Astronomy is one of the oldest of sciences. We live at a crucial phase in the history of our civilization, indeed of our planet. For the first time in history, we have the power to both enhance and destroy our planet with our new-found technology and our massive thirst for energy. Still, we have the chance to user our knowledge wisely by improving the quality of life on our planet. Modern planetary astronomy provides us with a glimpse of the diversity of other worlds, from the runaway greenhouse effect on Venus and the changing climate of Mars, to the shifting ice flows on the moons of Jupiter and Saturn.
Astronomy places human development in context.
The planets in our solar system began forming about 5000 million years ago as a result of violent collisions between chunks of debris created in the aftermath of the formation of the Sun. Although astronomy cannot hope to solve our problems on Earth, it can provide us with a perspective of our surroundings which may positively influence future decisions we make about our fragile world, and the millions of life forms that exist on its surface and in its oceans. We hope to try to capture some of the spirit of this statement in Astro 120. The lectures are the core of this course, and define its content. Reading assignments provided in the Course Outline will assist your mastery of the material.