No filters were used. The telescope and camera are set up at the ETSU Observatory. We will discuss the origin and evolution of life on Earth, the possibility of life in other locations in our solar system, recent discoveries of extrasolar planets, and the possibility of advanced civilizations elsewhere in the Galaxy. We will also cover topics in interstellar communication, space travel, and UFOs. In this course, we will utilize aspects of astronomy, physics, geology, paleontology, biology, and chemistry to investigate the question of life in the Universe.
Students learn modern methods of observational astronomy.
Specifically, the students learn about the celestial coordinate systems, telescopes, basic instrumentation, photometry, imaging, spectroscopy, and data analysis. Besides the 3 hours of lecture per week, the students will perform 9 laboratory experiments which will require them to perform night-time observations at either the ETSU Local Observatory on campus or at the Dark Skys Observatory near Boone, North Carolina. The students will be introduced to the theoretical basis of what we understand about the Universe. Specifically, the physics of the solar and stellar atmospheres and interiors will be discussed, as well as stellar evolution. The Milky Way Galaxy and galaxies in general will be studied in detail.