Astronomy and Cosmology
F05, F06
Norman Derby
The Big Bang happened about 10 billion years ago. How can we know something as amazing as that? Where is the evidence? This course in descriptive astronomy attempts to trace the development of contemporary concepts of the universe. Beginning with a very abbreviated survey of the solar system, we will turn our attention to the stars to find out how we have learned about stellar life cycles from birth to their final states as white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes. The final third of the course will focus on galaxies, near and far, and how they have led us to develop our current ideas about cosmology and the future of the universe. Throughout the course, we will ask questions that begin “How do we know?” and “Why do we believe?” There will be optional field work in constellation identification and telescopic and photographic observations of the planets and brighter galaxies using the College’s computer-controlled 40-cm reflector.