Topics in Astronomy and Cosmology. 3 credits, 3 contact hours

Catalog description

Prerequisites: college-level physics and mathematics. A survey of recent progress in astronomy, the physical principles involved, and the impact these new discoveries have on our understanding of the universe. Includes results from recent and ongoing planetary probes of our solar system, discovery of planetary systems around other stars, the evolution of stars, exotic objects such as neutron stars and black holes, the formation of galaxies, and current understanding of the birth and final fate of the universe. Observing sessions familiarize students with the sun, moon, and night sky.