|
|
| AST 309R |
1
2
3
|
Star Parties
Every Wednesday evening, if the weather is clear, there will be astronomical viewing with the 16-inch telescope on the
roof of RLM Hall. These sessions will start about 7 p.m. early in the term and 8 p.m. beginning April 9. There is also
a 9-inch telescope on Painter Hall that is open to UT students on Friday evenings and to the general public on Saturday
evenings. For observing hours, see the Department of Astronomy public outreach Web page at
http://outreach.as.utexas.edu/public. You can use the 9-inch yourself if you are checked out on it.
McDonald Observatory in west Texas has star parties and public nights (see http://pio.as.utexas.edu; phone 471-5285).
About the Instructor
Professor Shields was born in Los Angeles, California and grew up in Nebraska and Kansas.
He earned a B.S. in Physics from Stanford University in 1968 and a Ph.D. in Astronomy at Caltech in 1973. Following
a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard, he joined the UT faculty in 1974. He now holds the title of The Jane and
Roland Blumberg Centennial Professor in Astronomy, and served as Chairman of the Department of Astronomy from
1990 to 1994. He teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses at UT. His research interests include studies
of ionized nebulae in galaxies and the nature of quasars, and he has published numerous research papers and popular articles.
Suggested reading
The Big Bang, by Joseph Silk (2001), W. H. Freeman and Co., 3rd ed. A survey of cosmological ideas from the
ancients to the latest scientific theories. Emphasizes observations and theories of the early universe and galaxy formation.
Our Evolving Universe, by Malcomb S. Longair (1996), Cambridge Univ. Press. A nonmathematical discussion of
the evolution of the universe, stars, and galaxies. Includes material on quasars and black holes. Emphasizes the
interconnection of different branches of astronomy.
A Short History of the Universe, by Joseph Silk (1994), Scientific American Library (Freeman). A nicely illustrated
summary of modern concepts of the evolution of the universe, ranging from the earliest moments of the Big Bang through
the evolution of galaxies. Many suggestions for further reading.
The Cosmic Perspective, by Jeffrey Bennett et al. (2001), Addison Wesley. An introductory astronomy text; part VI deals
with galaxies and the universe. A shorter version called Stars, Galaxies, & Cosmology (2002) is similar but omits the
solar system.
|
|
|
|
