This course is primarily about the nature, origin, and evolution of the planets of our solar system and of their satellites.
Special emphasis is given to recent spacecraft studies of the solar system.
Related topics include the nature of comets, the uses of astronomical telescopes, and eclipses and other solar phenomena. This course concentrates on the universe outside our own solar system. A principle theme is the origins and evolution of stars, of galaxies, and of the universe at large. Highlights include the nature of black holes and quasars, synthesis within stars of the chemical elements essential for life, the Big Bang model of the formation of the universe, and the possible fates of the universe. Binary stellar systems.