.pdfs of the lecture slides, in-class activities and handouts will be posted here AFTER the class meets.
Unit 1 – Celestial Motions
Week 1
Wednesday September 5 – Size and Scale in the Universe
Handouts: Syllabus, Course Schedule and Calendar (attached to syllabus), Astronomical Numbers Cheat Sheet, Observing Tips
Week 2
Monday September 10 – History of Planet Discovery
Wednesday September 12 – Intro to the Night Sky – Daily Motions
Week 3
Monday, September 17- Intro to the Night Sky – Yearly Motions
Wednesday, September 19 – Seasons
Friday, September 21 – Seasons, cont’d
Week 4
Monday, September 24 – Ancient Observations
Wednesday, September 26 – Heliocentric and Geocentric Cosmologies
Week 5
Monday, October 1 – Kepler’s Laws
Wednesday, October 3 – Newton’s Laws
Unit 2 – Our Solar System
Week 6
Monday, October 8 – NO CLASS (Fall Break)
Wednesday, October 10 – Planet Formation
Week 7
Monday, October 15 – Angular Momentum Transport
Wednesday, October 17 – Planetary Resurfacing
Week 8
Monday, October 22 – Plate Tectonics
Wednesday, October 24 – Volcanism and Erosion
Week 9
Monday, October 29 – Planetary Interiors
Wednesday, October 31 – Geology Wrapup
Unit 3 – Exoplanets
Week 10
Monday, November 5 – Radial Velocity Exoplanets
Wednesday, November 7 – Radial Velocity Wrapup + Transit Intro
Week 11
Monday, November 12 – Transiting Exoplanets
Wednesday, November 14 – More Transits + Direct Imaging
NO CLASS November 19 or 21 (Thanksgiving Break)
Unit 4 – Astrobiology
Week 12
Monday, November 26 – Direct Imaging Continued
Wednesday, November 28 – Microlensing and Astrometry
Week 13
Monday, December 3 – class canceled
Wednesday, December 5 – Planetary Habitability
Week 14
Monday, December 10 – Greenhouse Effect and Origin of Life on Earth
Wednesday, December 12 – Life in the Universe