Up to date information about the course will be posted on the web site.
The lecture notes and text for the course are here.
Syllabus
Get an outline for the lectures up to the first exam here.
What is this course all about?
| Date | Lecture Notes |
| Jan. 12, W | Introduction, Scientific Method, Scales in the Universe |
How did astronomy get started?
| Jan. 14, F | Appearance of the Sky |
| Jan. 17, M | Martin Luther King Day |
| Jan. 19, W | Beginnings of Astronomy, Greek Astronomy |
The story of our gaining an understanding of the planetary motions now begins. It allows us to examine how science works, in slow motion (about 15 centuries worth).
| Jan. 21, F | Ptolemy, Medieval Astronomy, Copernicus, Tycho |
| Jan. 24, M | Kepler, Galileo, Newton |
Science has built an understanding of nature and along with it, the tools to observe the Universe.
| Jan. 26, W | Scientific Method (repeat), Physical Laws |
| Jan. 28, F | Light, Spectroscopy, |
| Jan 31, M | Modern Physics, Observatories |
Get an outline for the lectures up to the next exam here.
We begin the story of what we have learned with these tools by looking at the origin of the Universe itself.
| Feb. 4, F | spectroscopy breakout |
| Feb. 7, M | The Big Bang, The Fate of the Universe, The Start of Everything |
| Feb. 8, T | Last day to drop courses resulting in deletion of course enrollment from record |
| Feb. 9, W | Era of Nuclei, Era of Atoms and Era of Galaxies |
Stars and galaxies are the foundation of our understanding of the Universe. Our understanding of stars starts with the sun. We then compare it with other stars.
| Feb. 11, F | The Sun |
| Feb. 14, M | Interior of the Sun |
| Feb. 16, W | Other Stars |
What happens as stars get older?
| Feb. 18, F | Evolution of Stars |
| Feb. 21, M | Output of sun breakout |
| Feb. 23, W | Deaths of Stars, Stellar Black Holes |
| Feb. 25, F | Novae and Supernovae, Supernova Remnants |
Galaxies are huge systems of stars.
| Feb. 28, M | The Milky Way, Discovery of Galaxies |
| Mar. 2, W | Distances to Galaxies, Distribution of Galaxies in Space |
| Mar. 4, F | Exam review |
Get an outline for the lectures up to the next exam here.
Galaxies have a broad variety of characteristics, including cores containing supermassive black holes that produce dramatic activity.
| Mar. 9, W | Types of Galaxy, Type of the Milky Way |
| Mar. 11, F | Center of the Milky Way |
| Mar. 21, M | Active Galaxy Nuclei |
Galaxies also are the sites of star formation.
| Mar. 23, W | Dark Matter, The Interstellar Medium |
| Mar. 25, F | Formation of Stars, Spiral Arms |
| Mar. 28, M | Starburst Galaxies |
How the solar system formed; exploring planets
Each planet has unique properties
| Apr. 1, F | The Moon, Mercury |
| Apr. 4, M | Venus |
| Apr. 6, W | Mars |
| Apr. 8, F | Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptume |
| Apr. 11, M | Breakout on radiation |
Get an outline for the lectures up to the next exam here.
We learn more about the solar system from its smaller members.
| Apr. 15, F | Jupiter's Moons, Moons and Rings |
| Apr. 18, M | Pluto, Solar System Debris |
What makes Earth a special place for life?
| Apr. 20, W | Earth |
| Apr. 22, F | Earth |
| Apr. 25, M | Long Term Climate, Habitable Zones |
Is there life "out there?"
| Apr. 27, W | Formation of Life |
| Apr. 29, F | Advanced Life, Mass Extinctions |
| May 2, M | Emergence of Intelligence |
| May 4, W | Contacting Other Civilizations |
exam
| May 6, Friday May 13, Friday |