I want there to be an AP Astronomy/Astrophysics.

I am an amateur astronomer and have plans to go to college with at least a decent focus on Astronomy and Astrophysics. I’ve done a bunch of self study about the topic since my school doesn’t offer any Astronomy classes, and I’ve done some good astrophotography in my free time. I’ve gotten these sorts of pictures just from my own passion, imagine the sorts of things an AP curriculum could cover. There’s tons of crossover with AP Calculus, and Astronomy/Astrophysics is a very common course at most universities. It could be a math/science course, MCQ’s about general knowledge (star hopping, gravitational lensing, fusion in stars) and FRQ’s about experimental design. AP astronomy/astrophysics would be awesome and I would take it in a heartbeat.

I’ve created an idea for a syllabus that I think covers a lot of content very well. It’s a mix of physics material and chemistry material and I think covers most of what a college level course would.

AP Astronomy: At a Glance (Non-Math Based)

Unit 1: Fundamentals of Astronomy

1.1: The Universe as we know it

1.2: Sky Observations

1.3: Orbits and Gravity

1.4: The Earth's Rotation

1.5: Radiation and Spectra

1.6: Astronomical Instruments

Unit 2: Properties of the Solar System

2.1: Why does the solar system matter?

2.2: Earth as a Planet

2.3: The Rocky Planets - Mercury, Venus, & Mars

2.4: The Gas Giants & Rings

2.5: Moons of the Solar System

2.6: Dwarf Planets

2.7: Comets & Asteroids

2.8: Craters & their patterns

2.9: Origins of the Solar System

Unit 3: Stars & Their Remnants

3.1: Properties of The Sun

3.2: Affects of The Sun

3.3: Analyzing Starlight

3.4: The Properties of Stars

3.5: Exoplanets

3.6: Life of a Star

3.7: Celestial Distances

3.8: Gas & Dust in Space & Nebulae

Unit 4: Beyond the Solar System

4.1: Properties of Galaxies

4.2: Intro to the Milky Way

4.3: Regions of the Milky Way

4.4: Pulsars & Quasars

4.5: Black Holes

4.6: Dark Matter & Dark Energy

Unit 5: Theories of Astronomy

5.1: The Big Bang Theory

5.2: Timeline of the Universe

5.3: Extraterrestrial Life

5.4: The Drake Equation

5.5: Evidence of Life