Astronomy is the study of planets, stars, galaxies, and the Universe as a whole: the physical laws that govern celestial bodies, how they originate, and how they evolve in time. As a purely observational science with few exceptions (meteorites and moon rocks), we cannot touch our objects of study directly, thus we must rely on measurements of light and subatomic particles collected by earth-based and space-based observatories and robotic space probes. The subject spans the whole of the Universe, from our home on Earth to the distant reaches of the cosmos, and all of time from the present day to the earliest moments after the Big Bang.
The Department of Astronomy offers a wide range of courses: those designed for the non-major interested in learning about the latest advances in Astronomy at the GE and Themes Level, courses for undergraduate astrophysics majors and minors who are preparing to pursue a Ph.D. in Astronomy and Astrophysics or STEM fields in industry.
There is a whole universe to explore, come join us!
Full Undergraduate Course listing
Our current undergraduate course listings as of Autumn 2024 are as follows:
- Astron 1101 From Planets to the Cosmos
- Astron 1221 Astronomical Data Analysis
- Astron 2020 The Night Sky
- Astron 2140 Planets and the Solar System
- Astron 2141 Life in the Universe
- Astron 2142 Black Holes
- Astron 2143 Cosmology: History of the Universe
- Astron 2895 Topics in Astrophysics - Astronomy Seminar
- Astron 2291 Basic Astrophysics and Planetary Astronomy
- Astron 2292 Stellar, Galactic, and Extragalactic Astronomy & Astrophysics
- Astron 3350 Methods of Astronomical Observation and Data Analysis
- Astron 3810 Order of Magnitude for Undergraduates
- Astron 4810 Order of Magnitude for Undergraduates Part Two
- Astron 5205 Planetary Science
- Astron 5550 Advanced Astronomical Data Analysis