Study of the astronomical perspective on the conditions for the origin and existence of life in the universe. Repeatable to 6 credits if content differs. This course is designed primarily for students not majoring in astronomy and is suitable for nonscience students. It will concentrate study in some limited field in astronomy which will vary from semester to semester. Possible subjects for study are the solar system, extragalactic astronomy and cosmology, the inconstant universe.
Enrollment is limited to students admitted to the departmental honors program in astronomy.
Credit according to work done. Radiation processes in stars and interstellar space, stellar atmospheres, stellar structure and evolution. Introduction to current observational techniques in radio astronomy. The radio sky, coordinates and catalogs, antenna theory, Fourier transforms, interferometry and arrays, aperture synthesis, radio detectors. Methods of galactic research, stellar motions, clusters of stars, evolution of the galaxy, study of our own and nearby galaxies.