| Lecture | Date | Topics | Readings | Assignments |
I: Developing Perspective |
| 1 | T 5/28 |
- Administrative Stuff
- Introduction (What is Astronomy, Astrophysics, Astrology?)
- Our place in the Universe
- "I can see through time"
- Scale of Space and Time
- Spaceship Earth
|
Cosmic Perspective: Chpt. 1
Cosmos: Chpt. 1 | |
| 2 | W 5/29 |
- The Sky
- Constellations
- Horizons and local Coordinate Systems
- Diurnal Motions
- Seasonal Motions
- Cause of the Seasons
|
Cosmic Perspective: Chpt. 2 | HW #1 Due |
| 3 | Th 5/30 |
- Phases of the Moon
- Eclipses
|
Cosmic Perspective: Chpt. 2, S1 | |
II: Key Concepts for Astronomy |
| 4 | M 6/3 |
- Time Keeping (Sidereal and Synodic Periods)
- Celestial Navigation (The Sky's varying appearance from different locations on Earth)
- Shape of the Earth
- Eratosthenes measures the Earth
- Aristarchus (Distance to/size of Sun and Moon)
- The motions of the Planets
- The Ancients' Reasons for a Geocentric Universe
- Ptolemy's Model
| Cosmic Perspective: Chpt. 3
Cosmos: Chpts. 3 & 7
Cosmic Perspective: Chpt. 4 |
HW #2 & 1st Set of
Class Projects Due |
| 5 | T 6/4 |
- Astrology
- The Scientific Method
- Energy
- Matter
| |
| 6 | W 6/5 |
- Copernicus revives the Heliocentric Model
- Kepler's Cosmic Mystery
- Tycho and Kepler: Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion
- Galileo: The Death of the Geocentric Model
| Cosmic Perspective: Chpt. 5 | HW #3 Due |
| 7 | Th 6/6 |
- Newtonian Mechanics
- Velocity, Acceleration
- Momentum
- Force
- Newton's Laws
- Newton: The Force of Gravity
- Escape Velocity
- Tides
| |
| 8 | M 6/10 |
- Light, E&M waves
- Atoms, absorption and emission
- Thermal radiation
- Spectra
- Doppler Shift
- Telescopes and Detectors
| Cosmic Perspective: Chpt. 6, Chpt. 7 | HW #4 Due |
III: The Solar System and Other Planetary Systems |
| 9 | T 6/11 |
- Overview of the Solar System
- Mercury
- Venus
- Earth
- Mars
- Jupiter
- Saturn
- Uranus
- Neptune
| Cosmic Perspective: Chpts. 1, 8, & 12
Cosmos: Chpts. 4, 5, & 6 | |
| 10 | W 6/12 |
- Pluto, Comets, Asteroids
- Comet and Asteroid Collisions
- Other known planetary systems, Doppler Effect
- Planetary system formation
| HW #5 Due |
| Th 6/13 | MIDTERM EXAM | |
IV: Stars |
| 11 | M 6/17 |
- Midterm Postmordem
- Elementary Particles
- Special Relativity
| Cosmic Perspective: S2, S4
Cosmos: Chpt. 8 |
2nd Set of Class Projects and HW #6 Due |
| 12 | T 6/18 |
- The Uncertainty Principle
- The Sun
- Structure
- Hydrostatic Balance
- Nuclear Fusion
| Cosmic Perspective: Chpt. 14
Cosmic Perspective: Chpt. 15 | |
| 13 | W 6/19 |
- Stars
- distance
- space motions
- binary stars
- masses
- stellar sizes
- temperature/color
- luminosity/brightness
- Spectral Types
- HR diagram
| HW #7 Due |
| 14 | Th 6/20 |
- Stellar Evolution
- birth
- energy generation
- main sequence
- red giants
- white dwarfs
- novae
- supernovae/SN remnants
- neutron Stars/pulsars
- black holes
| Cosmic Perspective: Chpt. 16
Cosmic Perspective: Chpt. 17
Cosmos: Chpt. 9 | |
| 15 | M 6/24 |
- General Relativity
- Black Holes
- Worm Holes
- Time Travel
| Cosmic Perspective: Chpt. 17
S3
Cosmos: Chpt. 8 | HW #8 Due |
V: The Milky Way Galaxy |
| 16 | T 6/25 |
- Stellar Populations
- ISM
- nebulae
- dust
- Galactic Structure
- Spiral Arms and Galactic Rotation
- Dark Matter (grav lensing)
| Cosmic Perspective: Chpt. 18 | |
VI: Extragalactic Astronomy and Cosmology |
| 17 | W 6/26 |
- Curtis-Shapley Debate
- Distance Scale
- Galaxy types
- Galaxy Evolution
- Expansion of the Universe
| Cosmic Perspective: Chpt. 19, Chpt. 20
Cosmos: Chpt. 10 | HW #9 Due |
| 18 | Th 6/27 |
- AGN and Quasars: supermassive black holes
- Dark Matter: Gravitational Lensing
- Large Scale Structure
- Geometry, Age, and Fate of the Universe
| Cosmic Perspective: Chpt. 20, Chpt. 21
Cosmos: Chpt. 10 | |
| 19 | M 7/1 |
- Olbers' paradox
- Big Bang
- Steady State theory
- CMB
- Early Universe
- Big Bang Problems
- Inflation
- Origin of the Universe
| Cosmic Perspective: Chpt. 21, Chpt. 22
Cosmos: Chpt. 10 |
HW #10 and
Last set of
Class Projects Due |
VII: The Living Universe |
| 20 | T 7/2 |
- Big Bang to Present
- Astrobiology
- SETI
| Cosmic Perspective: Chpt. 13, S5
Cosmos: Chpts. 2, 11, 12, & 13 | |
| - | W 7/3 | FINAL EXAM | |
