Introduction to Astrophysics

Catalog description

This course is an introduction to modern astronomy and astrophysics. Starting from basic physical principles, we will begin with a number of practical problems in observational astronomy: the location of stars in the sky, optical telescopes and detectors, and measuring the brightness of stars and galaxies. From here, we will go on to discuss the formation, evolution, and death of stars and how these astronomical processes have influenced the world around us. Finally, we will end with a discussion of cosmological evolution from the big bang onward.