Instructor: Prof. Steven R. Cranmer   (email, web page)
Instructor's Office:   Duane Physics D111 (main campus), LASP/SPSC N218 (east campus)
Course Times:     Fall 2025, Mon./Wed./Fri., 11:15 am to 12:05 pm
Location: Duane Physics, Room G130
Office Hours: Duane Physics, D111: Mondays, 12:30-1:30 pm, or by appointment
Teaching Assistant:   Lily Strus (email), Office Hours: Duane D232, times/dates TBD
Also, the Astronomy Help Room (Duane D142) is open Tues., Wed., & Thurs., 2:00-6:00 pm
Syllabus: See the most up-to-date PDF version.

Summary

In this course, non-science majors will learn about the birth and death of stars (including our own Sun), the nature of black holes and galaxies, and the structure and evolution of the entire universe. We will discuss what astronomers know today about each of these things, how we know it, and what we still don't yet know.

Course Material

  • This page contains guidelines for the report that you'll write for attending either an Observing Session at SBO or a public science lecture.
  • There's a lot more information about this course -- including details about the textbook and clickers, who should/shouldn't take this class, how your grade is calculated, and a checklist for success -- both on Canvas and in the syllabus.

Schedule

Below is a detailed schedule that will list the material to be covered in each class session, and various special events and course deadlines. The exact schedule is likely to change throughout the semester, and I'll try to keep it up-to-date here.

PDFs of lecture slides, homework/exam solutions, and some interim grade information, will be posted on this course's Canvas page.

  1. Fri., August 22: Overview of the course.
    • Homework 1 assigned, due Wed., September 3.

  2. Mon., August 25: Scales of the universe, and some math.

  3. Wed., August 27: What is astronomy all about?

  4. Fri., August 29: What is astronomy all about?

    [Mon., September 1: Labor Day Holiday; no classes.]

  5. Wed., September 3: What is astronomy all about?
    • Homework 1 due.
    • Homework 2 assigned, due Mon., September 15.

  6. Fri., September 5: Meet at Fiske Planetarium.

  7. Mon., September 8: Motion and energy in space.

  8. Wed., September 10: Light and atoms in space.

  9. Fri., September 12: Light and atoms in space.

  10. Mon., September 15: Light and atoms in space.
    • Homework 2 due.
    • Homework 3 assigned, due Mon., September 29.

  11. Wed., September 17: Telescopes.

  12. Fri., September 19: The Sun: how does it work?

  13. Mon., September 22: The Sun: how does it work?
    • Prep session for Midterm Exam 1. Refer to the STUDY GUIDE.

  14. Wed., September 24: Midterm Exam 1.

  15. Fri., September 26: The Sun: how does it work?

  16. Mon., September 29: The Sun and "space weather." Also, begin discussion of other stars.
    • Homework 3 due.
    • Homework 4 assigned, due Mon., October 13.

  17. Wed., October 1: The Stars.

  18. Fri., October 3: The Stars.

  19. Mon., October 6: How stars are born.

  20. Wed., October 8: How stars are born.

  21. Fri., October 10: How stars evolve over cosmic time.

  22. Mon., October 13: How stars evolve over cosmic time.
    • Homework 4 due.
    • Homework 5 assigned, due Mon., October 27.

  23. Wed., October 15: How stars die.

  24. Fri., October 17: Spacetime, relativity, and black holes.

  25. Mon., October 20: Spacetime, relativity, and black holes.
    • Prep session for Midterm Exam 2. Refer to the STUDY GUIDE.

  26. Wed., October 22: Midterm Exam 2.

  27. Fri., October 24: Spacetime, relativity, and black holes.

  28. Mon., October 27: Our galaxy, the Milky Way.
    • Homework 5 due.
    • Homework 6 assigned, due Mon., November 10.

  29. Wed., October 29: Our galaxy, the Milky Way.

  30. Fri., October 31: Other galaxies.

  31. Mon., November 3: How do galaxies evolve?

  32. Wed., November 5: Cosmology: how the Universe was born.

  33. Fri., November 7: Cosmology: how the Universe was born.

  34. Mon., November 10: Cosmology: how the Universe was born.
    • Homework 6 due.
    • Homework 7 assigned, due Mon., December 1.

  35. Wed., November 12: Meet at Fiske Planetarium.

  36. Fri., November 14: Cosmology: how the Universe was born.

  37. Mon., November 17: Cosmology: how the Universe was born.
    • Prep session for Midterm Exam 3. Refer to the STUDY GUIDE.

  38. Wed., November 19: Midterm Exam 3.

  39. Fri., November 21: Dark matter, dark energy, and the fate of the universe.

    [November 24-28: Fall/Thanksgiving Break; no classes.]

  40. Mon., December 1: Dark matter, dark energy, and the fate of the universe.
    • Homework 7 due.

  41. Wed., December 3: Life in the Universe.

  42. Fri., December 5: Life in the Universe.
    • Prep session for the Final Exam. Refer to the STUDY GUIDE.

    [December 6-7: End of Term Reading Days. December 8-12: Final Exam Week.]
    Tentative time for our final exam: Tuesday, December 9, 1:30 to 4:00 pm.