Knowing the Universe: History and Philosophy of Astronomy

Chris Impey
Tuesdays 9 AM - 12 PM (AZ Time)
March 15, 22, 29, April 5, and 12, 2022
Watch the video to learn more about this course

Knowing the Universe: History and Philosophy of Astronomy

Spring 2022
In Session
Tuesdays
9 AM - 12 PM (AZ Time)
March 15, 22, 29, April 5, and 12, 2022

Location: 

Main Campus

Tuition: 

$185

Attend In Person OR Online!
See Below for full details about our new Hybrid courses

This course will cover the history of the oldest field of science, from prehistory and the ancient Greeks to research on the earliest instants of our 14-billion-year-old universe. We will be looking at the history of ideas and discoveries and the more profound questions of how knowledge is created. This class addresses fundamental issues of time, space, and our place in the universe.

NEW - Hybrid Course Format

  • All classes will be delivered both in person and online via live video streaming. Students will enroll in their preferred format during registration.
  • In person classes will be held in the Rubel Room at the University of Arizona's Poetry Center (1508 E Helen St, Tucson, AZ 85721). Enrollment for in person classes is limited by classroom capacity and offered on a first come, first served basis. All students attending on campus will observe the relevant University of Arizona policies designed to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 (more information here). Students who enroll to attend in person will also have complete online access to the course including all class recordings.   
  • Online students may attend all classes via live video streaming and will be able to participate in all course Q&A sessions with the professor in real time. Students may also access class recordings for a limited time to assist those who may not be able to attend the live class times. Online access will be password protected and only available to enrolled students.

Registration Will Open Online:
Monday, November 22, 2021 at 8 AM (AZ Time)

Required Reading: 

  • No textbook is required. All materials will be distributed to students electronically. 
  • Rather than readings, a set of YouTube videos are recommended for enrichment.

Recommended Reading: 

  • Ferris, Timothy. Coming of Age in the Milky Way. New York, NY: Perennial, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2003.

Meet Your Professor

University Distinguished Professor
Department of Astronomy

Chris Impey is a University Distinguished Professor of Astronomy at the University of Arizona. He has over 220 refereed publications, and his research has been supported by $20 million from NASA and NSF. He has won eleven teaching awards and teaches online classes (or MOOCs) with over 350,000 enrolled. He has written over 90 popular articles, two introductory textbooks, a novel called Shadow World, and nine popular science trade books.

  • Ted and Shirley Taubeneck Superior Teaching Award

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.

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