Course Description

This is a lecture course conducted partially in the field, whose location may change from semester to semester. This allows students to study, through direct observation, the night sky. The class uses direct visual and telescopic observations of the sky to help explain solar system, stellar, and deep sky objects. The course includes pre-trip lecture meetings that cover the fundamentals of the motion of the heavens, star charts, and telescope optics. Hiking, night observations, and overnight camping are required.