1

Aug. 25

General introduction to the course and information.
Reading: Ch. 1, all, and Ch.3, sec. 3.4 and 3.5
Assignment: register for Mastering Astronomy and complete introduction tutorial (ungraded).

2

Aug. 27

Review of course information – Order of magnitude astronomy – Size scales – Light year – Lookback time.
Reading remains on Ch. 1 and completion of tutorial on Mastering Astronomy.

3

Sep. 1

Properties of light and its interaction with matter – The Atom.
Reading: Ch. 5.1, 5.2, 5.3.
Homework #1 on Mastering Astronomy due on Thu. 09/10.

4

Sep. 3

The interaction between matter and light – Emission and Absorption spectra – Blackbody radiation – Doppler effect.
Reading: Ch. 5.3, 5.4, 5.5.
Homework #1 on Mastering Astronomy due on Thu. 09/10.
Notes from the math review session: review.ppt

5

Sep. 8

Telescopes.
Reading: Ch. 6 Homework #1 on Mastering Astronomy due on Thu. 09/10.

6

Sep. 10

The Sun: distance measurement – composition – interior structure. Fusion and the problem of the solar neutrino.
Reading: Ch. 14.1, 14.2.
Homework #2 on Mastering Astronomy due on Thu. 09/22.

7

Sep. 15

The Sun: structure – Helioseismology – Sunspots – Flares and coronal mass ejections.
Reading: Ch. 14.2, 14.3.

8

Sep. 17

Midterm I

9

Sep. 22

Stars: Apparent Brightness – Parallax method to measure distances – Measuring temperatures and spectral classification.
Reading: Ch 15.1 (up to before mass measurements).
Homework # 3 due Tuesday, Sept. 29.

10

Sep. 24

Measuring star masses – Binary stars: visual, eclipsing and spectroscopic binary – The H-R diagram: properties of stars on the main sequence.
Reading: Ch.15, all.
Homework #3 due Tuesday, Sept. 29.

11

Sep. 29

Star birth: molecular clouds – protostars and their evolution on the H-R diagram. The evolution of low-mass stars after the main sequence.
Ch.16 (all) and Ch.17 till pag. 570.
Homework #4 due Thursday, Oct. 8.

12

Oct. 1

End state of low-mass stars: white dwarves and planetary nebulae – The evolution of a high-mass star.
Reading: Ch.17 till pag. 576, and Ch.18: pag.588.
Homework #4 due Thursday, Oct. 8.

13

Oct. 6

The evolution of a high-mass star(cont.) and its death – Supernovae and supernovae remnants – Mass transfer in binary systems – Novae and while dwarf supernovae.
Reading: Ch. 17.3., 17.4., Ch.18.1.
Homework #4 due Thursday, Oct. 8.

14

Oct. 8

Neutron stars and their manifestation as pulsars.
Reading: Ch. 18.2.
Homework #5 due Tuesday, Oct. 20.

15

Oct. 13

General Relativity and Black Holes – Gamma-Ray Bursts.
Reading: Ch. 18.3, 18.4.
Homework #5 due Tuesday, Oct. 20.

16

Oct. 15

Midterm II

17

Oct. 20

Fiske Planetarium show: “Searching for Distant Worlds”

18

Oct. 22

The Milky Way anatomy: disk, bulge and halo. - The various phases of gas in the Milky Way.
Reading: Ch.19.1, 19.2.
Home work #6 on Mastering Astronomy due Tue, Nov. 3.

19

Oct. 27

The history of the Milky Way.
Reading: Ch.19.3
Homework #6 on Mastering Astronomy due Tue, Nov.3.

20

Oct. 29

Measuring the mass of the Milky Way: evidence for Dark Matter - The Galactic Center - Galaxy types
Reading: Ch.19.4, 20.1, 22.2 (pag.682-683)
Homework #6 on Mastering Astronomy due Tue, Nov.3.

21

Nov. 3

Galaxy classification – Groups and clusters of galaxies – Measuring Galactic distances.
Reading: Ch. 20.1, 20.2.
Homework #7 on Mastering Astronomy due Tue, Nov.10.

22

Nov. 5

The expansion of the Universe - Hubble's law - Cosmological redshift
Reading: Ch. 20.3.
Homework #7 on Mastering Astronomy due Tue, Nov.10.

23

Nov. 10

The life histories of galaxies – formation of spiral and elliptical galaxies – galaxy mergers – Starburst galaxies – Active Galactic Nuclei: Quasars and radio Galaxies
Reading: Ch.21.
Homework #8 on Mastering Astronomy due Tue, Nov.17.

24

Nov. 12

Structure formation – Evolutionary scenarios of the Universe
Reading: Ch.22
Homework #8 on Mastering Astronomy due Tue, Nov.17.

25

Nov. 17

The fate of the Universe – Dark Energy – Midterm Review.
Reading: Ch.22
Homework #9 on Mastering Astronomy due Tue, Dec.1.

26

Nov. 19

Midterm III

Nov. 24

               Thanksgiving break

Nov. 26

               Thanksgiving break

27

Dec. 1

The beginning of the Universe: The Big Bang Theory.
Reading: Ch. 23.1, 23.2.
Homework #1 on Mastering Astronomy due today, by 5pm

28

Dec. 3

General Review of the course.

29

Dec. 8

Fiske Planetarium show: “The Milky Way: a City of Stars”

30

Dec 10

Course review. Questions and answer session.

  FINAL EXAM: Sat, Dec. 12, 7:30-10pm,  in G1B30