Astronomy 1: Introductory Astronomy

Course Description

Astro 1 is an introductory astronomy course that assumes no particular prior knowledge of astronomy. High school algebra is the only prerequisite; basic physics is taught as needed. There are six nighttime labs throughout the semester. Students will have the opportunity to make telescopic observations.

We cover the following topics: motions of the sky, the historical development of astronomy (and physics), basic mechanics and energy, the formation of the solar system and planetary science, stars, galaxies, the expansion of the universe. We will also spend a week studying the recent detections of extrasolar planets - planets orbiting other stars.

Our textbook is Bennett et al.'s The Cosmic Perspective (5^th edition).

The class Blackboard page contains a lot of information, much of it accessible to visitors.

Class Information

Office hours
Syllabus

Links

Astronomy picture of the day (this should be the start-up page on your browser)

Lab calendar

The week's sky at a glance

Weather links