Prerequisites:
NONE
Enrollment
Restrictions:
NONE
This course is designed to introduce students to the makeup and structure of our Solar System and it parts – the Sun, planets, comets, asteroids, and meteorites. The course focuses equally on what we have learned about the extraterrestrial environment and how we have come to these conclusions. We stress the historical development of our conception of the Solar System, and how astronomical observations have influenced that development. This course is designed for non-science majors, and no prior knowledge of astronomy or physics is required. However, this course does require the application of basic math skills.
This course begins with an examination of the night sky and its motions, and how these motions have been understood throughout history. We discuss models that describe these motions, ranging from the earliest geocentric models to the modern heliocentric paradigm, and consider the observational and philosophical implications inherent in each model. The battle between heliocentrism and geocentrism is examined in detail, and we see how our modern conception of science emerges from this conflict. The course also provides a modern perspective on the study of the objects in our Solar System, with an emphasis on comparing planetary environments and understanding the physics that is responsible for the large variety of structure seen in the many worlds of our Solar System.
Material for this course is presented in three lectures and one three-hour laboratory session per week. The laboratory sequence also includes three night observing sessions (roughly one per month), where students will learn how to recognize constellations and navigate the sky, use telescopes, and take their own digital images of astronomical objects. The schedule for the night observing sessions is flexible but constrained by the weather; therefore, students will be expected to have relatively flexible evening schedules to complete this component of the lab program.
Textbook and laboratory handouts.