Courses

ASTRON 0086: Observational Astronomy

Astron 0086
Credits: 3

This course is for students who have a desire to become familiar with the nature and motions of celestial objects in the night sky and techniques to observe them. Each week students meet for two 50 minute lectures on campus and one evening session at Allegheny Observatory. Transportation to the Allegheny Observatory is provided by the University during the Fall and Spring terms. The course will be given at a level suitable for both science and non-science majors who want to learn how to use a telescope and enjoy observational and practical astronomy. The course will make use of existing Observatory facilities. The activities will focus on:

  1. Practical astronomy from the standpoint of understanding the motions of objects in the sky (including constellations versus celestial coordinate systems)
  2. Telescopes and their use
  3. Observational astronomy using a digital CCD camera
  4. The nature of astronomical objects which are observable with the unaided eye or a small telescope.
ProfessorCourse YearCourse SemesterDownload
John Stein2018-2019SpringSyllabus: DL

ASTRON 0087: Basics of Space Flight

Astron 0087
Credits: 3

This is a self-contained course for students not majoring in the physical sciences. Topics covered include overview of the solar system, gravitation and mechanics, the history of space flight, rocket propulsion, the Moon landings, interplanetary trajectories and planetary orbits, light, remote sensing, interstellar space travel and life in the universe. Specific examples of planetary space missions and their scientific instruments, goals and results will be discussed. Particular emphasis will be placed on current missions. At the end of the course the students will have a deeper understanding of space flight, its difficulties, and its inherent dangers. The lectures are based, in part, on a NASA WWW document available at http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/basics/. It is supplemented by additional WWW material, and notes and material from the instructor. This course fulfills the Physical Science course requirement for School of Arts and Sciences students.

ProfessorCourse YearCourse SemesterDownload
Melanie L. Good2022-2023FallSyllabus: DL
John G. Radzilowicz2024-2025FallSyllabus: DL

ASTRON 0088: Stonehenge to Hubble

Astron 0088
Credits: 3

This is a self-contained course for students not majoring in the physical sciences. Lectures focus on practical astronomy and provide a historical perspective of our place in the Universe. Phenomena that can be readily observed with the unaided eye or a small telescope are discussed. This course gives a historical perspective on the development of Astronomy, beginning with the 4500 year old monolithic monument, Stonehenge, to the recent spectacular discoveries by the Hubble and James Webb space telescopes. The ancient Greeks’ many contributions to astronomy will be presented, along with the advancements made by stalwarts Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Newton, Einstein, and others. Phenomena that can be readily observed with the unaided eye or a small telescope are also discussed.

Part of this course includes the requirement of one evening "field trip" to the University of Pittsburgh's Allegheny Observatory. The purpose of these trips will be to tour the facility and, if possible, make observation with a telescope. On any one evening only a small fraction of the class will make a trip, so it should be possible to accommodate the students' evening schedules. Nominally, the trips will take place on a Tuesday or Wednesday evening. Bus transportation from the Oakland campus to the Observatory will be provided. A small percentage of the course grade will be based on participation in these field trips.

ProfessorCourse YearCourse SemesterDownload
Carlos Badenes2023-2024SpringSyllabus: DL

ASTRON 0089: Stars, Galaxies, and the Cosmos

Astron 0089
Credits: 3

This is a self-contained course for students not majoring in the physical sciences. The Universe in which we live is an unimaginably vast and rich place that is understandable through the same physical laws that govern our existence here on Earth. By exploring topics from our nearest neighboring stars to the farthest galaxies newly formed after the Big Bang, this course will engage your mind to better understand our Universe and your everyday world. Through active and engaged participatory lectures, we will observe the cosmos and learn about the birth, life, and death of stars and their mysterious remnants: pulsars and black holes. From studying stars and our own Milky Way Galaxy, we will expand our vision to cosmology and investigate the origin and ultimate fate of the Universe.

ProfessorCourse YearCourse SemesterDownload
Jeffrey A Newman2023-2024FallSyllabus: DL
David Nero2023-2024Summer 1Syllabus: DL

ASTRON 0113: Introduction to Astronomy

Astron 0113
Credits: 3

An introduction to the physics of the solar system, stars, galaxies, extragalactic objects and the Universe at large. Topics include: size scales of the Universe, some review of basic physics, telescopes, the evolution and deaths of stars, the interstellar medium, star clusters, our Milky Way galaxy, external galaxy formation and evolution, active galactic nuclei and quasars, dark matter, dark energy, and cosmology.  This course is intended for students majoring in the natural sciences. Although calculus is not used in this course, algebra and trigonometry are used extensively. Students who are not majoring in the natural sciences and/or who are not comfortable with algebra and trigonometry-based problem solving are advised to take ASTRON 0089. Although there are no formal physics prerequisites for ASTRON 0113, experience with at least high school physics is recommended.

  [Pre-requisites: Any MATH greater than or equal to MATH 0032 (Min Grade 'C') or MATH PLACEMENT SCORE (61 or greater)]

ProfessorCourse YearCourse SemesterDownload
Evan Schneider2024-2025FallSyllabus: DL