PHYS 284 - Introduction to Astronomy
This course explores current knowledge of the cosmos from the celestial sphere towards the farthest reaches of the universe. The journey begins with a description of planet earth, its place in the solar system, and resulting seasonal changes, tidal movements, and earth’s precession. Further out, the solar system, the planets, star clusters, the Milky Way galaxy, and modern strange systems such as black holes, quasars, and supernovae are explored. The physical, theoretical and experimental grounds for understanding are described including Newton's laws, quantum and relativistic theories of light and matter, the science of visual and microwave telescopes, and techniques for discovering the existence of planets in other solar systems is also described. Lectures only.
Instructor:
Please refer to the Course Outline below.
Program:
Undergraduate, 3 credits
Prerequisite
Students registered in a Physics program may only count this course for credit towards their degree requirements as an out-of-program elective, or towards the completion of an additional program of concentration outside of Physics.
Book:
The material for this course consists of the required online textbook and the PHYS 284 – Introduction to Astronomy course website which includes the quizzes, videos, discussion board and other course material.
The only text required for this course is available through the course website and is included in the online material fee.
Textbook
Required Textbook:
The Cosmic Perspective 10th edition, by Jeffrey O. Bennett, Megan O. Donahue, Schneider, and Voit.
Registration Information:
Concordia students must register for this course in their Student Hub. It is strongly recommended that they consult Concordia's class schedule prior to enrolling in order to be aware of any registration restrictions (see the notes).
Once registered, students must then sign up for an eConcordia account to access the course material.
» Visit the registration section for details.
Disclaimer: Information regarding the eConcordia course found on this page may change without notice. For the most recent course list, visit the Student Hub. Furthermore, if this represents the initial offering of the course, no course outline will be available until the start of the first active semester.