This course presents an overview of astronomy from the planets to the Big Bang. Topics include the celestial motions, planets and the formation of the solar system, stars and stellar evolution, galaxies, and cosmology. Students will be introduced to the latest discoveries and how they affect our understanding of the universe.

Man's concept of the solar system from Stonehenge to Einstein; geology and meteorology of the planets of our solar system, with particular attention to results from the space program; exobiology--study of the possibilities of life on other worlds and the best method of communicating with it. Three lecture hours per week.

Prerequisites: MATH 1030 and MATH 1035. A survey of the history of astronomy from the ancient times to present. Theories for the formation and evolution of the solar system and the general features of the solar system and planetary motions are discussed. The physical concept of gravity is presented. The detailed properties of the planets, comets, and asteroids are reviewed, concentrating on recent results from space missions.