This course is intended to be an overview of the solar system, and planetary science in general, for upper-level science majors. The focus will be on learning concepts, not just facts. There will also be an emphasis on discussion, not just lecturing. Topics will range from celestial mechanics, cosmic collisions, planetary interiors, surfaces, and atmospheres, and even biological processes. Rather than taking the traditional approach of learning about the wonders of each planet in turn, we will concentrate on physical mechanisms that span all scales of the solar system.
You will be expected to participate actively in the class by keeping up with the reading assignments (there will be regular quizzes!) and bringing questions and ideas to each class. There will be a problem solving aspect to this course, so a familiarity with mid-level physics and calculus is essential. Planetary science is a rapidly changing field, with more space missions underway or planned than ever before. As such, an important component of this course will be a term project (with presentations) on one of the hot topics in solar system exploration today.