Astronomy

• ASTR 101: Introduction to Astronomy: The Solar System (summer and fall)
• ASTR 101L: Introduction to Astronomy Laboratory: Our Place in Space (summer and fall)
• ASTR 102: Introduction to Astronomy: Stars, Galaxies, and Cosmology (summer)

ASTR 101: Introduction to Astronomy: The Solar System

Offered summer and fall, 2012

This is an introductory course in which we will explore the following topics: celestial motions of the Earth, Sun, Moon, and planets; the nature of light; ground- and space-based telescopes; comparative planetology; the Earth and the Moon; terrestrial and gas planets and their moons; dwarf planets, asteroids, and comets; planetary system formation; extrasolar planets; and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). For more information, see Project Intro Astro.

Required Text

• The course is based on Chaisson and McMillan, Astronomy Today with MasteringAstronomy, 7th edition (2010), ISBN 978-0321696236; however, the 6th edition of the text is very similar to the 7th edition, so students may purchase a used copy of the 6th edition if they prefer.

You may purchase the 7th edition of the textbook at Friday Center Books & Gifts. You may visit the store in person, order online, or mail or fax in the book order form. Refer to the online ordering site for current book prices. Please see Textbooks for textbook purchase dates.

Additional Requirements

• WebAssign, a homework management system, is needed for this course. Students must purchase a WebAssign access code on the WebAssign site when class begins.
• high-speed Internet connection.

Course Details

• Instructor: Daniel Reichart, PhD
• Department: Physics and Astronomy
• Credit hours: 3
• View a sample course syllabus.

How to Enroll

ASTR 101L: Introduction to Astronomy Laboratory: Our Place in Space

Offered summer and fall, 2012

This unique, laboratory course may be taken with ASTR 101, ASTR 102, or by itself. In this course, we will learn how to use robotic telescopes in the Chilean Andes and around the world, and use these telescopes to observe planets, dwarf planets, moons, asteroids, binary and variable stars, supernovae, star-forming regions, star clusters, and galaxies. Through these observations, we will explore the following topics: the seasons, the Galilean revolution, the cosmic distance ladder, the Great Debate, dark matter, Hubble’s Law, and dark energy. For more information, see the Astronomy 101 Lab Orientation.  

Included Materials

• Students will be provided with a lab kit upon enrollment.

Required Purchase: Access Code

• WebAssign, a homework management system, is needed for this course. Students must purchase a WebAssign access code on the WebAssign site when class begins.

Course Details

• Instructor: Daniel Reichart, PhD
• Department: Physics and Astronomy
• Credit hours: 1
• Corequisite: ASTR 101
• View a sample course syllabus.

How to Enroll

ASTR 102: Introduction to Astronomy: Stars, Galaxies, and Cosmology

Offered summer, 2012

This is the second of a two-course sequence in which we will explore the following topics: the Sun; stellar observables; star birth, evolution, and death; novae and supernovae; white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes; Einstein’s theory of relativity; the Milky Way galaxy; normal galaxies, active galaxies, and quasars; dark matter and dark energy; cosmology; and the early universe.

Required Text

• The course is based on Chaisson and McMillan, Astronomy Today with MasteringAstronomy, 7th edition (2010), ISBN 978-0321696236; however, the 6th edition of the text is very similar to the 7th edition, so students may purchase a used copy of the 6th edition if they prefer.

You may purchase the 7th edition of the textbook at Friday Center Books & Gifts. You may visit the store in person, order online, or mail or fax in the book order form. Refer to the online ordering site for current book prices. Please see Textbooks for textbook purchase dates.

Additional Requirement

• WebAssign, a homework management system, is needed for this course. Students must purchase a WebAssign access code on the WebAssign site when class begins.

Course Details

• Instructor: Daniel Reichart, PhD
• Department: Physics and Astronomy
• Credit hours: 3
• Prerequisite: ASTR 101
• View a sample course syllabus.

How to Enroll