What makes a star shine? For how long will the Sun keep shining? What are black holes and how can they form? Astronomy 101, a non-major, general introduction to the part of contemporary astronomy that includes how stars form and how they end their existence, will provide answers to these questions and more. The course gives special attention to the exciting discoveries of the past few years. Topics include modern astronomical instruments such as the Hubble Space Telescope, the Spitzer Space Telescope, the Chandra X-ray Observatory, the new generation of 8- and 10-meter mountaintop telescopes, and results from them; how astronomers interpret the light received from distant celestial objects; the Sun as a typical star (and how its future will affect ours); and our modern understanding of how stars work and how they change with time. We will also discuss how pulsars and black holes result from the evolution of normal, massive stars and how giant black holes are at the center of galaxies and quasars. We will discuss the discovery of planets around stars other than the Sun. This course is independent of and on the same level as Astronomy 102 and 104, though students who have taken those courses are welcome. Observing sessions will include use of the 24" telescope and other telescopes for observations of stars, star clusters, planets and their moons, nebulae, and galaxies, as well as daytime observations of the Sun.
Evening observing sessions include use of the 24" and other telescopes to observe stars, nebulae, planets, and galaxies; daytime observation of the sun will also be possible. In addition, students will have the opportunity to learn the constellations and to find their way around the sky. In labs, students will be able to explore concepts discussed in class; students will also have the opportunity to use the Department's multimedia facilities to learn more about the astronomical objects they study and observe and to explore astronomy on the World Wide Web.
Evening observing sessions include use of the 24" and other telescopes to observe stars, nebulae, planets, and galaxies; daytime observation of the sun will also be possible. In addition, students will have the opportunity to learn the constellations and to find their way around the sky.
In labs, students will be able to explore concepts discussed in class; students will also have the opportunity to use the Department's multimedia facilities to learn more about the astronomical objects they study and observe and to explore astronomy on the World Wide Web.
It has been only about 85 years since the Sun was discovered not to be at the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, and only 80 years since our Milky Way Galaxy was determined to be only one of countless "island Universes" in space. A host of technological advances is enabling us to understand even more clearly our place in the universe and how the universe began. For example, the Hubble Space Telescope, the Spitzer Space Telescope, and the Chandra X-ray Observatory bring clearer images and cover a wider range of the spectrum than have ever been obtainable before; they are speeding up progress on determining the past and future of the Universe. In addition, the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe spacecraft's study of the early Universe and large-scale mapping programs are giving clues into how the Universe's currently observed structure arose. They are confirming and enlarging our understanding of the Big Bang. Astronomy 104, a non-major, general introduction to part of contemporary astronomy comprising the study of galaxies and the Universe, explores the answers to questions like: What is the Milky Way?; Why are quasars so luminous?; Is the Universe made largely of "dark matter" and "dark energy"?; What determines the ultimate fate of the Universe? This course is independent of, and on the same level as Astronomy 101 and 102, though students who have taken those courses are welcome. Observing sessions will include use of the 24" telescope and other telescopes for observations of stars, star clusters, planets and their moons, nebulae, and galaxies, as well as daytime observations of the Sun.
In labs, students will be able to explore concepts discussed in class; students will also have the opportunity to use the Department's multimedia facilities to learn more about the astronomical objects they study and observe and to explore astronomy on the World Wide Web.
A survey of some of the main ideas in modern astrophysics
with an emphasis on the observed properties and evolution of stars, this course
is the first in the Astrophysics and Astronomy major sequences. It is also appropriate
for students planning to major in one of the other sciences or mathematics,
and for others who would like a quantitative introduction that emphasizes the
relationship of contemporary physics to astronomy. Topics include astronomical
instrumentation, radiation laws and stellar spectra, physical characteristics
of the sun and other stars, stellar formation and evolution, nucleosynthesis,
white dwarfs, pulsars and neutron stars, and black holes. Some students will
take this course concurrently with Physics 131 or 141. Students who take this
course after having taken Physics 151 or 142 will have the opportunity to carry
out more advanced assignments or projects. Evening observing sessions include
use of the 24" and other telescopes to observe stars, nebulae, planets and galaxies;
daytime observation of the sun will also be possible. In addition, students
will have the opportunity to learn the constellations and to find their way
around the sky and to explore astronomy on the World Wide
Web.
A Quantitative Reasoning course.
