Date
|
Topic
|
Reading
|
Assignment
|
Tues, Jan 12th
|
Introduction and Major Goals of Course
|
|
Class Survey of Backgrounds
|
Thur Jan 14th
|
Overview of Universe
|
B Chap 1, DT Chap 1
|
Read!
|
Tues Jan 19th
|
Telescopes & Dectectors (The Sky we See
in EM Radiation)
|
B Chaps 5 & 6, DT Chap 2
|
Homework #1 due in class
|
| Thur, Jan 21st |
Universe seen in Heat and Light
|
B Chap 5, DT Chap 3
|
Writing #1 due (in class, 11 am)
|
| Tues, Jan 26th |
Universe seen in Motion and Gravity
|
B Chap 4; DT Chap 4
|
Read!
|
| Thur, Jan 28th |
Measuring Astronomical Distances
|
B Chap 5; DT Chap 3
|
Read!
|
| Tues, Feb 2nd |
EXAM #1 (Chaps 1, 4, 5, 6)
|
|
In-class exam
|
| Thur, Feb 4th |
No class today
|
B Chapter 14
|
Read!
|
| Tues, Feb 9th |
Stars and Nuclear Burning
|
B Chapter 15
|
Read!
|
| Thur, Feb 11th |
Stellar Birth and Evolution
(lives and deaths of stars)
|
B Chaps 16 and 17
|
Read!
|
| Tues, Feb 16th |
Stellar Evolution
|
B Chaps 17 and 18
|
Homework #2 due in class
|
| Thur, Feb 18th |
Endpoints of Stars (White Dwarfs,
Neutron Stars, and Black Holes)
|
B Chap 18
|
Writing #2 due (in class, 11 am)
|
| Tues, Feb 23rd |
The Milky Way Galaxy
|
B Chap 19
|
Read!
|
| Thur, Feb 25th |
Galaxies, Cosmic Distances and Hubble
Expansion
|
B Chap 20
|
Read!
|
| Tues, Mar 2nd |
Quasars and Active Galaxies
|
B Chap 21
|
tyle="vertical-align: middle;"> Read Textbook
| Thur, Mar 4th |
Dark Matter and Dark Energy (strange stuff)
|
B Chap 22; DT Chaps 10 & 11
|
Homework #3 due (in class)
|
| Tues, Mar 9th |
Cosmology (Origin and Evolution of the
Universe)
|
B Chap 22
| Writing #3 due in class
|
| Thur, Mar 11th |
Review of Major Concepts
|
B Chaps 14-22
|
Study for Test
|
| Tues, Mar 16th |
EXAM #2
|
|
In-class Exam
|
| Thur, Mar 18th |
Fiske Planetarium: Dark Matter Show
|
|
Class meets in Planetarium
|
| Tues, Mar 23rd |
Spring Break
|
|
|
| Thur, Mar 25th |
Spring Break
|
|
|
| Tues, Mar 30th |
Dark Energy and the Accelerating Universe |
B Chap 22 (review)
|
Read!
|
| Thur, Apr 1st |
Origin of the Universe
|
B Chap 23
|
Read!
|
| Tues, Apr 6th |
Time Arrows, Infinite Universe?
|
Arrow of Time (Wikipedia)
| Read Arrows of Time, Sean Carroll's Blog
|
| Thur, Apr 8th |
Formation of Quasars and Supermassive Black Holes
|
B Chap 21 and
Quasars (Wikipedia)
|
Read Begelman-Rees article on Black Holes
(on CULearn)
|
| Tues, Apr 13th |
Formation of the First Stars and First Galaxies
|
My Lecture Notes
|
Homework #4 due in class
|
| Thur, Apr 15th |
Inflation: Early Universe
|
B Chap 23; DT Chap 12.4, 12.5
|
Writing #4 due in class
|
| Tues, Apr 20th |
Life in the Universe?
|
B Chap 24
|
Read!
|
| Thur, Apr 22nd |
EXAM #3
|
|
In-class Exam
|
| Tues, Apr 27th |
Fiske Planetarium: New Results from the Hubble
Space Telescope
|
|
Class meets in Planetarium
|
|
Thur, Apr 29th (Last class of term) |
Course Review
|
I will hand out a short review sheet
|
Come with questions
|
Tues, May 4nd
|
FINAL (4:30-7:00 pm)
|
|
Enjoy Your Summer!
|