Introduction to Astronomy
ASTR 100 - Fall 2009

Prof: Stacy McGaugh
- Lecture Time: TuTh 9:30-10:45 AM
- Lecture Room: PHYS 1412
Teaching Assistants: See Section Info
- Discussion Room: CSS 2400
- Discussion Times: See Section Info
Textbook: The Essential Cosmic Perspective (5th edition)
by Bennett, Donahue, Schneider, & Voit
ISBN 0-321-566947

Class Information

Homework 5 due Thursday November 19.

Syllabus in pdf format and in html format:

Textbook e-resource Mastering Astronomy (helpful but not required).
Open House Schedule and related information for the University Observatory's Open House.
There are other ASTR courses you can take after this one: ASTR Courses for Non-Majors.

A few notes on the Scientific Method

A few necessary assumptions
The scientific method
The principle of doubt
Definition of terms frequently misued in the vernacular.
Competing Cosmologies: Geocentric and Heliocentric cosmologies compared and contrasted.
H.S. in epicycles: why simple theories are preferred to complicated ones.
What's up in the sky? Follow the observing link at Sky & Telescope
Compuerized version of Powers of Ten
Galileo's leaning tower of Pisa experiment - on the moon: Apollo 15
Computer Programs for use in ASTR100.
- Astronomical Programs specifically created for this course by Prof. Hamilton. Build your own solar systems, learn about astronomical distances and giant impacts, practice scientific notation and working with equations, and more!
- JavaLab for the curious. Collide or cannibalize your own galaxies, explore the expansion history of the cosmos, and more!
Astronomy Picture of the Day This site is updated daily and has a nice archive of pretty astronomy images.
Map of the Universe on a logarithmic scale to show it "all."
Artificial Satellites
- Predictions for artificial satellites, including
- Satellite forecasts specific to College Park.

Build the solar system to any scale you like, compared to any Google map.
Current Mars Rover missions: Spirit & Opportunity.
Welcome to the Planets Information about planets and spaceprobes from JPL.
A Tour of the Solar System This page contains information about the planets, satellites, asteroids, comets, and Solar System related topics.
Deep Impact: Maryland Astronomy's NASA mission to crash into a comet.
Comet Crash pictures and movies.
Spacewatch This page contains information about this program which searches for near Earth objects.
Dinosaur Extinction and other things that go bump in the night.
Extra Solar Planets Astronomers have discovered planets around other stars. The list lengthens all the time!

Light and the Electromagnetic Spectrum Good information about light.
The Stellar Spectral Sequence. The colors and spectra of stars.
Pulsars Hear them tick!
Videos of compact objects, including the expected appearance of things in the vicinity of black holes.

Galaxy appearance and classification.
Movie of stars orbiting the two million solar mass black hole at the center of the Milky Way (credit: Reinhard Genzel et al., Max-Planck-Institut fur Extraterrestrische Physik)
Merging Galaxies - Josh Barnes's pedagogical sequence: initial conditions | merger | snapshot of merger in progress.
The Really Cool Merger Simulation which appeared in the IMAX film Cosmic Voyage (courtesy of Chris Mihos).

Human history timeline.
SETI The search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
An alternative to dark matter.
Anecdotes about Tycho Brahe.