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.
| Tuesday February 3 |
Introduction:
Our Solar System and Life (Chapters 1 and 7 of CP) |
| Thursday February 5 |
Motions on the Sky and Ancient Astronomy
(Chapters 2 and 3 of CP) |
| Tuesday February 10 |
The Coperican
Revolution:
Science and Skepticism (Chapter 3 of CP) |
| Discussion/Problem Session: Wednesday, February 11 7:30-9:30 PM, Peyton Hall Auditorium | |
| Thursday February 12 | Kepler, Newton, and The Law of Universal
Gravitation (Chapter 4 of CP) Homework #1 due. Observing session, February 12, Peyton Hall, 8 PM (for those whose names start with A-F) |
| Tuesday February 17 | 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 17, 8 PM, Peyton Hall (for those whose last names start with G-M) | |
| Thursday February 19 | Light, Black-Body Radiation, and Spectroscopy
(Chapters 5 of CP) |
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Discussion/Problem Session: Monday, February 23,
7:30-9:30 PM, Peyton Hall Auditorium
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| Tuesday February 24 |
Planetary Habitability and the Greenhouse
Effect. (Chapter 10
of CP) Homework #2 due. |
| Observing session, February 24, 9 PM, Peyton Hall (for those whose names start with N-Z) | |
| Thursday February 26 | Life in the Solar System and Beyond
(Chapter 24 of CP) |
| Tuesday March 3 | The
Properties of Stars
(Chapter 15 of CP) Discussion/Problem Session: Wednesday, March 4, 7:30-9:30 PM, Peyton Hall Auditorium |
| Thursday March 5 |
How do stars shine? (Chapter 14 of CP) Homework #3 due |
| Tuesday March 10 | Star Life and Star Death
(Chapters 15, 16, 17 of CP) |
| Wednesday March 11 | Discussion/Review for midterm, 7:30 PM, Peyton Hall Auditorium (tentative date) |
| Thursday March 12 | Midterm Exam in class |
| Spring Break! | |
| Tuesday March 24 | Stellar Explosions
(Chapters 16, 17, 18 of CP) |
| Thursday March 26 | White Dwarfs, Neutron Stars, Black Holes
(Chapter 18 of CP) |
| Tuesday March 31 | The Structure of the Milky Way and the Interstellar Medium
(Chapter 19, 20, 22 of CP) Discussion/Problem Session, Wednesday, April 1, 7:30-9:30 PM, Peyton Hall Auditorium |
| Thursday April 2 |
The Expansion of the Universe and the Big Bang
(Chapters 22, 23 of CP) Homework #4 due |
| Tuesday April 7 |
Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity, Part I
(Chapter S2 of CP; Chapters 1 and 2 of TTEU) |
| Thursday April 9 | Einstein's
Special Theory of Relativity, Part II (Chapter S2 of
CP; Chapters 1 and 2 of TTEU) Observing session, April 9, 9 PM, Peyton Hall |
| Tuesday April 14 | Einstein's
General Theory of Relativity (Chapter S3 of CP;
Chapters 1 and 2 of TTEU) |
| Discussion/Problem Session, Wednesday, April 15, 7:30-9:30 PM, Peyton Hall Auditorium | |
| Thursday April 16 | Black
Holes (Chapter 18 of CP; Chapter 3 of TTEU) Homework #5 due |
| Tuesday April 21 |
Cosmic
Strings, Wormholes, and Time Travel
(Chapters S3 and S4 of CP; Chapter 3 of
TTEU) Observing session, April 21, 9 PM, Peyton Hall |
| Thursday April 23 | The Big
Bang
and the Shape of the Universe (Chapters
22 and 23 of CP;
Chapter 4 of TTEU) |
| Tuesday April 28 | Inflation, and Recent Developments in Cosmology
(Chapters 22 and 23 of CP; Chapter 4 of TTEU) |
| Discussion/Problem Session: Wednesday, April 29, 7:30-9:30 PM, Peyton Hall Auditorium | |
| Thursday April 30 | Our Future
in the Universe (Chapter 5 of TTEU) Homework #6 due |
| Final exam, Monday, May 18th, 9:00 AM, McDonnell A02 |