ASTR 1220: Introduction to Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe

General Course Information

Instructor: George Privon (gcp8y [at] virginia [dot] edu)
Office: Astronomy Department, Room 109
Office hours: M-F 14:00-15:00 or by appointment.

Course Meets: 12 July - 06 August (Summer Session III)
10:30 - 12:45, Monday-Friday.
Astronomy Building, Room 265

Course Description

A study of stars, star formation, and evolution primarily for non-science majors. Topics include light, atoms, and modern observing technologies; origin of the chemical elements; supernovae, pulsars, neutron stars, and black holes; structure and evolution of our galaxy; nature of other galaxies; active galaxies and quasars; expanding universe, cosmology, the big bang, and the early universe.

Course Syllabus (PDF; Updated 18 July 2010)

Materials

Textbook: Cosmic Perspective (5th or 6th Edition)

Lectures

12 July Course Overview PDF
Light PDF
13 July Atoms PDF
Observing Technology PDF
14 July The Sun PDF
Stars: Properties PDF
15 July Stars: Properties (Part II) PDF
Stars: Formation PDF
16 July Stars: Evolution PDF
19 July Review of week 1 PDF
Stars: Supernovae and end states PDF
20 July Stellar Graveyard PDF
21 July Stellar Graveyard: Black Holes PDF
26 July Scale of the Universe PDF
The Milky Way Galaxy (Part I) PDF
27 July The Milky Way Galaxy (Part II) PDF
28 July Other "normal" galaxies PDF
29 July Galaxy Mergers PDF
30 July Active Galactic Nuclei PDF
02 August Cosmology: Content and Fate of the Universe PDF
03-04 August Cosmology: The Big Bang and the Early Universe PDF (Updated 04 August)