A study of the night sky primarily for non-science majors. Provides a brief history of astronomy through Newton. Topics include the properties of the sun, earth, moon, planets, asteroids, meteors …
A study of stars, star formation, and evolution primarily for non-science majors. Topics include light, atoms, and modern observing technologies; origin of the chemical elements; supernovae, pulsars, neutron stars, and …
Alien worlds orbiting other stars were the subject of speculation going back to ancient times, and were first detected in the 1990s. Today, thousands of extrasolar planets are known and …
From ancient Babylon to modern cosmology, nearly every culture on Earth has stories and myths of creation. It is a universal human desire to understand from where we came. In …
Black holes are stellar remnants that are so dense that nothing, not even light, can escape their gravitational pull. Nevertheless, systems that contain these "dark stars" are among the brightest …
For first- and second-year students considering Astronomy/Astronomy-Physics as a major, or current A/A-P majors. Faculty will present ongoing research to introduce students to both the subject matter and the required …
Primarily for science majors. A thorough discussion of the basic concepts and methods of solar system, stellar, galactic, and extragalactic astronomy and astrophysics with an emphasis on physical principles. Prerequisite/corequisite: …
Primarily for science majors. A lecture and laboratory course that deals with basic observational techniques in astronomy. The laboratory section generally meets at night. Students use observational facilities at the …
The next great adventure in space flight will be a human mission to Mars. In this course, we will explore how such a mission might take place. Topics will include …
Intended for STEM majors and non-STEM majors who are comfortable with some non-calculus math. The course explores the structure, properties, and history of galaxies. Topics include: the structure of galaxies; …