ASTRO 1105 - The Universe

(PBS)

Summer. 3 credits.

Forbidden Overlap: Students may not receive credit for both ASTRO 1105 and ASTRO 1107.
Recommended prerequisite: high school physics.

D. Kornreich.

How do we measure the size of our galaxy and the size of the universe? Is the universe round or flat? How are the stars born, why do they shine, and how do they die? What are the chemical elements, and how were they formed in stars? What are quasars, pulsars, and black holes? How was the solar system formed? What are the environments of other planets like? What is the basic structure of Earth and the other planets? Will we catastrophically alter the earth? Does life exist elsewhere in the universe? How can we find out? Each student has an opportunity to make observations with small telescopes.