Mar 28, 2024  
Fall 2019 Official General Catalog 
    
Fall 2019 Official General Catalog [Archived Catalog]

AST 113 - Introductory Astronomy


This course covers the development of our modern understanding of the astronomical universe from planets and stars to galaxies and cosmology.  It is a broad introduction to Astronomy including the historical development of astronomy; the basic physics of gravity, light, and atoms; telescopes; planets, moons, and other objects in our solar system; the Sun and other stars; the evolution of stars; the Milky Way galaxy and other galaxies; distant quasars and other active galaxies; the expanding universe; and cosmology based on the Big Bang theory.

Credits: 4
Hours
3 Class Hours, 3 Laboratory Hours
Course Profile
Learning Outcomes of the Course:

Upon successful completion of this course the student will be able to:

1.  Explain the motion of the planets, Sun, and stars in the sky as seen from different locations on Earth.
2.  Describe the motion of the Moon and how it creates tides and eclipses.
3.  Describe the development of astronomical theories and models, from early Greek observations through the Copernican revolution to modern day.
4.  Use and understand the underlying concepts of astronomical tools such as telescopes, spectrometers, and star charts.
5.  List the members of the solar system, describe their characteristics, and explain theories concerning their information.
6.  Explain the structure of the Sun, the production of solar energy, and the interaction of the Sun with the Earth.
7.  Explain the methods used to measure stellar distances, masses, luminosities, diameters, densities, and populations.
8.  Explain stellar evolution from cloud collapse through main sequence lifetime to compact object creation.
9.  Describe the structure, formation, and evolution of the Milky Way and other galaxies, including active galaxies.
10.  Describe the universe and its evolution in the Big Bang model.