Course Description

Astronomy

One-semester elective open to students in grades 10-12.

Prerequisites: None
Fall

Astronomy is the scientific study of the universe as a whole, and of celestial bodies and the underlying physics governing these bodies. We trace the origins of this exciting field from the contributions of Plato and Copernicus through those of Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein to Stephen Hawking and beyond. Areas covered include: planets, stars, and galaxies; observation astronomy and the instruments and techniques used; gravity, light, and space curvature; space exploration, and the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Current theories concerning topics such as the role of dark matter and dark energy, loop quantum cosmology, and the holographic principle are explored. The efforts of the pioneers and the paths they followed to their contributions are discussed. Videos on various topics will be shown to augment other material. The course includes planetarium software explorations and exercises, telescope labs, use of the StarLab portable planetarium, an introduction to the control and purpose of the Sandia National Labs cameras on top of the Science building, and field trips. Planned trips include those  to the Very Large Array near Magdalena, the observatory at New Mexico Tech in Socorro, and the Planetarium in Albuquerque.