Astronomy

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

• evaluate early models of the solar system using the scientific method and outline the historical events that led to our current model.
• apply theories and models from classical physics and modern physics to explain astronomical observations, such as the motion of objects in the sky, the formation of planets, and the life cycle of stars.
• classify the planets as terrestrial or jovian and list the characteristics of each category.
• discuss the discovery of new Kuiper belt objects and how their existence changed our definition of what a planet is.
• describe how extrasolar planets are detected and discuss their properties.
• describe the structure of the Sun and its source of energy.
• explain how astronomers collect light from distant stars and discuss what can be learned from analyzing that light.
• classify different types of stars and galaxies, and discuss the stellar life cycle in the context of stellar evolution.
• describe the astronomical evidence for dark matter and dark energy, and discuss their implications.
• describe the scientific evidence and models regarding the nature and origin of the Universe, including its evolution from the Big Bang up to today.

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

• describe and explain the apparent motion of stars and planets in the night-time sky over the course of a day, a season, and a year.
• evaluate early models of the solar system using the scientific method, and outline the historical events that led to our current model.
• apply current scientific theories and models from classical and modern physics to explain astronomical observations, such as the motion of objects in the solar system and the formation and evolution of planets and the Sun.
• classify the planets as terrestrial or jovian and list the characteristics of each category.
• describe the role plate tectonics, volcanism, and magnetic fields play in shaping the surfaces, habitability, and other properties of different planetary bodies.
• identify the larger moons in the solar system and describe what makes them unique.
• identify other elements of the solar system, such as comets and asteroids; describe their characteristics and what can be learned from them.
• discuss the discovery of new Kuiper belt objects and how their existence changed our definition of what a planet is.
• describe how extrasolar planets are detected and discuss their properties.
• describe the structure of the Sun and its source of energy.

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

• evaluate early models of the Universe using the scientific method and outline the historical events that led to our current model.
• explain how astronomers collect light from distant stars and discuss what can be learned from analyzing that light.
• apply theories and models from classical physics and modern physics to explain astronomical observations, such as the formation of black holes, the red-shift of light coming from distant galaxies, and the life cycle of the Sun.
• classify different star types and discuss their life cycles in the context of stellar evolution.
• classify galaxies and describe how they formed and evolved.
• describe the astronomical evidence for dark matter and dark energy, and discuss their implications.
• discuss the scientific evidence and models regarding the nature and origin of the Universe, including its evolution from the Big Bang up to today.

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

• discuss the origin of life on Earth and describe the evidence supporting the current models.
• describe how plate tectonics, volcanism, the atmosphere, and magnetic fields influenced the evolution of life on different planetary bodies.
• construct a set of criteria for determining the likelihood of finding life in a particular environment.
• evaluate the evidence for past microbial life on Mars.
• discuss the possibility of finding life on other planets or moons in the solar system.
• assess the chances of communicating successfully with technically advanced civilizations elsewhere in the galaxy.
• describe the nature of life on Earth: from cells to DNA, Darwinism, and the evolution of species.
• discuss topics related to astrobiology, such as the Cambrian explosion, mass extinctions, and genetic engineering of artificial life forms.
• identify different types of extremophiles and discuss how life can exist under such extreme conditions.

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

• set up and align a telescope.
• locate constellations and deep sky objects in the night sky with the aid of a telescope and a star chart.
• explain the apparent motions of the planets, Sun, and stars.
• explain eclipses and the phases of the Moon.
• explain sunspots and the basic functioning of the Sun.
• analyze astronomical data.
• list different types of spectra used by astronomers and explain what they reveal about the composition and the temperature of stars.
• organize data on stellar properties to create a Hertzsprung-Russell (HR) diagram.
• estimate the age of the Universe based on Hubble’s Law and the Hubble time.

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

• systematize astronomical conceptual knowledge while evaluating current astronomy theories and observations.
• discuss modern topics and problems pertaining to stellar evolution, galactic astronomy, cosmology, and related areas.
• estimate the age of the Universe based on Hubble’s Law and the Hubble time.
• explain how astronomers collect light from distant stars and discuss what can be learned from analyzing that light.
• classify different star types and discuss their life cycles in the context of stellar evolution.
• describe the astronomical evidence for dark matter and dark energy, and discuss their implications.
• discuss the scientific evidence and models regarding the nature and origin of the Universe, including its evolution from the Big Bang up to today.
• apply theories and models from classical physics and modern physics to explain astronomical observations, such as the formation of black holes, the red-shift of light coming from distant galaxies, and the life cycle of the Sun.
• conduct optical and radio telescope observations, and data analysis.
• set up and align a telescope.
• explain the apparent motions of the planets, Sun, and stars.