Khan Academy
It's a great, big universe out there. In this section of Khan Academy, you'll learn about the brain-bending vastness of time and space. We go from plate tectonics here on Earth to entire galaxies and beyond.
Overview
Added
March 18, 2026
Subject & domain
physics · astrophysics-cosmology
Grade range
Grade 9 (Freshman)–Grade 12 (Senior)
Page kind
Course
Introduction
Cosmology, Astronomy, and Earth Science Curriculum
- Special Relativity: Covers the Michelson–Morley experiment, Galilean vs. Lorentz transformations, Minkowski spacetime diagrams, Einstein’s velocity addition, and time dilation.
- Cosmology: Includes the Big Bang theory, the expansion of the universe, and the life cycle of stars.
- Plate Tectonics & Earth Structure: Explores the composition of the Earth (crust, lithosphere, mantle, core), seismic waves, continental drift, Pangaea, and the formation of geological features like the Hawaiian islands.
- Earth’s Orbital Mechanics: Explains the causes of seasons (Earth's tilt vs. distance from the sun), Milankovitch cycles, precession, and apsidal precession.
- History of Life and Humanity: Covers human evolution, the development of agriculture and writing, collective learning, population growth theories (Thomas Malthus), and historical energy usage.
- Stellar Astronomy: Includes topics on stellar parallax and the relative scale of the Earth, Sun, galaxy, and universe.
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