Frontiers of Astronomy

Richard Poss
Fall 2016
THURSDAYS |  
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
September 29 - December 8, 2016. No class on November 24.
Course Format: Hybrid
Location: Main Campus
Tuition: $150

This survey of astronomy begins here on Earth and heads outward to the ends of the observable universe. We will explore the Sun, the Moon, and the most interesting planets in our stellar neighborhood. Comets, asteroids, the Kuiper Belt, and the Oort Cloud are the next topics we will consider as we assess our solar-system environment. From our local solar system we then move to star formation and the nature of the Milky Way galaxy. Neutron stars, debris disks, supernovas, black holes, and dark matter follow.

Are we alone? How do you find an exoplanet? We will ask these questions as we study galaxies and cosmology: the expansion of the universe, dark energy, the Big Bang, wormholes, superstrings, and the possibility of other universes.

Recommended Reading

Bennett, Jeffrey, Megan Donahue, Nicholas Schneider, and Mark Voit. The Cosmic Perspective. 7th Edition. Pearson/Addison Wesley, 2013. ISBN-13: 978-0321839558.

Differences between the latest edition and previous editions are miniscule. Your instructor recommends used versions, and the older editions. You also do not need the software packages. Please note that this text is NOT intended to be brought to class.

Meet Your Instructor

Associate Professor

RICHARD POSS is an Associate Professor of Astronomy at the University of Arizona, where his work bridges the sciences and the humanities. His research explores the role of astronomy in European literature and art, examining how writers and thinkers—from Dante and Leonardo da Vinci to Thomas Hardy and Walt Whitman—have looked to the stars for meaning and inspiration. He has also written on the ethics of space exploration, including humanity’s future on Mars. A recipient of multiple teaching awards, Professor Poss is known for his engaging, interdisciplinary approach and is a longtime contributor to the University’s Humanities Seminars Program.

Location

POETRY CENTER
Dorothy Rubel Room
1508 E Helen
Tucson, AZ 85721
United States

Located on the SE corner of Helen Street and Vine Avenue, one block north of Speedway and three blocks west of Campbell Ave.

Street map image of Poetry Center

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