ASTR 115 - Stellar Astronomy

Credits: 5
LEC hours per week: 4
LAB hours per week: 2
This course, which includes a lab, explores the formation, evolution, and death of stars. Our sun is used as an example of ordinary stars in their middle age. This course is intended for the student interested in astronomy to fulfill the general education lab science requirements. Topics include the birth of stars and the final states they may occupy at their death, extraordinary stars, extremely massive stars, black holes, neutron stars, and white dwarfs.
Prerequisite(s): MATH 046 with a P or appropriate placement; ENGL 087 or AENG 100 with a grade of C or higher or appropriate placement; or permission of the Science Division Chair or designee.
Recommended: READ 088 or higher.
Course Outcomes:

Describe how the scientific method is used in the acquisition and application of “scientific knowledge”
Describe behaviors of light and other types of radiation
Identify basic principles of optics as related to telescopes
Describe how atomic interactions and nuclear energy are related to stars
Explain the Standard Solar Model
Analyze techniques of celestial distance measurements
Predict the entire life cycle of a star based on its initial mass

Course Topics:

Basics of astronomical studies- the scientific methods, laws of nature, and appropriate units of measure
Light and Electromagnetic Spectrum
Telescopes and other observational tools of astronomy
Models of the formation and behaviors of the Sun
Techniques to determine the characteristics of stars: temperature, distance, composition, and motion
Life cycle of stars: Formation, evolution, and death

Course Attribute(s): Natural Science