Looking at the Sky

Urbanization and its overabundance of artificial light has left us blind to the wonders of the night sky, something our ancestors both took for granted and were profoundly influenced by. This course aims at regaining that awareness.

The entire sky then becomes a grand narrative filled with stories enacted by protagonists and antagonists portraying legendary tropes and mythologies. The course explores story structure through exposure to the history and practice of astronomy including how the constellations were named and placed in the heavens as well as the basic scientific models and theories that underpin modern astronomy. Students will invent cinematic story ideas through the process of looking at the canvas of stars in the night sky. Additionally, this process will examine the basic concepts of cinematography such as depth of field, lens perspectives, exposure and aesthetics of composition while gazing through a telescope or capturing nighttime images on field trips employing the basics of astrophotography and astrovideography. A creative project is required for completion of the course. Field trips will be a regular part of the class programming. The primary focus of the course will be observational and experiential.