GS 107 Astronomy Course Outcomes

GS 107 Astronomy

Course Outcomes

Upon completing this course a student should be able to:

Describe and explain the observed daily and long-term motion of objects (sun, moon, planets, stars).
Sketch the ecliptic and identify locations of the sun, moon and planets for various times of the year.
Assign correct values for right ascension and declination for each of the items above.
Explain how astronomical distances are determined using parallax and luminosity techniques.
Sketch and explain the relationships of objects in solar and lunar eclipses. This includes partial, total and annular eclipses.
Use a star chart with planets to sketch the relative positions of sun, moon, planets and constellations.
Discuss the contributions of Ptolemny, Copenicus, Kepler, Tycho, Galileo and Newton to astronomy.
How continuous and non-continuous spectra are formed. How spectra can be used to identify elements, temperature, and radial velocity.
Discuss the general structure of the solar system, especially commenting on the patterns within that structure.
Show how the structure of the solar system can be used to evaluate various theories of planetary evolution.
Identify the balance between radiation and gravity in various types of stars, and relate this to the aging process.
Sketch the H-R Diagram, and use this to determine distance and discuss the evolution of a stellar object.
Discuss binary stars and how they can be used to determine masses of stars, and diameters of stars.
Show how novas, supernovas, neutron stars, white dwarfs, red giants, and black holes relate to stellar masses and ages.
Sketch a Hubble diagram, and show how this information is consistent with the "Big Bang" cosmology