Astrophysics

This semester-long course introduces students to historical and modern astrophysics. Topics include the nature of light, the atom, telescopes, and orbits. In addition, students learn about the life cycles of stars, including an introduction to dark matter and black holes. The course ends with cosmology, including the rate of expansion of the Universe, as part of which we calculate the Hubble constant from measurements of galaxy images. Occasional programming exercises familiarize students with some Python modules that are used in astronomical research, though no background programming knowledge is assumed. Engaging with current research, we examine the modern astronomical data used to search for and categorize the thousands of planets outside our solar system, and the considerations involved in the ongoing search for extraterrestrial life.