Revised 4/2018

PHY 150 - Elements of Astronomy (4 CR.)

Course Description

Covers history of astronomy and its recent developments. Stresses the use of astronomical instruments and measuring techniques and includes the study and observation of the solar system, stars, and galaxies. 4 Credits. Lecture 3 hours. Lab 3 hours. Total 6 hours. 4 credits

General Course Purpose

This course serves as a one-semester laboratory science course for non-science majors and as a science elective for science majors. The topics covered are taught from a scientific perspective, with a focus on physics, geology and chemistry. Philosophical notions about the universe that have existed throughout history to the present day will be contextualized into a cosmological understanding of the vastness of space and time. This course, in conjunction with NAS 125 (which we recommend be updated to PHY 155) Meteorology, may fulfill the requirement as a one-year lab science course for non-science majors.

Course Prerequisites/Corequisites

Prerequisite: Placement into ENG 111 or division approval

Course Objectives

Upon completing the course, the student will be able to:

  • describe the spatial and temporal scales of the expanding universe.
  • explain the scientific method and its application to science and astronomy, that produced new theories and the many scientific revolutions that followed.
  • list and describe the physical laws that govern the interaction of matter, energy, time, and space in the cosmos and how they allow astronomers to comprehend the vast array of objects observable in the sky.
  • describe how electromagnetic radiation is produced and utilized by astronomers to understand phenomena that lie at remote distances from the Earth and how studying greater distances correlates to a view of the universe further back in time.
  • describe how studying exotic forms of life on Earth may assist in the search for life elsewhere and how human introspection may aid in pursuit for extraterrestrial intelligence within our galaxy.

Major Topics to Be Included

  • Observing the night sky and astronomical time keeping.
  • The history & development of astronomy and related laws of physics.
  • The nature & physics of light. Optics, telescopes and spectroscopy.
  • The Earth as a planet and its nearest neighbor, the Moon.
  • Atmospheric and geological characteristics of planets, moons and minor bodies of the solar system.
  • The atmosphere and interior of the Sun. Sunspots and the solar cycle.
  • The characteristics of stars illustrated by the H-R diagram.
  • Stellar evolution from birth to death, including stellar remnants such as black holes understood through knowledge of relativity.
  • Characteristics of normal and active galaxies.
  • Cosmology, including the past, present and future of the universe.
  • Astrobiology and the search for life in our solar system and galaxy.
  • Laboratory sessions working with measuring instruments of the astronomer, physical phenomena linked to astronomy and making inferences from series of astronomical data analyses.

Optional Topics

  • As available, the course may be supplemented with telescope observation sessions, field trips to museums or planetariums, guest speakers and discussions of new discoveries.