Registration Open

Astronomy Series (May 21 – July 9)

Participants may sign up for all lectures in the series.

Science and the Universe: A Brief Tour (May 21)

• The nature of astronomy
• The nature of gravity
• The laws of nature
• Numbers in astronomy

Solar Radiation: The Electromagnetic Spectrum (May 28)

• Sources of sunshine: thermal and gravitational energy
• Mass, energy, and the theory of relativity
• The solar interior
• Solar observations of the sun prior to class, weather permitting

Other Worlds: An Introduction to the Solar System (June 4)

• Overview of our planetary system
• Composition and structure of planets
• Exploring the outer planets
• The giant planets
• Meteorites: stones from heaven
• Comets: trailing clouds of glory
• Planet viewing after class at 9:30 p.m., weather permitting

Tools of the Trade: Astronomical Instruments and Software (June 11)

• Telescope basics
• Telescopes today
• Visible-light detectors and instruments
• Radio telescopes
• Observations outside Earth’s atmosphere, including Hubble and James Webb Space Telescope
• The future of large telescopes

A Star’s Life: Nebulae, the Birth and Death of Stars (June 18)

• Star formation
• Evolution from the main sequence to red giants
• Star clusters
• The death of low-mass stars
• Evolution of massive stars and supernovae
• Supernova observations

The Big Theory of Everything: Evolution of Space, Galaxies, and Black Holes (June 25)

• Introducing general relativity
• Spacetime and gravity
• Black holes
• Evidence for black holes
• The age of the universe
• The beginning of the universe
• The cosmic microwave background
• What the universe is made of

Night Star Viewing (Dates to Be Determined)

Weather permitting, participants will have opportunities for night sky viewing on June 26, July 2, and July 9.