Knowing something about stars we can explore the cosmos on an even larger scale. Now we'll
     look at galaxies, what they are like, how they got that way and what they tell us about the nature of
     the universe itself. Then we attempt to look far into the past, to the very beginning of time and then to
     the future, speculating as to what the ultimate destiny of it may be. Meanwhile, we don't want to
     overlook the fact that we are a women's college, and women make up an increasingly important part
     of the astronomical community.

   July 31st      

                                 The Milky Way - Our Home

                                 Galaxies

•     Elliptical / Spiral / Irregular
•     Their Nature, evolution, ???

August 5th          Introduction to Cosmology

•     Olber's Paradox
•     Distribution of Galaxies
•     Homogeneous and Isotropic


                       Origin and Nature of the Universe
 

• The Big Bang
• Grand Unified Field Theories
• Reconciling God, ourselves, and the universe

August 7th    Ultimate Destiny of the Universe
 

• The Universe is Expanding
• Closed, Flat, Open Geometries

Desperately Seeking ET 

       

    August 8th-9th        FINAL EXAM

August 5th

        The Milky Way - Our Home
 
 
 

THE MILKY WAY GALAXY

"For my own part, I declare I know nothing whatever about it, but looking at the stars always makes me dream,as simply as I dream over the black dots representing villages and towns on a map. Why, I ask myself, shouldn't the shining dots of the sky be as accessible as the black dots on the map of France?"

Vincent Van Gogh, 1889

Video Lectures: Where the Galaxies Are

Block IV - Lecture 1 a

Block IV - Lecture 1b

Textbook:

         1.  Overview Six: The Milky Way and Other Galaxies

         2.  Chapter Fifteen : The Milky Way Galaxy, Sections 15.1 - 15.8,  pg 445 - 475

               Test Yourself Questions, pg 476, 1 -5

BlackBoard Streaming Video:

1. Galaxies Part I
2. Galaxies Part II
3. Where the Galaxies Are
4. Lab # 9 Hubble's Law

Objectives: You should be able to:

1. Draw a schematic representation of the Milky Way Galaxy showing its nucleus, halo, spiral arms and location of the sun
2. Describe Herschel's method of star counting to infer the shape of the galaxy
3. Contrast Radial and Proper Motion of stars in the galaxy
4. Explain the basis of the Curtis-Shapely Debate
5. Compare Population I and Population IIStars
6. Describe the Nucleus of the Milky Way Galaxy
7. Discuss the possibility of a Black Hole lurking in the galactic core
8. Decribe the Globular Clusters located in the halo of the galaxy

milkyway.avi (10MB!)
milkyway.mov (8.5MB) - Apple QuickTime Movie
milkyway.mpg (2.7MB)

Key Words: You may use these for Review or SEARCH  items:

• RR Lyrae variable stars
• Cepheid Variables
• Globular Cluster
• Spiral Arms
• Nuclear Bulge
• Dark Matter
• Magellanic Clouds
• Andromeda Galaxy
• Sagittarius A Region
• Globular Clusters
• Galactic or Open Clusters
• Population I and II Stars

        GALAXIES

"Images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes that call me on and on across the Universe. Limitless undying love which shines around me like a million suns, it calls me on and on across the Universe."

The Beatles, 1968 AD

 

Textbook:
 

               Test Yourself Questions, pg 510, 1 -5

BlackBoard Streaming Video:

1. Cosmology - Intro
2. Cosmology Part I
3. Cosmology Part II
4. Cosmology Part III

galax1.avi (8.3MB!)
galax1.mov (7.8MB) - Apple QuickTime Movie
galax1.mpg (1MB)

Objectives: You should be able to:

1. Describe a possible scenario for the origin and evolution of the Milky Way
2. Compare Elliptical, Spiral, and Irregular Galaxies
3. Given a set of galactic images, categorize galaxies into their probable types
4. Discuss how galaxies evolve.
5. Using the technique of the Standard Candle explain how distances to galaxies can be determined
6. Describe what happens when galaxies collide and merge
7. Describe the Missing Mass Problem
8. Explain what Hubble's Law is and how it relates to galaxies
9. Compare Mass-Luminosity Ratio for various kinds of galaxies
10. Describe observed properties of Quasars
11. Describe how galaxies are clustered on the large scale

Key Words: You may use these for Review or SEARCH items:

• Quasars
• Local Group
• Dark Matter
• Seyfert Galaxy
• Hubble Law
• Gravitational Lens

Lab # 9 Hubble Expansion of the Universe
 

August 7th Introduction to Cosmology

"What did you see?" I asked, "Before beginning's Big Bang lights?"
(I reviews and interviews, I edits and I writes.)
"Before the start of time, before the Universe's birth?
What did the Hubble show, ten billion years before Earth?"
He told me. Now I writes no more. I drinks a bit, I edits.
"Right before the beginning," he said, "is when they roll the credits!"
Jonathon Post

Video: Cosmology Part 1

Cosmology Part 2

Cosmology Part 3

Cosmology Part 4

Textbook:

               Test Yourself Questions, pg 536, 1 -5

Objectives: You should be able to:

1. Define Cosmology
2. Explain Olber's Paradox
3. Explain what is meant by Homogeneous and Isotropic Universe
4. Contrast contemporary cosmological models
• Steady State Model
• Big Bang, Standard Model
5. Describe the importance of the cosmic background radiation to both models
6. Explain the cosmic abundances and how this is consistent with the Standard Big Bang Model
7. Outline the results of the COBE experiment
8. Describe a scenario of probable evolution of matter and radiation and their interaction
9. Explain how elementary particles can be formed from photons and the temperature required for this process
10. Discuss the missing mass problem
11. Discuss problems with cosmic evolution and standard models

Key Words: You may use these for Review or SEARCH items:

• Olber's Paradox
• Big Bang
• Steady State Model of the Universe
• COBE
• Homogeneous
• Isotropic
• Copernican Principle
• Heavy-Particle Era
• Light Particle Era
• Neutrino Mass

Cosmology - The Origin and Nature of the Universe

"... First there was the Great Cosmic Egg. Inside the egg was chaos. Floating in the chaos was P'an Ku, the undeveloped divine embryo."

Huai-nan Tzu, China 100 BC

 

 

 

Objectives: You should be able to:

1. Discuss the possible geometries of the Universe
• Flat
• Spherical
• Hyperbolic
2. Relate possible geometries to the destiny of the universe
• Open Universe
• Closed Universe
• Flat Universe
3. Explain what is meant by Inflationary Universe and why it is important in Cosmology
4. Describe the Grand Unified Field Theory (GUTS)
5. Describe the nature of the primeval fireball
6. Describe cosmic abundances formed during the big bang
7. Explain how matter might be created from photons
8. Outline how cosmic events are related to temperature and time in the origin of the universe
9. Relate expansion velocity and critical density of the universe.
• Unification of the Four Forces in Nature
• The Search for Simplicity
• Experimental verification, Electroweak Force
10. Explain the Carriers of the Four Fundamental Forces
• Strong Force - Gluons
• Electro-Magnetic Force - Photons
• Weak Nuclear Force - W and Higgs Bosons
• Gravity - Gravitons
• 

Key Words: You may use these for Review or SEARCH items:

• GUTs
• Strong Nuclear Force
• Weak Nuclear Force
• Gluon
• Quarks
• Hadrons
• Leptons
• Neutrinos
• Photon-Matter Interactions
• Virtual Matter
• Heavy-Particle Era
• Light-Particle Era
• Radiation Era
• Photons
• W and Higgs Bosons
• Gravitons
• Electro-Weak Force

August 7th -  Cosmology - The Ultimate Destiny of Everything

"There will certainly be no lack of human pioneers when we have mastered the art of flight ... Let us create vessels and sails adjusted to the heavenly ether, and there will be plenty of people unafraid of the empty wastes. In the meantime we shall prepare for the brave sky-travelers, maps of the celestial bodies."

Johannes Kepler, 1610

                The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence

Desperately Seeking ET - Who's Out There and Where are We Going?

"We hope someday, having solved the problems we face, to join a community of galactic civilizations."

President Jimmy Carter

 

Video: ET - Phone Home




Textbook:

                  1.  Essay Three :  Life in the Universe

               Test Yourself Questions, pg 548, 1 -5

Objectives: You should be able to:

1. Explain probablities of finding ET civilizations
2. Describe the various quantities in the Drake Equation
3. Explain the status of SETI
4. Describe the relationship of astronomy to us and the Earth
5. Discuss the relevance of Chief Seattle's letter

Key Words: You may use these for Review or SEARCH items:

• Chief Seattle
• Drake Equation
• SETI

August 8th - 9th
Final Opportunity to Excel

 
Take this exam any time as scheduled. There are 100 questions, multiple choice, containing material from the entire course. You will have two hours to complete it. Even though it is comprehensive, many of the questions will cover untested material from Block IV. A good number will cover previously tested material. Good Luck.  Clear skies 2U!