ASTR100 - Spring 2005

Introduction to Astronomy

• Prof: Cole Miller
  • Lecture Time: TuTh 9:30-10:45 AM
    
  • Lecture Room: PHYS 1412
    
• Teaching Assistants: See TA Information
  • Discussion Room: CSS 2400
    
  • Discussion Times: See Section Information
    
• Textbook: The Essential Cosmic Perspective, by Bennett et al.

Class Information

• Course Syllabus and Description
• Discussion Sections
• Lecture Schedule
• Lecture Notes
• Assignments Check here for up to date information on Homeworks and Exams.
• 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.

Material to Help You Out

• Constellations and myths.
• Computer Programs for use in ASTR100.
  • Practice scientific notation and working with equations. Learn about astronomical distances and giant impacts!
  • Watch the planets move around the Sun on their actual orbits! Follow this link to the Inner Solar System and Outer Solar System animations.
  • Check out the orbits of all 67 moons orbiting the planets in our Solar System!
  • JavaLab for the curious. Collide or cannibalize your own galaxies, explore the expansion history of the cosmos, and more!
• Supplementary Information for UMD Introductory Astronomy. This site includes useful practice multiple choice questions which the computer will grade for you.
• Astronomy Picture of the Day This site is updated daily and has a nice archive of pretty astronomy images.
• Artificial Satellites
  • Predictions for artificial satellites, including
  • Satellite forecasts specific to College Park.

• 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.
• NEAR mission to asteroid Eros.
• Deep Impact, a Maryland-led project to explore the heart of a comet.
• Comet Information This page contains information about recently discovered comets.
• Comet Crash pictures and movies.
• Spacewatch This page contains information about this program which searches for near Earth objects.
• Extrasolar 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.
• Structure and Evolution of Stars What happens when a star runs out of fuel?
• Novae and Supernovae The most violent events in the Universe!
• Binary Stars This page contains general information on binary stars.
• Pulsars Hear them tick!
• Neutron stars An introduction to some of their many faces.
• Black Hole Candidates This page contains information on Cygnus X-1, LMC X-3, and other black hole candidates.
• Videos of compact objects, including the expected appearance of things in the vicinity of black holes.

• Galaxy appearance and classification.
• Merging Galaxies - Josh Barnes' 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). Warning: may require excessive download time
• Relativity Everything that you want to know about General Relativity, curved spacetime, and gravitational radiation!
• Cosmology How did the Universe begin? How will it end?
• Large Scale Structure Clusters & Superclusters of Galaxies. What do they look like?
• Dark Matter: What is dark matter? What is it made of?
• Some alternatives to dark matter.

HD177830 b and Moon
Copyright © Lynette R. Cook, All Rights Reserved, Used with Permission.