This course has been approved for General Education credit in the Physical and Natural Sciences Area of the Curriculum. The major topics covered in this course range across the spectrum of topics in modern astronomy. Detailed Description of Conduct of the Course Astronomy 111 is a course in descriptive astronomy. Although this course is primarily lecture-centered, time is spent in problem solving and in conducting simple astronomical observations. Students are expected to be able to use elementary mathematics in the solution of a variety of problems encountered in class and in the laboratory.
Considerable time is spent making astronomical observations in the planetarium.
This may be done either during class or during lab time depending upon the topic under consideration. Several evening observing sessions for viewing planets, the moon, or special celestial events are planned at various times throughout the course. The observations are made both with naked eye and with the telescope. Students are expected to learn new vocabulary and ways of reasoning with ideas that will be quite new to most of them. Laboratory exercises are assigned each week and completed during the lab time or as homework.