Date

Lecture
Number

Subject

Textbook
Chapters

Aug 26

1

Course organization

1

Aug 28

2

Contents of the universe

1

Aug 31

3

Overview of the solar system

2

Sept 2

4

Kepler's laws of planetary motion

3

Sept 4

5

Newtonian gravity

3

Sept 7

No lecture. Labor day.

Sept 9

6

The Earth

7 & 8

Sept 11

7

Mars

7 & 8

Sept 14

8

Jupiter

9 & 11

Sept 16

9

Comets, Meteorites, & Asteroids

12

Sept 18

EXAM 1

Sept 21

10

The distances to the stars

4 & 13

Sept 23

11

The wave nature of light

4

Sept 25

12

Kirchhoff's first law; the temperatures of stars

4 & 5

Sept 28

13

The Hertzsprung-Russell diagram

13

Sept 30

14

Atoms and photons

4 & 13

Oct 2

15

Kirchhoff's Second and Third Laws; Stellar spectra

4 & 13

Oct 5

16

Stellar spectroscopy; the chemical composition of stars

4 & 13

Oct 7

17

The Doppler shift; the masses of stars

4 & 13

Oct 9

EXAM 2

Oct 12

19

Nuclear energy

14

Oct 14

20

Stellar structure: Constructing models of stars

14

Oct 16

21

The structure of main-sequence stars: the sun

14

Oct 19

22

Interstellar matter and star formation

15

Oct 21

23

The orgin of the solar system

6

Oct 23

24

Stellar Evolution: main sequence to horizontal branch

16

Oct 26

25

Stellar Evolution: horizontal branch to white dwarfs

16

Oct 28

26

Supernovae; origin of the elements

17

Oct 30

27

The theory of relativity; black holes

17

Nov 2

28

Black holes in binary stars

17

Nov 4

29

Our galaxy - the Milky Way

19

Nov 6

EXAM 3