Overview of the main ideas in our current view of the universe and how these ideas originated. Galaxies, quasars, stars, black holes, and planets. Students cannot receive credit for this course after receiving credit for ASTR 2.
General Education Code
SI
Over time, many cultures have developed rich relationships with the night sky, with important implications for timekeeping, agriculture, navigation, and views about the nature of the universe and humanity’s place within it. This course explores the sky through the lens of several different historical traditions. Students analyze similarities and differences between these interpretations of naked-eye astronomy in the context of their historical origins. As the search for life beyond Earth intensifies, students are asked to explore how cultural comparisons may be used to add humanistic rigor to the scientific field of astrobiology. No prior knowledge of astronomy is required.
Cross Listed Courses
ANCS 49
Instructor
Ruth Murray-Clay
General Education Code
CC
An overview of the main ideas in our current view of the universe, and how they originated. Galaxies, quasars, stars, pulsars, and planets. Intended primarily for nonscience majors interested in a one-quarter survey of classical and modern astronomy. Students cannot receive credit for
ASTR 1 after receiving credit for ASTR 2.
General Education Code
MF
Properties of the solar system and other planetary systems. Topics include the Sun, solar system exploration, the physical nature of the Earth and the other planets, comets and asteroids, the origin of the solar system, the possibility of life on other worlds, planet formation, and the discovery and characterization of planets beyond the solar system. Intended for nonscience majors.
ASTR 3,
ASTR 4, and ASTR 5 are independent and may be taken separately or sequentially.
General Education Code
MF
Stellar evolution: observed properties of stars, internal structure of stars, stages of a star's life including stellar births, white dwarfs, supernovae, pulsars, neutron stars, and black holes. Planet and constellation identification. Intended for nonscience majors. ASTR 3,
ASTR 4, and ASTR 5 are independent and may be taken separately or sequentially.
General Education Code
MF
The universe explained. Fundamental concepts of modern cosmology (Big Bang, dark matter, curved space, black holes, star and galaxy formation), the basic physics underlying them, and their scientific development. Intended for non-science majors.
ASTR 3,
ASTR 4, and ASTR 5 are independent and may be taken separately.
General Education Code
MF
Scientific study of the Moon, Earth, Mercury, Venus, and Mars by the space program; history of rocket development; the Apollo program and exploration of the Moon; unmanned spacecraft studies of the terrestrial planets; scientific theories of planetary surfaces and atmospheres. Intended for nonscience majors.
General Education Code
SI
Examines the nature of black holes, including their creation and evolution; evidence for their existence from astronomical observations; and the role of black holes in the evolution of the universe. Also examines current ideas about the nature of space, time, and gravity.
General Education Code
MF
Introduces how we use observational data to learn about stars, galaxies, planets, and cosmology. Covers astronomical data and experimental design and basic physics and statistical techniques, such as model fitting, regression, significance tests, and error estimation.
General Education Code
SR
Introduction to research for first-year students interested in physics and astrophysics. Students complete projects in small groups with scientists. Introduces techniques for collaboration; science writing; physics careers. Continuing course spanning two quarters. Enrollment is restricted to first-year proposed astrophysics and physics majors and by permission of the instructor.
Introduction to research for first-year students interested in physics and astrophysics. Students complete projects in small groups with scientists. Introduces techniques for collaboration; science writing; physics careers. Continuing course spanning two quarters. Prerequisite(s): ASTR 9A. Enrollment is restricted to first-year proposed applied physics, physics, and physics (astrophysics) majors and by permission of the instructor.
General Education Code
PR-E
Broad scientific overview of the universe, from the Big Bang to planet Earth. Origin and content: Big Bang, dark matter, dark energy, galaxies, black holes, star systems, exoplanets. Solar system and properties of Earth in relation to other planets. Physics of planetary atmospheres and impact of human activity on Earth's climate. Possibility of terraforming and of life beyond the solar system. Fate of Earth, the solar system, and the universe. Active learning class with continuous assessment. Intended for non-science majors. No previous college-level math, physics, or astronomy required.
General Education Code
SI
An introduction to the observational facts and physical theory pertaining to stars. Topics include the observed properties of stars and the physics underlying those properties; stellar atmospheres; stellar structure and evolution. Intended for science majors and qualified non-science majors. Knowledge of high school physics and an understanding of mathematics at the
MATH 2 level required.
General Education Code
MF
Introduction to modern cosmology and extragalactic astronomy. Topics include the origin of the universe, Big Bang cosmology, expansion of the universe, dark matter and dark energy, properties of galaxies and active galactic nuclei, and very energetic phenomena in our own and other galaxies. Intended for science majors and qualified non-science majors. Knowledge of high school physics and an understanding of mathematics at the
MATH 2 level required.
General Education Code
MF
Course is primarily concerned with the structure, formation, and astrophysical manifestations of compact objects, such as white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes, and the astronomical evidence for their existence. Intended for science majors and qualified non-science majors. Knowledge of high school physics and an understanding of mathematics at the
MATH 2 level required.
General Education Code
MF
Topics include the detection of extrasolar planets, planet formation, stellar evolution and properties of Mars, the exploration of our solar system and the search for life within it, and the evolution of life on Earth. Intended for science majors and qualified non-science majors. Knowledge of high school physics and an understanding of mathematics at the
MATH 2 level required.
General Education Code
MF
Our solar system and newly discovered planetary systems. Formation and structure of planets, moons, rings, asteroids, comets. Intended for science majors and qualified non-science majors. Knowledge of high school physics and an understanding of mathematics at the
MATH 2 level required.
General Education Code
MF
Introduces how we use computer programming to solve scientific problems. Covers basic Python programming, code repositories, and scientific plotting and graphing. Introduces more advanced techniques through small projects featuring real data from throughout the sciences, with a focus on using programming to evaluate the statistical significance of scientific claims.
General Education Code
SR
Introductory course for students pursuing the astrophysics major (or who have a similar physics/math background). Course introduces students to current topics and research in a astronomy and astrophysics, and gives students the background necessary for success in the 100-level Astrophysics laboratory classes (PHYS 135 or ASTR 136). Class focuses on three central types of objects in modern astronomy: stars, planets, and galaxies, building off of our nearest examples, the Sun, solar system planets, and the Milky Way. The class differs from GE classes like ASTR 2 in that a higher level of math and physics experience is assumed.
Cross-listed Courses
Provides a graduate-level introduction to the field of astrobiology. Provides an overview of the relevant basic physical, chemical and biological processes, and then proceeds to discuss definitions of life, the origin of life on Earth, the potential for life to exist in this solar system or elsewhere, and how one might go about detecting it. An undergraduate lower-division understanding of physics, chemistry and biology is assumed.
Cross Listed Courses
ASTR 216
Explores how astrobiology and literature (especially science fiction) have been linked culturally as each explores ideas about alien life. As planetary astronomy has refined our ability to detect and image exoplanets beyond our own solar system, the question of the existence of life on or around exoplanets has gained a renewed urgency. The principal challenge of this course is how to imagine aliens that are scientifically coherent while also capturing the true variety and difference suggested by astrobiology. The course also provides a philosophical and literary introduction to the scientific method, and a scientific framework for evaluating public imaginaries about alien life.
Cross Listed Courses
ASTR 167O
General Education Code
SI
Survey of observational astronomy across the electromagnetic spectrum and including multi-messenger probes. Covers the physics of light detection and instrumentation in different wavelength bands as well as astrophysical sources of emission and the relevant radiative processes associated to them. Aspects of statistics and statistical inference relevant for astronomical data analysis are also covered.
Cross Listed Courses
ASTR 114
Particle physics and cosmology of the very early universe: thermodynamics and thermal history; out-of-equilibrium phenomena (e.g., WIMPs freeze-out, neutrino cosmology, Big Bang nucleosynthesis, recombination); baryogenesis; inflation; topological defects. High-energy astrophysical processes: overview of cosmic ray and gamma ray astrophysics; radiative and inelastic processes; astroparticle acceleration mechanisms; magnetic fields and cosmic ray transport; radiation-energy density of the universe; ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays; dark-matter models; and detection techniques.
Cross Listed Courses
ASTR 224