Foundations Astronomy
Ever wonder what the universe is, what it's full of, why the sky is blue, why the night sky is dark and full of stars, and how it all got to be this way? Well, this is the course for you. We'll cover stars, exotic stellar objects (white dwarfs, red giants, neutron stars and black holes), supernova explosions, the origin of atomic elements, galaxies, giant radio sources, quasars, clusters of galaxies, the fabric of space and time, and Big Bang cosmology. This course provides you with a foundation for understanding these varied phenomena, connecting our observations of the Universe to the physics we've uncovered here on Earth.
All course requirements are given in the syllabus, which should be referenced for all expectations and policies of the class. The primary resource for the course is the textbook Foundations of Astrophysics, 1st edition, by Barbara Ryden and Bradley Peterson. An "International Edition" paperpack version can be found on, e.g., Amazon for a lower price and appears to contain all relevant material, although no guarantee is made about this as the instructor has the hardback version.
This website hosts useful information for the course, including lecture slides and related material and homework assignments, for your convenience. Announcements may be posted on this page, which can be reached from any page by clicking on the course name banner at the top. All other pages are linked to via the navigation bar below the banner. Canvas will also be used extensively, for communication purposes, video uploads, grade reporting, and all important announcements.
