AST 101: Introduction to Astronomy
Lecture Synopses and other Materials
Spring 2013
Updated 7 May 2013
Lecture 1. 1/28:
Introduction: Your Universe
Lecture 2. 1/30:
Heirarchies and Scales
Introduction to Scientific Notation
Units of Measurement
Powers of Ten
The Simpson's version of Powers of Ten
A Euro-centric Powers of Ten, narrated by Morgan Freeman
Powers of One
Lecture 3. 2/1:
What Astronomers Measure
Reference: Details of coordinate systems
Reference: Details of time measurements
Lecture 4-6. Feb 4 - 8:
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Backup: Light
Backup: Telescopes
Lecture 7. 2/11:
Figures in the Sky
Orion and the Scorpion
The Story of the Two Bears
Perseus and Andromeda - a soap opera
Lecture 8. 2/13:
What is Science
Early Astronomy
Discussion 1. 2/15:
Astrology
Results of the "Can your guess your Sun Sign Test?"
Lecture 9. 2/18
Return to Heliocentrism
Tycho's Observatory
Kepler's Empirical Laws of Motion
Lecture 10. 2/20
Newton's Laws and the Nature of Matter
Newton's Laws of Motion and Gravitation
Discussion 2. 2/22:
Lecture 11. 2/25
17
th
and 18
th
Century Astronomy
Lecture 12. 3/4
The Sun
Why Does the Sun Shine
The Sun-Earth Connection
Lecture 13. 3/6
Stars
Lecture 14. 3/11
and
Lecture 15. 3/13
Lives of the Stars
Lecture 16. 3/15
and
Lecture 17. 3/25
And the Winner is... Gravity
Lecture 18. 4/01
Is Pluto a Planet?
Lecture 19. 4/03
ExtraSolar Planets
Interlude. 4/05
A Day at the Office, A Night at the Telescope
Hotel Mauna Kea
Lecture 20. 4/08
Barsoom
Lecture 21. 4/10
Kang, Klingons, and Klaatu
Lecture 22. 4/17
Discovery of the Galaxy
Lecture 23. 4/19
Dissecting the Galaxy
Lecture 24. 4/22
The Realm of the Nebulae
Lecture 25. 4/24
The Nature of the Nebulae
The Evolution of Galaxies
Virginia Trimble's review of the Curtis/Shapley Debate
Lecture 26. 4/29
The Dark Side
Why is the Night Sky Dark
Lecture 27. 5/1, 5/3
Where it all Began
Lecture 28. 5/6
Before the Beginning
Lecture 29. 5/8
The End of the Universe
Lecture 30. 5/10
The Biggest Expolosions Since the Big Bang
Recurring Themes in Astronomy
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