Course Description

This is an introductory course in astronomy for the non-science major. Topics include the study of the night sky including the motions of the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars. The motions of the celestial bodies are explained in the historical context of geocentric and heliocentric models. The course also covers the nature of light and employs telescopic observations to explore the properties of stars and their evolution. An investigation of the stages in the life of a star, from birth to the different forms of stellar death, is also offered. Laboratory work includes the observation and application of concepts discussed in lectures, computer simulations, planetarium simulations, and fieldwork.