COURSE OBJECTIVES:

Astronomy receives considerable attention from the media and the public in general. It allows us to ask fundamental questions about who we are, where we come from, and where we will end up as a world. This course will concentrate on the areas of Astronomy that are currently most covered by the media. It will also focus on new developments about the nature of the physical world that we live in. Topics include thoughts on gravity, supermassive black holes, gamma-ray bursters, dark matter, dark energy, the formation of the Universe, and other significant developments that arise during the semester. We will cover each of these in depth, but will also concentrate on the reaction that the media has had on them. The media and public often have an uncanny ability to probe directly to the main reasons for why scientists study a particular problem. The student who completes this course will not only have a better scientific understanding of the current hot topics in Astronomy, but also understand how the media can actually drive science in general.

TEXT:

No textbook is required. Much of the relevant material will be articles that are available on the internet, so access to the internet is important. Lectures, along with many articles from the internet, will be provided online. I strongly recommend the book ``Cosmic Perspective'' by Bennett, Donahue, Schneider, and Voit for additional material. I will add websites to the lists below during the semester.

INTERNET RESOURCES:

General Resources Kepler Hubble Chandra SPITZER Picture of the Day Space Weather Astro-ph The Cosmic Perspective website NASA Watch ESO LHC LIGO

Planet Resources Exoplanets Encyclopaedia Exoplanets, US Team Exoplanets, Swiss Team Planet Quest Minor Planet Center Sedna Page McMaster Simulations Black Hole Resources Black Hole Webpage Dark Matter Resources Bullet Cluster Bullet Cluster 2

INTERNET ARTICLES:

On-line Astronomy News Space.Com NY Times Science LA Times Science BBC Science Sky and Telescope SpaceRef Astro Preprints

Good Resources RC3 Galaxy Images Particle History Black Hole articles Rogue stars Gamma-Ray Burst SWIFT Satellite GRB 08

Articles Brian Greene's article Einstein Rules Deformed Galaxies Big Bang Modification Dreaming Physicists LHC Feed Sun's influence LHC article Planet Articles Image of Exoplanet

INTERNET SIMULATIONS:	Very Cool View of MW Orbit Simulator Nelson Planet Simulation, Earth Nelson Planet Simulation, Jupiter McMaster Planet Simulation Mayer's Planet Simulation Mihos' Java Lab Bothun's Java Lab Binary Star Simulation Black Hole Movies Andromeda merging with Milky Way Spiral merging Elliptical merging Spiral (face-on) Volker Springel's colliding galaxies Energy Scale
OBSERVING:	You may be interested to visit our Student Observatory on the roof of Painter Hall. This houses a 9 inch refracting telescope. The open nights are Friday and Saturday from 8:00 - 10:00 PM, clear nights only. This is a simple telescope to use and students (you!) can be checked out to observe with it. Please see me for further information. You may also look at the Painter Hall Telescope Handbook, which explains the check-out procedure and the use of the telescope. You can also consult the Educational Services Office, RLM 13.122, 471-1307. There are also Star Parties every Wednesday evening on the roof of RLM using the 16-inch telescope.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES:	The University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-4641 TTY. Also, please notify me of any modification/adaptation that you may require to accommodate a disability-related need. Specialized services are available on campus through Services for Students with Disabilities.
UNIVERSITY RULES:	The University's deadlines and rules regarding "dropping" the course will be strictly enforced. I assume that you know the deadlines and the rules.
RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS:	By UT Austin policy, you must notify me of your pending absence at least fourteen days prior to the date of observance of a religious holy day. If you must miss a class, an examination, a work assignment, or a project in order to observe a religious holy day, you will be given an opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the absence.

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