Astro 001

MTWRF 9:35-10:50, Jul 02-Aug 13, 108 Wartik
Brendan Miller: bmiller@astro.psu.edu


Syllabus Homework Midterm exam Final exam

#DayDateTopicReading
1W7/02Introduction; syllabus; cosmic voyageCh. E
2R7/03Geocentric vs heliocentric solar system1.1,1.2
 F7/04Independence Day; no class
3M7/07Kepler's laws; Newton's laws1.3, 1.4
 T7/08No class today; attend Astrofest instead (worksheet) 
4W7/09Nature of light; blackbody radiation and relationship to temp2.1-2.4
5R7/10Structure of matter; emission/absorption of light; Doppler effect2.5-2.8
6F7/11Telescopes: past, present, and future; radio, optical, X-rayCh. 3
7M7/14Earth and Moon, Terrestrial planets, Jovian planetsCh. 5,6,7
8T7/15Moons, planetary rings, and dwarf planetsCh. 8
9W7/16Asteroids and comets; formation of solar system4.1-4.3
10R7/17Extrasolar planets: detection methods, characteristics4.4
11F7/18Properties of the sun; how stars shine; sunspots, flaresCh. 9
 M7/21Midterm: in-class exam 
12T7/22HR diagram; luminosity/color/temperature/size/lifetime of starsCh. 10
13W7/23Star formation and the interstellar mediumCh. 11
 R7/24Using DS9; looking at nebulae 
14F7/25Stellar evolution for low and high mass starsCh. 12
15M7/28Pulsars, gamma-ray bursts, and black holesCh. 13
16T7/29Variable stars, including Algols and Cepheids 
17W7/30Structure of the Milky Way; spiral arms, dark matterCh. 14
18R7/31Spirals and ellipticals; Hubble tuning forkCh. 15
19F8/01Starbursts, interacting galaxies; groups, clustersCh. 16
20M8/04Active galaxies and quasars; unification models15.4, 16.4
21T8/05Radio sources and inclination; modern surveys  
22W8/06Hubble's law; the expanding universe and its implications15.3, 17
23R8/07Formation of the universe: the "Big Bang", nucleosynthesis, galaxy formationCh. 17
24F8/08Cosmic microwave background; inflation; dark energy 
25M8/11Dark energy, parallel universes, wormholes 
26T8/12Possibilities for life in the universe; detection, communicationCh. 18
 W8/13Last day of class; review for final exam 

Updated July 1, 2008