Required Topics - Astronomy
ASTR 1303 - Stellar Astronomy
Topics marked with * may also be covered in ASTR 1304
I. Fundamentals
a. Celestial coordinate system *
b. Newton's Laws of Motion and Gravity
c. Light and Matter *
i. Wave-particle duality of light
ii. Electromagnetic spectrum
iii. Luminosity and Brightness
iv. Kirchoff's Laws
v. The Bohr Model of the atom
vi. Astronomical Spectroscopy
d. Telescopes *
II. Properties of Stars
a. The Sun *
b. Nuclear fusion
c. Magnitude system
d. Spectral types
e. The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram
f. Binary stars and stellar mass
g. Star clusters
III. Process of stellar evolution
a. High-mass vs. low-mass stars
b. Stellar remnants
i. white dwarfs
ii. novae and supernovae
iii. neutron stars and pulsars
iv. black holes
IV. Galaxies
a. Structure of the Milky Way
b. Types of galaxies
c. Theories of galaxy formation
d. Quasars and active galaxies
V. Cosmology
a. The expansion of the universe
b. The Big Bang Theory
ASTR 1304 - Solar Astronomy
Topics marked with * may also be covered in ASTR 1303
I. Fundamentals
a. Angle measure *
b. The origin of the seasons
c. Apparent retrograde motion
d. Solar System Models
i. Geocentric models
ii. Heliocentric models
e. The Renaissance
i. Discoveries of Galileo *
ii. Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion *
iii. Newton's Laws of Motion and Gravity*
f. Solar System Exploration
II. The Inner Planets (emphasis on comparison and contrast)
a. Earth
b. the Moon
c. Mercury
d. Venus
e. Mars
III. The Outer Planets (with emphasis on comparison and contrast)
a. Jupiter
b. Saturn
c. Uranus
d. Neptune
e. The satellites of the outer planets
f. Ring systems
IV. Minor bodies
a. Pluto
b. Asteroids
c. Comets
d. Meteors
V. Summative topics
a. The origin of the solar system, including the Earth and the Moon
b. The search for extrasolar planets *
c. Possibilities for extraterrestrial life *