Catalog Course Search Details

 Department:    ASTR&

 Course #:    101

 Credits:    5

 Variable:     No

 IUs:    5.5

 CIP:    400601

 EPC:    n/a

 REV:    2024

 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  

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.

Contact Hours (based on 11 week quarter)

Lecture: 44

Lab: 22

Other: 0

Systems: 0

Clinical: 0

Intent: Distribution Requirement(s) Status:  

Academic Natural Sciences  

Equivalencies At Other Institutions

Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, the student will be able to:

1. 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.
2. Identify bright stars, planets, and constellations and know how their positions vary as a function of hour, season, and location.
3. Know the similarities and differences among the Earth, its Moon, and the other planets and moons in the Solar System.
4. 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.
5. Understand some basic ideas on the scientific explanation of the origin and evolution of the universe, and how we can scientifically test these theories.
6. What we can observe with binoculars or simple telescopes in our local skies that expresses the processes described in points 1 through 5.
7. 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.

General Education Learning Values & Outcomes

Revised August 2008 and affects outlines for 2008 year 1 and later.

Course Contents

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