Course Outline

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What kind of a course is Astronomy I (PHYS 1P01)?

This course is primarily designed for students who need to take a science context course. At the same time, the course is highly recommended as an elective for science students, in particular those who plan to become school teachers (the Grade 9 science curriculum includes Space Science).

Textbook

The textbook is Astronomy by Fraknoi, Morrison, and Wolff, 2018, and is available for free download (you can also read it online if you wish) at the OpenStax web site:

https://openstax.org/details/books/astronomy.

Online Materials

All the information about the course material (the topics covered in each lecture, sample test and exam questions, grades, etc.) will be posted on the web at

www.physics.brocku.ca/Courses/1P01_Mitrovic/

Lectures

My Lecture Clips (audio+video, mp4) and (audio only, mp3) are:

Instructor: Dr. B. Mitrovic, office MC B208.

Lecture topics will include:

  • 1. Science and the Universe: A Brief Tour
  • 2. Observing the Sky: The Birth of Astronomy
  • 3. Orbits and Gravity
  • 4. Earth, Moon, and Sky
  • 5. Radiation and Spectra
  • 6. Astronomical Instruments
  • 17. Analyzing Starlight
  • 18. The Stars: A Celestial Census
  • 15. The Sun: A Garden-Variety Star
  • 16. The Sun: A Nuclear Powerhouse