AST ASTRONOMY (School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences)
106. The Solar System - 3-2-4
Survey of the solar system, including the sun, the major planets and
their satellites, the asteroid belt, the Kuiper belt, and the Oort
cloud. Recommended for general-education requirement in science. Credit
not allowed toward concentration I physics major.
107. Stars, Galaxies and Cosmology - 3-2-4
Survey of the universe beyond the solar system. Stars, stellar
evolution, novae and supernovae, neutron stars, black holes, normal and
active galaxies, and simple cosmological models. Recommended for
general-education requirement in science. Credit not allowed toward
concentration I physics major.
120. The Copernican Revolution - 3-2-4
A detailed look at the science of the Copernican Revolution. This
watershed in the history of science is used as a model of how science,
ancient and modern, operates and what it can and cannot tell us. The
hypotheses and theories of Nicholas Copernicus, Tycho Brahe, Johannes
Kepler and Galileo Galilei will be featured centrally, and many seminal
observations of these scientists will be reproduced in laboratory
sessions. Approved for the general-education requirement in science.
121. The Discovery of Galaxies- 3-2-4
Galactic astronomy from the Seventeenth Century to the early
Twentieth Century. Examines changing ideas about the place of our solar
system within the Milky Way galaxy and the existence of other galaxies.
Emphasizes the historical development of new theories and how those
theories were evaluated. Intended to satisfy general-education
requirement in science for non-science majors.
412. Astrophysics - 3-0-3
Quantitative treatment of basic astronomical principles. Topics
include cosmological models, galaxies, stars, the interstellar medium
and the solar system. Emphasis on observational techniques and data
analysis. PR: PHY 307WI.