay to create the structure and harmony that we observe today.
For Summer 2025 students may select from three versions of this course:
Overnight: In-person / On-campus
* Students live in the university residence halls and enjoy meals in the university dining hall
Day Camp: In-person / On-Campus
* Students attend daily from 9am to 9pm. Lunch and dinner included in the university dining hall
Online: Synchronous small group instruction
* Morning and afternoon classes with a 1-hour lunch break, Mon-Fri live via zoom and google classroom
Click the tabs below to learn more about this program.
Whether online or in-person, Education Unlimited proudly offers top-tier curriculum in our Astrophysics program!
- To learn more about our online program, click here.
- For more information about the in-person program please read below
Beginning from the cosmic chaos, astrophysics will delineate the foundation goals of the field by tracing the evolution of the universe from its origins through to modern times and probing into its future fate.
Students will delve into the depths of the cosmos to push their understanding to the very frontier of the unknown, and perchance beyond that! Students embarking on this adventure will be introduced to the wave-particle duality of light, radiation, and stellar evolution, illuminating their curiosities in the process. They will then explore advanced topics in cosmology such as supermassive black holes, spacetime fabric, and mapping the large-scale structure of the cosmos. Studies will culminate with Einstein’s Theory of Relativity.
The curriculum is supported by computational simulations of dark matter and galactic formation, physical demonstration, student-led discussions, and thought experiments. Observational astronomy will be interlaced into the course using solar and night sky observational telescopes, focusing on techniques for identifying the constellations and naked-eye astronomy. Students will pursue their final research in a self-selected specification of interest. Projects vary but are all relevant to modern professional research and exploration, such as observational astrophysics, astro-particle physics, or physical cosmology. Their final research projects will incorporate real data from working telescopes and research laboratories.
The high school course covers various topics in modern astrophysics, both conceptually and mathematically. While students are expected to cover approximately 100 pages of the student manual, mastery of every topic is not necessary. Grades are not given in this class, allowing students to focus on what they are ready for now and leave room for future exploration. They are encouraged to repeat the class in subsequent summers to deepen their understanding further.
The curriculum covers the celestial sphere, the scale of thKey topics covered in the curriculum include the celestial sphere, the scale of the universe, blackbody radiation, energy quantization, the photoelectric effect, wave properties of matter and electron diffraction, stellar colors, distances, absolute/relative magnitudes, spectral lines/spectral types, the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, redshift, cosmic microwave background, stellar dynamics, stellar evolution, lifetime consequences of gravitational collapse, introduction to cosmology, spacetime fabric, spacetime and relativity, black holes, and cosmology.
As a culmination of their learning, students will complete a cumulative research project of their choice for their final presentation. Projects may involve using publicly available live data from satellites to verify the theories covered in the course or coding computer programs that calculate distances to galaxies. The goal is to provide hands-on experience and reinforce the practical applications of astrophysics concepts.
From online camps to day and residential programs there is Astrophysics program to meet every need!
| Program | Grades | Location | Start Date | End Date | Price Options | Register |
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Don’t see a class you want in your time zone? Check other time zones to flexibly fit your needs!
| Click Here to View Sample ON-CAMPUS Schedule | Click Here to View Sample ONLINE Schedule |
Education Unlimited believes in small-group, immersive learning with subject matter experts and experienced teachers. We strive to provide industry-leading instruction to all of our students and hold all staff to the highest possible standards. Staff assignments vary by program and location. Some of our recent staff members for this program include:
Micol Chirstopher, PhD - Instructor
Dr. Micol Christopher received his undergraduate degree in Physics and Astronomy/Astrophysics at Harvard University where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. He subsequently completed a Ph.D. program in Astrophysics at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) where his research focused on analyzing young star clusters both around the black hole at the center of our galaxy and in the colliding galaxy system known as the Antennae. Even from his time at Harvard, Micol knew that teaching was his true passion, so after Caltech, he began teaching Astronomy at Mt. San Antonio College, a two-year college in Walnut, California. He has been a tenured full-time professor there since 2006 and has taught introductory astronomy and astronomy lab classes to well over 2000 students. Micol also created online versions of both the introductory astronomy class and the astronomy lab class and has been teaching some classes online each semester since 2014. Micol absolutely loves teaching and the opportunity to share the passion that he has for astronomy and learning with all of his students. In his spare time, Micol enjoys outings and adventures with his young son, taking hikes in the Southern California mountains, traveling, and experiencing foods from all cultures.
Jesus Salas, PhD - Instructor
Dr. Salas is an instructor and researcher at UCLA, where he received both his master’s degree and his PhD in Astronomy and Astrophysics. His dissertation explored the dynamics of gas at the center of the Milky Way galaxy using fluid dynamics computations. He was awarded the prestigious NSF Graduate Researh Fellowship and the UCLA Eugene V Cota-Robles Fellowship. Prior to his time at UCLA, he earned his BS in Physics with a minor in Mathematics, graduating Summa Cum Laude from Texas A&M. Dr. Salas has taught a variety of undergraduate courses in astronomy and physics at UCLA, including developing and teaching an astrophysics undergraduate seminar. He also teaches science at the Harvard-Westlake. In addition to his teaching experience, Dr. Salas has been actively involved in scientific outreach, volunteering for UCLA’s “Exploring Your Universe” annual event and serving as Coordinator for the UCLA Planetarium.He has also published scientific papers in the field of astrophysics. Dr. Salas is bilingual in Spanish and English with proficiency in reading, speaking, and writing in both languages.
Allen B. Davis, PhD - Instructor
Dr. Allen B. Davis received his PhD in astrophysics from Yale University in 2021. His dissertation explored novel uses of statistical techniques to aid in the detection of potentially habitable exoplanets, and it presented the discovery of two new giant exoplanets detected by the TESS mission. Teaching is Dr. Davis's greatest professional passion. He has five years of experience teaching undergraduate astronomy students at Williams College and Yale University, and he has served as a full-time high school physics and math teacher at the International School of Boston for the past year. Dr. Davis loves incorporating astronomy into his classes wherever possible; he takes great pleasure in seeing his students light up as they come to understand complex topics when they are broken down and presented in an accessible way.
Gladys Velez Caicedo - Instructor
Gladys Velez Caicedo is an instructor in the Department of Physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). A graduate of Columbia University in New York City, Gladys holds a Bachelor of Science degree in astronomy & physics. Gladys has conducted high energy particle astrophysics at various labs around the world, such as Nevis Laboratories and as part of the VERITAS collaboration. Gladys developed a passion for high school education during her college years. While at Columbia, she established the Columbia Education Studies Program in 2011, designed to give high school students wide-range access to university education. Gladys joined the Education Unlimited team in 2017. She has developed the curriculum for both the astrophysics and introduction to astrophysics programs.