Semester
Fall
Year offered
2013
This class provides are non-mathematical introduction to: the night sky; the history of astronomy through Newton; the Solar System, including the Sun, Earth, Moon, planets, meteors and comets; the origin and evolution of the Solar System; life in the universe.; and recent results from space missions and ground-based telescopes. It satisfies 3 credits of the General Education Science Area Requirement, or the New Curriculum Chemical, Mathematical, & Physical Universe or Science & Society Disciplines Requirement.
This is a website from the last time I taught this class, and will be updated before I teach it again.
Text: The Cosmic Perspective, 6th Edition, by Bennett, Donahue, Schneider & Voit, published by Pearson Higher Education, ISBN 0-321-63360-0
Lectures:
| Date | Topic(s) | Lecture Notes | Reading | HW | ||
| Wed | Aug | 28 |
Lecture 1:
|
Introduction | pp. xxiv-xxviii | |
| Fri | Aug | 30 |
Lecture 2:
|
Mercury Messenger -->It's a Big Universe |
Chapter 1 through 1.2 | |
| Mon | Sep | 02 |
Lecture 3:
|
Tour of the Universe | Chapter 1.2 to end | |
| Wed | Sep | 04 |
Lecture 4:
|
The Night Sky | Chapter 2 to 2.1 | |
| Fri | Sep | 06 |
Lecture 5:
|
Motions in the Night Sky | Chapter S1 through S1.1 | |
| Mon | Sep | 02 |
Lecture 3:
|
Tour of the Universe | Chapter 1.2 to end | |
| Wed | Sep | 04 |
Lecture 4:
|
The Night Sky | Chapter 2 to 2.1 | |
| Fri | Sep | 06 |
Lecture 5:
|
Motions in the Night Sky | Chapter S1 through S1.1 | |
| Mon | Sep | 02 |
Lecture 3:
|
Tour of the Universe | Chapter 1.2 to end | |
| Wed | Sep | 04 |
Lecture 4:
|
The Night Sky | Chapter 2 to 2.1 | |
| Fri | Sep | 06 |
Lecture 5:
|
Motions in the Night Sky | Chapter S1 through S1.1 | |
| Mon | Sep | 09 |
Lecture 6:
|
The Reason for Seasons | Chapter 2.2 | |
| Wed | Sep | 11 |
Lecture 7:
|
Precession and Motions of the Moon | Chapter 2.3 | |
| Fri | Sep | 13 |
Lecture 8:
|
Motions of the Moon and Eclipses | Chapter 2.3 | |
| Fri | Sep | 13 |
Lecture 8:
|
Motions of the Moon and Eclipses | Chapter 2.3 | |
| Mon | Sep | 16 |
Lecture 9:
|
Eclipses (Continued) | Chapter S1.2 | |
| Wed | Sep | 18 |
Lecture 10:
|
Calendar, Constellations, & Archaeoastronomy | Chapter S1.3 to end | |
| Fri | Sep | 20 |
Lecture 11:
|
Ancient Greek Astronomy | Chapter 3 to 3.2 | |
| Mon | Sep | 23 |
Lecture 12:
|
Motions of the Planets | Chapter 2.4 to end | |
| Wed | Sep | 25 |
Lecture 13:
|
Renaissance Astronomy | Chapter 3.3 | |
| Fri | Sep | 27 |
Lecture 14:
|
Renaissance Astronomy 2 | Chapter 3.4 to end | |
| Mon | Sep | 30 |
Lecture 15:
|
Newton's Laws of Motion and Gravity | Chapter 4 through 4.2 | |
| Wed | Oct | 02 |
Lecture 16:
|
Newton's Laws of Motion and Gravity 2 | Chapter 4.3 | |
| Fri | Oct | 04 |
Lecture 17:
|
Space Travel and Satellite Orbits | Chapter 4.4 | |
| Fri | Oct | 04 | End of Lectures for Test #1 | |||
| Mon | Oct | 07 |
Lecture 18:
|
Tides | Chapter 4.5 to end | |
| Wed | Oct | 09 | Test #1 | |||
| Fri | Oct | 11 |
Lecture 19:
|
Atoms and Light | Chapter 5 to 5.3 | |
| Mon | Oct | 14 | Fall Break | |||
| Wed | Oct | 16 |
Lecture 20:
|
Light | Chapter 5.4 to end | |
| Fri | Oct | 18 |
Lecture 21:
|
Light & Telescopes | Chapter 6 | |
| Mon | Oct | 21 |
Lecture 22:
|
Telescopes | Chapter 14 | |
| Wed | Oct | 23 |
Lecture 23:
|
The Sun | Chapter 7 | |
| Fri | Oct | 25 |
Lecture 24:
|
Sun and Solar System Overview | Chapter 7 | |
| Mon | Oct | 28 |
Lecture 25:
|
Solar System Overview (Cont.) | Chapter 8 | |
| Wed | Oct | 30 |
Lecture 26:
|
Solar System Overview and Origin | Chapters 8 | |
| Fri | Nov | 01 |
Lecture 27:
|
Origin of Solar System | Chapter 13 | |
| Mon | Nov | 04 |
Lecture 28:
|
Exoplanets | Chapter 9.1 | |
| Wed | Nov | 06 |
Lecture 29:
|
Earth: Geology | Chapter 9.2 | |
| Fri | Nov | 08 |
Lecture 30:
|
Earth: Geology and Magnetic Field | Chapter 9.6 | |
| End of Lectures for Test #2 | ||||||
| Mon | Nov | 11 |
Lecture 31:
|
Earth's Magnetic Field & Atmosphere | Chapter 9.3-9.5 | No homework this week |
| Wed | Nov | 13 | Test #2 | |||
| Fri | Nov | 15 |
Lecture 32:
|
Earth's Weather & The Moon Moon: Formation & Mercury --> | Chapter 10.1-10.2 | |
| Mon | Nov | 18 |
Lecture 33:
|
Moon and Mercury | Chapter 10.6 | |
| Wed | Nov | 20 |
Lecture 34:
|
Mercury and Venus | Chapters 9.3-9.5 | |
| Fri | Nov | 22 |
Lecture 35:
|
Mars | Chapters 10.3-10.5, 11.1 | |
| Mon | Nov | 25 |
Lecture 36:
|
Jupiter and Saturn | Chapter 11.2-11.3 | |
| Wed | Nov | 27 | Thanksgiving Break | |||
| Fri | Nov | 29 | Thanksgiving Break | |||
| Mon | Dec | 02 |
Lecture 37:
|
Saturn & Outer Solar System | Chapters 12.1-12.3 | |
| Wed | Dec | 04 |
Lecture 38:
|
Comets, Asteroids, Meteor, & Meteorites | Chapter 12.4 | |
| Thu | Dec | 05 |
|
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| Fri | Dec | 06 |
Lecture 39:
|
Impacts & Extinctions | Chapter 24 (optional) | |
| Fri | Dec | 06 |
Final Exam Review
|
Impacts & Extinctions -->Final Exam Review | ||
| Wed | Dec | 11 | Final Exam, 9 am - noon | |||
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