Professor
Edward L. Robinson
Office: RLM 17.318
Phone: (512) 471-3401
elr@astro.as.utexas.edu
Course Web Site
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Course Description
AST 301 is an introductory course in astronomy for non-science majors. It gives a broad introduction to all astronomy:
- The solar system - planets, moons, asteroids, and comets.
- Stars and stellar evolution - star birth and the formation of planets, and star
death, including neutron stars, black holes, and supernovae.
- Galaxies - normal and not-so-normal galaxies, quasars and
supermassive black holes.
- Cosmology - the expansion of the universe, its origin in the Big
Bang, and its future.
No previous course in astronomy is required. The course emphasizes the physical processes at work in the
universe and the methods we use to learn about the universe. The course often requires mathematics at
the level of first-year algebra.If you are uncomfortable with this level of mathematics, you should consider
switching to a different section of AST 301. There will be observing projects but no true laboratory exercises
in the course.
Required Textbook
The Universe Revealed by Impey & Hartmann
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