Prof. Richard Pogge
MWF 12:40-1:35pm
080 Derby Hall
Overview
Astronomy 2291 is the first semester of a required two-semester
introductory sequence for Astronomy and Astrophysics majors and
minors, as well as for scientifically literate undergraduates who wish
to learn basic astrophysics from a quantitative perspective. The major
topics to be covered are
the fundamentals of Newtonian gravity and orbits
matter, light, radiative transfer, and optics as applied to astronomy
the properties of the planets and small bodies of the solar system
the discovery and characterization of exoplanet systems.
To get the most from this class you should read the assignments in the
book, attend and participate in lectures and class discussions and
problem-solving sessions, do the problem sets and other exercises,
and take the exams.
Textbook
The textbook for this course is Foundations of
Astrophysics by Barbara Ryden and Bradley Peterson, available
from the bookstore and many online booksellers. There is only one
edition, so used copies and the international edition are acceptable.
This textbook is required for all students. Selected readings are assigned
weekly, and should be read before the week's class sessions.
Course Information
We will be using OSU's CarmenCanvas
learning management system for this course. This webpage provides
enough basic info to help those not yet registered learn about the
course but who cannot access the Carmen pages.
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.