ASTR288 C

Special Projects in Astronomy: 

Astronomy Research Techniques 

This intermediate-level course for astronomy majors is designed as a hands-on introduction to astrophysical research. Students will gain hands-on experience using real astrophysical data and state-of-the-art astronomical software. With different backgrounds and specialties, the instructors will demonstrate a wide range of techniques used by professional astronomers. Dr. Troja's expertise is the study of gamma-ray bursts using optical, X-rays, and gamma-rays observations. Dr. Hewitt's expertise is the study of Galactic accelerators using radio, IR and gamma-ray observations.

This semester the course will focus on optical, X-ray, and gamma-ray data reduction and analysis.  Science topics will include stellar explosions such as gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), supernovae (SNe), and their remnants, at an introductory level. The course will involve weekly discussions followed by independent lab time and weekly assignments. The material covered in class will prepare the students for a final research project. 

This website will be regularly maintained  and will serve as an important resource for the course. We will post here any update concerning the course calendar, lectures, and assignments, thus please check the site frequently!