Survey of the Universe

Catalog description

This course is a survey of our current understanding of the physical Universe. Consideration will range in length scales from the sub-atomic to large clusters of galaxies as well as time scales from the earliest universe through today and into the future. Broad topics will include a foundational example of how we construct knowledge of places we cannot currently visit (the cosmic distance ladder), what stars are and how they evolve, the evolution and current structure of our solar system, current thinking on the probability of extraterrestrial life and models for the evolution of matter in the universe and its ultimate fate. Along the way students will explore cosmic phenomena such as neutron stars, black holes, supernovae, dark matter and the mysterious dark energy.