ASTR& 101 - Intro to Astronomy

Credits: 5
Variable Credit Course: No

Lecture Hours: 44
Lab Hours: 22
Worksite/Clinical Hours: 0
Other Hours (LIA/Internships): 0

Course Description: A survey of astronomy including the solar system, stellar evolution, galactic structure, and cosmology. Emphasis on recent discoveries, historical and cultural impact of astronomy, application of physical science to astronomical observations, and stargazing. Lab included.

Prerequisite: ENGL 099 with a grade of C or higher (or placement into college-level English); and either placement into OR co-enrollment in OR completion of a college-level Math course with a grade of C or higher.
Distribution Requirements:

Natural Sciences Distribution Requirement

Meets FQE Requirement: No
Integrative Experience Requirement: No

Student Learning Outcomes

Recognize the historic and cultural significance of astronomy, navigation, and celestial events in a variety of cultures and times, and understand how to replicate basic celestial observations.
Identify bright stars, planets, and constellations and know how their positions vary as a function of hour, season, and location.
Know the similarities and differences among the Earth, its Moon, and the other planets and moons in the Solar System.
Know the theories of gravity and special relativity can be used to model the evolutions of stars, galaxies, and the universe, and recognize the limitations of these models.
Understand some basic ideas on the scientific explanation of the origin and evolution of the universe, and how we can scientifically test these theories.
What we can observe with binoculars or simple telescopes in our local skies that expresses the processes described in points 1 through 5.
Identifies the ways in which cultural expectations, assumptions and beliefs define who we are, how others see us, and influence how others and we perform science.

Course Contents

Introduction, History/Cultural Impacts
Calendars, Light, Optics
Solar System-Keple’s and Newton’s Laws, Cosmogeny
Terrestrial Planets and Moon
Jovian Planets, Meteors, Comets
Stars and Stellar Evolution; Fusion reactions
Exotics-dwarfs, pulsars, neutron stars, black holes
Galaxies, Quasars, Hubble’s Law
Cosmology-Big Bang Theory, Inflation, Cosmic Background Radiation
Extras: Special and general relativity, SETI, archaeostronomy

Instructional Units: 5.5