Planetary Atmospheres Courses and Certifications

Spahn's Science Lectures

General Astronomy - An Introduction to Planetary Atmospheres

An introduction to how planetary atmospheres shape pressure, climate, radiation protection, and habitability across the terrestrial worlds.

• YouTube
• 25 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Spahn's Science Lectures

General Astronomy - Atmospheres of the Terrestrial Planets

Explores why the terrestrial planets have different atmospheres, linking atmospheric loss, planetary size, magnetic fields, water, and greenhouse feedback.

• YouTube
• 31 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Spahn's Science Lectures

General Astronomy - Earth's Atmospheric Structure and Magnetic Field

Explains how solar energy creates Earth’s layered atmosphere, weather, auroras, and magnetic field, including evidence of past field reversals.

• YouTube
• 30 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

The Diversity of Exoplanets

38 ratings at Coursera

Practice detecting and characterising exoplanets through radial velocities, astrometry, direct imaging and transits, then explore statistical properties of planetary systems and their surfaces and atmospheres.

• Coursera
• 7 weeks, 2 hours a week
• Self-Paced
• Paid Course

American Museum of Natural History

The Solar System

Explore how the Solar System formed and works: the Sun's fusion and solar wind, planetary surfaces and atmospheres, Pluto's status, and the search for extraterrestrial life.

• Coursera
• 6 weeks, 3 hours a week
• Self-Paced
• Paid Course

The Royal Institution

Solar System Science from the James Webb Space Telescope

Explore how the James Webb Space Telescope can answer questions about our solar system, including the atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 5 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Spahn's Science Lectures

Earth Science - Climate Change (Part 1)

Explains Earth’s greenhouse effect by comparing Earth and Venus, showing how atmospheric gases and positive feedback shape planetary habitability.

• YouTube
• 26 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

The Astronomy Club, IISER Mohali

Exoplanets - Formation, Detection Methods, and the Search for Biosignatures

Explore the fascinating world of exoplanets, from detection methods to formation processes, while learning to distinguish genuine biosignatures from misleading atmospheric signals in the search for extraterrestrial life.

• YouTube
• 1 hour
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Michel van Biezen

Astronomy - Jupiter

A focused tour of Jupiter’s atmosphere, interior, magnetic field, rings, and Galilean moons, including observations from Earth.

• YouTube
• 2 hours 30 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Michel van Biezen

Astronomy - Mars

A detailed tour of Mars—from its orbit, geology, atmosphere, and wet past to launch windows, missions, landing challenges, and Viking life-search experiments.

• YouTube
• 6 hours
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Michel van Biezen

Astronomy - Venus

Explores why Venus is so hot by examining its atmosphere, heat trapping, thermal energy, terrain, and exploration history.

• YouTube
• 3 hours 30 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Michel van Biezen

Astronomy - Earth as a Planet

Explore Earth as a planet through its place in the Solar System, water, internal heat, tectonics, earthquakes, density, and atmosphere.

• YouTube
• 1 hour 30 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video

Michel van Biezen

Astronomy - The Solar System - Comparative Planetology

Compare the solar system’s planets through their sizes, compositions, atmospheres, magnetic fields, temperatures, orbits, moons, asteroids, comets, and impact history.

• YouTube
• 2 hours 30 minutes
• Self-Paced
• Free Video