ISP 205: Visions of the Universe
Section 2, Fall 2007

This is designed only to provide a guide to what is covered in class. The lectures will not follow the book verbatim, and what is emphasized in the lectures will be emphasized on the tests. Two important notes are the book covers more areas in more detail than we can in this class, and the schedule is updated as we go, so it is accurate for the past, and only a guide for the future. The numbers in parentheses correspond to the chapters in the book in which this material is discussed (based on the 4th edition, these are similar to but not identical to the 3rd edition).

Schedule
Aug 27 - Introduction, scale of the universe, nature of science [1.1, 1.2, first part of 1.3]
Aug 29 - Why we see the sky the way we do, seasons, phases of the moon [parts of 2.1-2.4]
Aug 31 - motions of planets, beginning of Laws of Motion, nature of science [2.4, 3.3, 3.4]
Sep 5 - Laws of motion: Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler [parts of 4.1, 4.2]
Sep 7 - Newton [parts 4.4 and parts of 4.1-4.2], Tides [end of 4.4], Begin Light [5]
Sep 10-12 - Light [5.1,5.2]
Sep 14 - Telescopes [5.3], beginning of Introduction to the Solar System [6.1]
Sep 17 - finish Introduction to the Solar System [6.1], and midterm review
Sep 19 - Midterm (22.5%)
Sep 21 - Solar System basics [6.1], Beginning of terrestial planets [latter part of 7.1, parts of 7.2]
Sep 24 - Mars and Venus [7.3 and 7.4]
Sep 26 - Planetary atmospheres, comparison of Earth, Venus, and Mars [7.3,7.4, little bit of 7.5]
Sep 28 - Jovian (Giant) Planets [8.1]
Oct 1 - Moons and Rings [parts of 8.2,8.3]
Oct 3 - Asteroids, Comets, Pluto [9]
Oct 5 - Origin of the Solar System [6.2-6.4]
Oct 8 - Origin of Solar System, Other Planetary Systems [6.5].
Oct 10 - Other Planetary Systems, The Search for Life Elsewhere [18.3-18.4]
Oct 12 - The Sun as a Star [parts of 10.1, 10.2]
Oct 15 - review for midterm
Oct 17 - Midterm (22.5%)
Oct 19 - Surveying the Stars [11.1,11.2]
Oct 22 - Star Clusters [11.3] and the beginning of Lives of Stars [12.2-12.4]
Oct 24 - The lives of stars [12.2-12.4]
Oct 26 - Stellar Graveyard [13.1-13.3]
Oct 29 - Black Holes [13.3]
Oct 31 -Nov 2 - Our Galaxy (the Milky Way) [14.1-14.3]
Nov 5 - Other Galaxies [15.1,small part of 15.2]
Nov 7 - Galaxy Evolution [15.3]
Nov 9 - Galaxy Centers [14.4, 15.4]
Nov 12 - Dark Matter [16.1-16.2]
Nov 14 - review for midterm
Nov 16 - midterm(25%)
Nov 19 - Expansion of the Universe part 1 [parts of 15.2 and 16.4]
Nov 21 - Review of Expansion of the Universe
Nov 26 - Fate of the Universe [16.4]
Nov 28 - More Fate of the Universe [16.4]
Nov 30 - The Big Bang [parts 17.1,17.2]
Dec 3 - The Very Early Universe [17.3]
Dec 5 - More Cosmology [including 17.4]
Dec 7 - Life in the Universe (parts of Ch. 18), Final Review
Final - 30%
Final is Monday, Dec 10, 8-10 PM, 108 Bessey Hall

Reminders - the numbers in parentheses correspond to the chapters in the book in which this material is discussed. Not all of the material in the book will be covered on exams (this will be noted in class), and material not in the book may be discussed in class. All subjects discussed in class may be on the tests/exams.

isp205-2@pa.msu.edu