OUTLINE FOR ASTRONOMY 1035 SPRING 2008

January 14:

READING: Section 1A, Appendix 3
• 1. Introduction
• 2. The Scientific Method
• 3. Scientific Notation
• 4. Units
• 5. Is There Life Elsewhere in the Universe?

January 16:

READING: Rest of Chapter 1
• 1. The Definition of Life
• 2. The Second Law of Thermodynamics
• 3. Atoms, Ions, and Isotopes
• 4. Elemental Abundances
• 5. Molecular Bonds
• 6. The Drake Equation

January 23:

READING: Chapter 2
• 1. The Electromagnetic Spectrum
• 2. The Big Bang
• 3. The Cosmic Microwave Background
• 4. Primordial Nucleosynthesis
• 5. The Formation of Galaxies
• 6. Stars and Nuclear Energy
• 7. Lab #2: Interstellar Travel

January 28:

• 1. The Scale of the Universe
• 2. Quiz #1

January 30:

• 1. Review of Quiz #1
• 2. The Nuclear Reactions in the Sun
• 3. Heavy Element Production
• 4. Heavy Element Dispersal
• 5. Slides of Dying Stars
• 6. Emission Line Spectra
• 7. Lab #3: Spectral Analysis of Planetary Atmospheres

February 4:

• 1. The Energy Levels in Atoms
• 2. Heat Radiation (Thermal Radiation)
• 3. Absorption Line Spectra
• 4. Types of Stars
• 5. Stellar Requirements for Life
• 6. Lifetimes of Stars
• 7. Tidal Locking

February 6:

• 1. Binary Stars
• 2. Newton's Laws
• 3. Doppler Shift
• 4. Finding Extrasolar Planets
• 5. Orbital Shapes
• 6. Planetary Transits
• 7. Lab #4: Searching for Extrasolar Planets

February 11:

READING: Sections 3D and 3E
• 1. Brown Dwarfs
• 2. The Properties of the Known Extrasolar Planets
• 3. The Formation of Solar Systems
• 4. Quiz #2

February 13:

READING: Rest of Chapter 3
• 1. The Formation of Solar Systems (Continued)
• 2. Planetary Migration
• 3. Interstellar Matter
• 4. Molecular Clouds
• 5. Slides of Star Forming Regions
• 6. The Rate of Star Formation
• 7. Lab #7: Interplanetary Spacecraft

February 18:

• 1. The Temperatures of Planets
• 2. The Greenhouse Effect
• 3. The Role of Planetary Mass
• 4. The Habitable Zone
• 5. Good vs. Bad Jupiters

February 21:

READING: Pages 45 - 49
• 1. Magnetic Dynamos
• 2. Planetary Cooling Rates
• 3. Differentiation
• 4. Using Chemical Models
• 5. Types of Molecular Bonds
• 6. DNA
• 7. Lab #5: DNA

February 25:

• 1. The Role of the Moon
• 2. Plate Tectonics
• 3. The Number of Habitable Planets per Solar System
• 4. Quiz #3

February 27:

READING: Pages 43 - 45
• 1. Review of Quiz #3
• 2. DNA Replication
• 3. Genes
• 4. RNA
• 5. Amino Acids
• 6. L-Alanine vs. D-Alanine
• 7. Proteins
• 8. Lab #6: Amino Acids and Proteins

March 10:

READING: Pages 49 - 52
• 1. Types of RNA Molecules
• 2. Transcription
• 3. Translation
• 4. The Miller-Urey Experiment
• 5. More Modern Ideas
• 6. Making Proteins, RNA/DNA from Smaller Molecules

March 12:

READING: Rest of Chapter 4
• 1. Random Chance?
• 2. Life?
• 3. RNA First or Protein First?
• 4. RNA Evolution
• 5. Alternative Ideas
• 6. Seeding of the Universe
• 7. Occam's Razor
• 8. Lab #8: The Surface of Mars

March 17:

• 1. Silicon-Based Life
• 2. Other Solvents
• 3. Energy-Based Life
• 4. Life on Neutron Stars
• 5. Robotic Life
• 6. The Moon and Mercury

March 19:

READING: Sections 5A and 5B
• 1. Venus
• 2. War of the Worlds
• 3. Mars
• 4. The Rovers
• 8. Lab #5: UFOs

March 24:

• 1. The Jovian Planets
• 2. The Galilean Moons
• 3. Quiz #4

March 26:

READING: Rest of Chapter 5
• 1. The Moons of Saturn
• 2. The Moons of Uranus
• 3. Triton
• 4. Pluto and Charon

March 31:

• 1. Lab #9: Microscopic Lifeforms

April 2:

READING: Chapter 6, page 86.
• 1. Fossils
• 2. Types of Rocks
• 3. Radioactivity
• 4. Radioactive Dating

April 7:

READING: Chapter 6, pages 84 and 85.
• 1. Biological Classification
• 2. Natural Selection
• 3. Quiz #5

April 9:

READING: Chapter 6, p. 90 - 93, 100 - 105.
• 1. Review of Quiz #5
• 2. Primate Classification
• 3. Homonid Evolution
• 4. Lab #11: Homonid Skull Comparisons

April 14:

• 1. The History of the Earth
• 2. Mass Extinction
• 3. Mass Extinction Now
• 4. Snowball Earth
• 5. Intelligence
  6. Repeated Evolution
  7. Dolphins
  8. Chimpanzees

April 16:

READING: Rest of Chapter 6; Chapters 7 and 8
• 1. Cultural Evolution on Earth
• 2. Evaluating f_c
• 3. Do they want to communicate?
• 4. Asteroid/comet collisions with Earth
• 5. The Lifetime of a Technological Civilization

April 21:

READING: Chapter 9
• 1. Advantages of Radio Searches
• 2. Choices of Radio Frequency
• 3. Bandpass
• 4. Radio SETI Projects
• 5. Optical SETI Projects
• 6. Quiz #6

April 23:

• 1. Global Warming Video