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Why do we experience seasons? When will the next Full Moon rise? Is there a dark side of the Moon? Does the Moon rotate, and if so, how is it possible that we always see the same “hemisphere” of it? Why do astronauts appear to float freely about the cabin of a spacecraft? How did our Solar System form? How many exoplanets have we detected so far? Do most planetary systems found to date resemble ours? Do other planets show auroras too? What is the habitable zone of a star?
In this four-hour combined lecture and lab science course, which partially fulfills the core Life and Physical Sciences requirement, you will have the opportunity to
· view the Moon through our telescopes,
· visit the Planetarium, and
· identify well-known constellations by visiting a really dark sky site.
You will also develop critical thinking skills that can be applied to life outside the classroom! Scientific reasoning will play a large role in this course.
Topics covered in this course:
· Our place in the universe, scales, distances, motions.
· Basic principles of Physics that allow astronomers to learn about the universe.
· Telescopes, satellites, and space probes.
· Formation of planetary systems.
· Our Solar System: planets, moons, rings, and small objects (dwarf planets, comets, meteorites)
Our species needs, and deserves, a citizenry with minds wide-awake and a basic understanding of how the world works. -- Carl Sagan
Course details:
Lectures will be MWF at 1pm (MCOM 281).
For more details, please contact the instructor, Dr. Vallia Antoniou (vallia.antoniou@ttu.edu) and/or the lab coordinator, Mrs. Gwen Armstrong (gwen.armstrong@ttu.edu).
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