Schedule of Lectures

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The reading is the relevant sections from the textbook: The Cosmic Perspective: Stars, Galaxies, and Cosmology, 4th Edition, by Bennett, Donahue, Schneider, and Voit.


Unit #1

Dates
Topic
Reading
Homework
1/18
Scale of the Universe in space, time, and motion
1.1-1.4

1/20
Scientific method, night sky, parallax, angular size
2.1, 3.4, S1.2

1/23
  continued


1/25 Motion and gravitation 4.1-4.5
1/27
Light and Atoms
5.1-5.5

1/30
  continued
HW #1 is due
2/1
The Sun 14.1-14.3

2/3
  continued

2/6
Stars
15.1-15.3
HW #2 is due
2/8, 10
  continued


2/13
Review

HW #3 is due
2/15
Exam #1


Unit #2

Dates
Topic
Reading

2/17
Formation of Stars 16.1-16.3

2/20
More formation of stars

HW #4 is due
2/22
  continued


2/24
Stellar Evolution
17.1-17.3

2/27
  continued
HW #5 is due
3/1
Telescopes 6.1-6.4
3/3
  continued

3/6
Review

HW #6 is due
3/8
Exam #2


Unit #3

Dates
Topic
Reading

3/20, 22, 24
The Milky Way
19.1-19.4, 15.2, 20.2

3/27
  continued
HW #7 is due
3/29, 31
Galaxies 20.1-20.3, 21.1-21.2
4/3
  continued

HW #8 is due
4/5
Exam #3


Unit #4

Dates
Topic
Reading

4/7
White Dwarfs and Neutron Stars
18.1-18.2

4/10
Special Relativity S2

4/12
General Relativity
S3

4/14, 4/17
Cancellled due to Tornado


4/19
Black Holes
18.3-18.4
HW #9 is due
4/21
Active Galactic Nuclei 21.3

4/24
Jets and Intermediate Mass Black Holes

HW #10 is due
4/26
Exam #4


Unit #5

Dates
Topic
Reading

5/1
Cosmology


5/3
  continued


5/5
  continued (last class)

HW #11 is due