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Astronomy 162

Ast162 image montage

Introduction to Stars, Galaxies, & the Universe
Winter Quarter 2006

Prof. Richard Pogge
MTWRF 9:30-10:18pm
1008 Evans Lab


[Overview | News | Info | Internet Resources | Lectures | Homework | Quizzes | Final Exam | Copyright Statement ]

Overview

Astronomy 162 is an overview of modern astrophysics beyond our Solar System, picking up where Astronomy 161 left off. The course is divided into three interlinking parts that will review what astronomers have learned about the stars, the galaxies, and the Universe. We will examine how these ideas have been developed and tested against observations, and explore a few of the outstanding problems faced by current astronomical research. The questions to be addressed include: What are stars? Where do stars get their energy? What is the fate of the Sun and other stars? What are galaxies? What is the Big Bang model of the Universe? What is "Dark Matter"? What is the ultimate fate of the Universe?

Course News

2006 March 16
The results of the Final Exam have been posted, and all grades have been computed and turned into the registrar. Please check your grade through the Office of the University Registrar through the online Buckeye Link system, as we cannot provide grade info on this webpage or by email.

This was a terrific class that was a lot of fun. Best of Luck to all of you for the rest of your time at OSU!

Course Information


Internet Resources

My Favorite Astronomy Picture Sites:
Astronomy Picture of the Day
NASA Planetary Photojournal A great collection of planetary images at JPL.
Latest pictures from the Saturn system returned by the Cassini spacecraft.
Latest pictures from the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity.
Latest pictures from the Hubble Space Telescope

This Week's Sky at a Glance
Courtesy of Sky & Telescope Magazine

Lecture Notes

Lectures are daily 9:30-10:18am in 1008 Evans Lab on the OSU campus in Columbus. Attendance is strongly encouraged, as not all essential class material will appear on these webpages.

The links below lead to the lecture notes for this course. These are only outlines of the lectures, not verbatim transcripts. Notes will generally become available at the beginning of the week in which the lectures occur.

Introduction

Light, Matter, & Gravity [Jan 3-6]

Part I: The Stars

Unit 1: "The Stars in Their Courses": Observed Properties of the Stars [Jan 9-17]

Unit 2: "The Starry Dynamo": Stellar Structure & Evolution [Jan 18-27]

Unit 3: "Death & Transfiguration": The Endpoints of Stellar Evolution [Jan 30-Feb 2]

Part II: Galaxies & the Universe

Unit 4: "Island Universes": The Milky Way & External Galaxies [Feb 6-16]

Unit 5: "The Machinery of Night": The Evolving Universe [Feb 20-Mar 2]

Part III: Frontiers

Unit 6: "The Great Ocean of Truth": Frontiers of Modern Astronomy [Mar 6-10]
Lecture Podcasts Lecture Audio Podcasts

In the past, students have found it very helpful to make copies of these notes before class, and then follow along with them in lecture, making their own notes in the margins. You will find this much easier than trying to take detailed notes of everything I say.

I wish to strongly emphasize that these are only outlines of my lectures provided as aids to following along in class, not as substitutes for regularly attendance. Historically, students who have gotten into the bad habit of skipping class and just reading the web notes have performed one whole grade point below the class average.


Copyright Statement

All of the written materials provided in these web pages are copyrighted by the course instructor, except as noted. In addition, some images and animations are also copyrighted by the instructor, while others are copyrighted by the original sources. These latter appear with the written permission of the copyright holders. Please read the Copyright Statement before you make copies of any of these web pages for any purpose. Use of these notes implies that you have read and understood the copyright statement.

Note about Sources of Graphics and other materials appearing on these webpages.


Updated: 2006 March 17
Copyright © Richard W. Pogge. All Rights Reserved.