The Universe
Detailed outlines of each lecture will be made available on this page (simply click on the lecture as listed below), usually within 24 hours of the lecture itself. Click here for a guide to what you should read in the textbooks.
The exact schedule of the observing sessions may be changed, due to the vagaries of weather. Review sessions for the midterm and final will be scheduled closer to the date.
| Tuesday February 7 |
Introduction:
Our Solar System and Life (Chapters 1 and 7 of CP) |
| Thursday February 9 |
Motions on the Sky and Ancient Astronomy
(Chapters 2 and 3 of CP) |
| Tuesday February 14 |
The Copernican
Revolution:
Science and Skepticism (Chapter 3 of CP) |
| Discussion/Problem Session: Wednesday, February 15 7:30-9:30 PM, Peyton Hall Auditorium | |
| Thursday February 16 | Kepler, Newton, and The Law of Universal
Gravitation (Chapter 4 of CP) Homework #1 due. Observing session, February 16, Peyton Hall, 9 PM (for those whose names start with A-E) |
| Tuesday February 21 | Philosophy of
Science; Four Fundamental Forces; Radiation and Radioactive Dating: How Old is the
Solar System?
(Chapter 5, 8 and 9 of CP) |
| Observing session, February 21, 9 PM, Peyton Hall (for those whose last names start with F-J) | |
| Thursday February 23 | Light, Black-Body Radiation, and Spectroscopy
(Chapters 5 of CP) |
|
Discussion/Problem Session: Monday, February 27,
7:30-9:30 PM, Peyton Hall Auditorium
|
|
| Tuesday February 28 |
Planetary Habitability and the Greenhouse
Effect. (Chapter 10
of CP) Homework #2 due. |
| Observing session, February 28, 9 PM, Peyton Hall (for those whose names start with K-O) | |
| Thursday March 1 | Life in the Solar System and Beyond
(Chapter 24 of CP) |
| Tuesday March 6 | The
Properties of Stars
(Chapter 15 of CP) |
|
Observing session (last names P-Z), 9pm Peyton Hall Discussion/Problem Session: Wednesday, March 7, 7:30-9:30 PM, Peyton Hall Auditorium |
|
| Thursday March 8 |
How do stars shine? (Chapter 14 of CP) Homework #3 due |
| Tuesday March 13 | Star Life and Star Death
(Chapters 15, 16, 17 of CP) |
| Wednesday March 14 | Review for midterm, 7:30-9:30 PM, 10 Guyot Hall |
| Thursday March 15 | Midterm Exam in class |
| Spring Break! | |
| Tuesday March 27 | Stellar Explosions and the Interstellar Medium
(Chapters 16, 17, 19 of CP) |
| Thursday March 29 3 | Stellar Remnants and Special Theory of Relativity
(Chapter 18, S2 of CP) |
| Tuesday April 3 | General Theory of Relativity
(Chapter S3 of CP) Discussion/Problem Session, Wednesday, April 4, 7:30-9:30 PM, Peyton Hall Auditorium |
| Thursday April 5 |
Astrophysical Black Holes
(Chapter 18 of CP) Homework #4 due |
| Tuesday April 10 |
The Nature of Galaxies (I); Classification Systems
(Chapter 20 of CP) |
| Thursday April 12 |
The Extragalactic Distance Scale (Chapter 20 of
CP) Observing session, April 12, 9 PM, Peyton Hall |
| Tuesday April 17 |
Telescopes, Redshifts and the Expanding Universe
(Chapter 20 of CP
) |
| Discussion/Problem Session, Wednesday, April 18, 7:30-9:30 PM, Peyton Hall Auditorium | |
| Thursday April 19 |
The Nature of Galaxies (II); Black Holes and Dark Matter
(Chapter 21 of CP) Homework #5 due |
| Tuesday April 24 |
Galaxy Evolution and the Growth of Structure
(Chapter 22 of CP) Observing session, April 24, 9:00 PM, Peyton Hall |
| Thursday April 26 | The Cosmic Microwave Backgorund and the Fate of the Universe (Chapter 22 of CP) |
| Tuesday May 1 | The Accelerating Universe (Chapter 22 of CP)
|
| Discussion/Problem Session: Wednesday, May 2, 7:30-9:30 PM, Peyton Hall Auditorium | |
| Thursday May 3 |
Early Universe and Inflation
(Chapter 23 of CP) Homework #6 due |