AST 101

The Celestial Clockworks

Fall Semesters

1 credit (1 hr lecture, 0 hr lab)

Prerequisites: none

 

Explores motions of Earth, Moon, Sun, planets, and sky.

Topics included:

Constellation identification

Use of star maps, planisphere, and astrolabe.

Sky coordinate systems

Moon's position, phase, and motions

Solar system motions

Determining latitude and longitude using the sky

Although skylore is presented in passing, this is not a mythology course.

Math used in this course is minimal: some arithmetic, fractions, angle measurement, shifting perspective between two and three dimensions.