Chabot College
Fall 2006
Course Outline for Astronomy 20
INTRODUCTION TO ASTRONOMY: STARS AND THE UNIVERSE
Catalog Description:
20 – Introduction to Astronomy: Stars and The Universe
3 units
Introduction to the study of stars, galaxies, and cosmology. Includes the nature of light and matter,
telescopes, spectroscopy, stellar formation and evolution, galaxies, quasars, and cosmology. Designed
for non-majors in mathematics or a physical science. A companion science lab, Astronomy 30, is also
available. 3 hours.
[Typical contact hours: 52.5]
Prerequisite Skills:
None
Expected Outcomes for Students:
Upon completion of the course, the student should be able to:
1.
review and explain the scientific method, as it applies to astronomy;
2.
describe the Earth’s position in the universe by comparing the scale and structure of the solar
system, galaxies and universe;
3.
describe the relation between the seasons, constellations, and motion of the Earth about the sun;
4.
demonstrate a basic knowledge of the nature of light as electromagnetic radiation;
5.
demonstrate a basic knowledge of telescopes, spectrographs, and other astronomical tools;
6.
describe the properties of our sun, including its structure, composition, and methods of energy
production and transport;
7.
describe and explain the relationship between energy production in the suns interior, and
observable surface phenomena such as sunspots, flares, and magnetism;
8.
demonstrate a basic knowledge of the age, type, composition, and evolution of stars;
9.
identify the constituents and properties of the interstellar medium;
10.
identify and describe the structure, contents, and dynamics of the Milky Way galaxy;
11.
describe the large-scale structure and contents of the Universe;
12.
describe and demonstrate understanding of competing cosmological models for the evolution of
the universe, as well as contemporary evidence in support of each model;
13.
demonstrate basic knowledge about the search for life beyond of the Earth, and recent
developments in the search for extra solar planets;
14.
identify at least 10 different seasonal constellations and bright stars, as well as planets
Currently visible in the night sky.
Course Content:
1.
2.
The Scale of the Cosmos
a.
Astronomy and the Scientific Method
b.
Overview of Astronomy
c.
Angles and Angular Measure
d.
Powers of Ten
e.
Astronomical Distances and Scale Models
Sky Watching and Apparent Motion of the Heavens
a.
Ancient Astronomy
b.
Constellations
c.
Motions of the Sky
d.
The Celestial Sphere
Chabot College
Course Outline for Astronomy 20, page 2
Fall 2006
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
e.
The Seasons
f.
Precession
g.
Sidereal and Solar time
h.
The Calendar and Astrology
Eclipses and the Motion of the Moon
a.
Phases of the Moon
b.
The Moon’s Rotation
c.
Eclipses and the Line of Nodes
d.
Lunar and Solar Eclipses
Gravitation, Orbital Motion, and the Development of Modern Astronomy
a.
Geocentric Models
b.
Copernicus and the Heliocentric Models
c.
Galileo and the Telescope
d.
Tycho Brahe’s Observations
e.
Kepler and the Orbits of the Planets
f.
Newton’s Laws of Motion
g.
Newton’s Law in Everyday Life
h.
Newton and Gravity
i.
Tides and the Moon
j.
Einstein and Relativity
The Nature of Light
a.
The Speed of Light
b.
The Wave Nature of Light
c.
Blackbody Radiation
d.
Wien’s Law and the Stefan-Boltzmann Law
e.
The Particle Nature of Light
f.
Kirchhoff’s Laws
g.
Atomic Structure
h.
Spectral Lines and the Bohr Model
i.
The Doppler Effect
Optics and Telescopes
a.
Refracting Telescopes
b.
Reflecting Telescopes
c.
Angular Resolution
d.
Charge-Coupled Devices (CCDs)
e.
Spectrographs
f.
Radio Telescopes
g.
Telescopes in Space
Our Star, The Sun
a.
Thermonuclear Reactions
b.
A Model of the Sun
c.
Solar Seismology
d.
Solar Neutrinos
e.
The Photosphere
f.
The Chromosphere
g.
The Corona
h.
Sunspots
i.
The Sunspot Cycle
j.
The Active Sun
The Nature of the Stars
a.
Stellar Distances and Parallax
b.
Apparent Brightness and Luminosity
c.
The Magnitude Scale
d.
Star Colors and Temperatures
e.
Spectral Classes
Chabot College
Course Outline for Astronomy 20, page 3
Fall 2006
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
f.
The Sizes of Stars
g.
The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram
h.
Spectroscopic Parallax
i.
Binary Stars and Stellar Masses
j.
Spectroscopy and Close Binaries
k.
Eclipsing Binaries
The Birth of Stars
a.
Modeling Stellar Evolution
b.
The Interstellar Medium
c.
Protostars and Dark Nebulae
d.
Reaching the Main Sequence
e.
Mass Ejection and Accretion
f.
Young Stars and H II Regions
g.
Giant Molecular Clouds
h.
Supernovae and Star Birth
Stellar Evolution: After the Main Sequence
a.
Red Giants
b.
Helium Burning
c.
Star Clusters and Stellar Evolution
d.
Population I and II Stars
e.
Pulsating Stars
f.
Mass Transfer in Close Binaries
Stellar Evolution: The Deaths of Stars
a.
A Second Red-Giant Phase
b.
Planetary Nebulae
c.
White Dwarfs
d.
The Creation of Heavy Elements
e.
Supernovae
f.
Recent Supernova observations including SN1987A
g.
Detecting Supernova Neutrinos
h.
While Dwarfs and Supernovae
i.
Supernova Remnants
Neutron Stars
a.
Neutrons and Neutron Stars
b.
Pulsars
c.
Modeling Pulsars
d.
The Crab Nebula
e.
Pulsar Slowing and Energy Loss
f.
Inside a Neutron Star
g.
Millisecond Pulsars
h.
Pulsating X-Ray Sources
i.
Novae and X-Ray Bursters
j.
Beyond Neutron Stars
Black Holes
a.
Applications of Special and General Relativity
b.
Black Holes in Binary Systems
c.
Supermassive Black Holes
d.
The Event Horizon
e.
Mass, Charge, and Spin
f.
Falling into a Black Hole
g.
Evaporating Black Holes
Our Galaxy
a.
The Size, Shape, and Structure of the Galaxy
b.
Spiral Arms
c.
The Sun’s Orbit and Dark Matter
Chabot College
Course Outline for Astronomy 20, page 4
Fall 2006
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
d.
Density Waves
e.
At the Center of the Galaxy
Galaxies
a.
Island Universes
b.
Classifying Galaxies
c.
The Distance Ladder
d.
The Hubble Law
e.
Clusters and Superclusters
f.
Colliding Galaxies
g.
Dark Matter in the Universe
h.
The Evolution of Galaxies
Quasars, Active Galaxies, and Gamma-Ray Bursts
a.
The Discovery of Quasars
b.
Ultraluminous Galactic Nuclei
c.
Seyfert and Radio Galaxies
d.
Active Galaxies
e.
Black Holes as “Central Engines”
f.
A Unified Model
g.
Gamma-Ray Bursters
Cosmology: The Cration of the Unvierse
a.
The Dark Night Sky
b.
The Expanding Universe
c.
The Big Bang
d.
The Cosmic Microwave Background
e.
The Universe Before Recombination
f.
The Shape of the Universe
g.
Dark Energy
h.
The Accelerating Universe
i.
The Future of the Unvierse
Exploring the Early Universe
a.
Inflation
b.
Matter, Antimatter, and the Uncertainty Principle
c.
Annihilation and Symmetry Breaking
d.
Relics of the Primordial Fireball
e.
The Origin of Galaxies
f.
Unified Theories
g.
Cosmic Strings
h.
The Dimensions of Space-time
The Search for Extraterrestrial Life
a.
Building Blocks of Life
b.
Life in the Solar System
c.
Meteorites from Mars
d.
The Drake Equation
e.
Radio Searches
f.
Infrared Searches
Methods of Presentation:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Lecture and discussion
Slides, movies, audio presentations
Computer Simulations
Astronomical Internet Sites
Planetarium demonstrations
Chabot College
Course Outline for Astronomy 20, page 5
Fall 2006
Assignments and Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
1.
Typical Assignments
a.
Read Chapters 1 and 2. Write out the definitions of each of the listed key ideas for
yourself. Try to do this without the help of the book. Afterward, go back and use the
book to check your answers and study the key ideas you missed the first time through.
On separate sheets of paper answer the Review Questions. Answer Advanced
Question 8 on page 39. Finally, do Observing Project 57.
b.
Log into the publisher’s website for our book at http://www.aw-bc.com/astronomyplace/
and do the tutorials on Kepler’s Laws. Take the multiple choice quizzes for Chapter 3.
c.
Working with your group members, research and prepare a report on one current or
recent NASA exploratory mission to an object in the Solar System. Include in your report
the purpose of the mission, the scientific instruments used, the challenges posed by
exploring this object, the scientific questions being explored, and the results obtained
thus far.
d.
Re-read the section in chapter 2 on Eclipses. Then, research the Solar and Lunar
Eclipses that will occur this year. Consider using the excellent website by Fred Espansk,
at http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/OH/OH2005.html. Note specifically what
did/will observers here in the SF Bay Area see of each eclipse? Whey did we see (or not
see) the eclipses? How long did the eclipses last? What do you noticed about the
interval between the solar and lunar eclipses during the two eclipse seasons this year
(April and October)? That is, consider the eclipses that occurred during one of the
seasons. How many days elapse between the eclipses? What about the length of time
between these two eclipse seasons? Can you create a hypothesis to explain why these
intervals make sense? How can you TEST your hypothesis? What additional data would
help you confirm that you are right or wrong? Go ahead and find that data!
e.
Research Project: submit a one-page proposal via email or hard copy to your instructor
and/or classmates as directed in the course syllabus. Based on feedback from your
instructor and/or classmates, submit a six-page, 12 point, typed and doubled spaced
paper on an area of current astronomical research not already covered in detail in the
required course reading material. In lieu of a formal paper, you may create a web site or
power point presentation of equivalent length and content.
2.
Methods of Evaluating Student Progress
a.
Midterm and final exams
b.
Individual and/or group projects and reports
c.
Homework assignments
d.
Constellation and online quizzes
e.
Attendance and participation
Textbook(s) (Typical):
Astronomy: The Cosmic Perspective. Bennett et. al., Addison-Wesley, 2005
Astronomy Illustrated. Smith, Bonneau & Smith, 2005
Special Student Materials:
Edmund’s Star & Planet Locator
SH:al
Revised: 10/18/05