Ph 261U General Astronomy

Introductory historical, descriptive, and interpretive study of astronomy. Emphasis is on the basic scientific methods as they apply to astronomical problems. Detailed examination of the earth, followed by a survey of the other members of the solar system. Survey of the stars, their types, grouping, and motions. Models for the evolution of the Universe and the possibility of life elsewhere. The nature of light, the types of information it carries, and the types of devices used to detect it. Includes laboratory and/or fieldwork. This is the first course in a sequence of two: Ph 261 and Ph 262.