PHYS 1404 - Solar System

4 Credits (3 hrs. lec., 3 hrs. lab.) This is an introductory course that will concentrate on the origin and life of the sun and its solar system, the various bodies in the solar system and solar system mechanics. An appropriate laboratory program may include real-time telescope observations, field trips and internet research. This is a course for non-science majors who need natural science credit or anyone who wants to study the wonders of the universe. (4002015203) Prerequisite: College Level Readiness in Reading AND Writing; MATH 0308 or MATH 0309 or higher or Departmental approval
Course Outcomes
1 - Articulate the nature of science and the relationships between facts, observations and theories.
2 - Investigate the use of observations, experiments and modeling as tools of discovery in the field of modern astronomy.
3 - Describe the organization and apparent motions of celestial objects in the night sky.
4 - Explain the relationships between the lunar cycle and eclipses.
5 - Discuss the development of astronomical knowledge from ancient philosophers through Copernicus, Newton and Einstein.
6 - Investigate the relationship between light and matter in order to interpret spectra.
7 - Identify different methods of detecting electromagnetic radiation.
8 - Analyze the structure of the Sun.
9 - Describe the current model of the origin and evolution of the solar system.
10 - Compare and contrast the interiors, surfaces, atmospheres, magnetic fields and motions of the major planets and moons in the solar system.
11 - Classify asteroids, comets, dwarf planets and other small solar system bodies.
12 - Differentiate between various methods of detecting extra-solar planets.
13 - Evaluate the possibility of life on other planets using the knowledge of the nature of life on Earth and identify planetary environments which are favorable for sustaining life.