Welcome to the course web site for Section 1 of Astronomy 101: Introduction to Astronomy: The Solar System.

Astronomy 101 is all about exploration, because we live in an age where exploration of the Solar System has revolutionized our understanding of the worlds within it. And that, in turn, has revolutionized how we think about the planet we live on.

In this course, we'll learn about the Sun and its family of planets, moons, asteroids, and comets. We'll focus on the scientific journey that has taken us from a time of superstition and fear to a time when we know that our Solar System is just one of countless planetary systems in the Galaxy. This wealth of new knowledge teaches us much more than what these other worlds are like. It gives us insight into how the Earth as a planetary body. The more we learn about other planets, the more we can understand the geologic, biologic, and climatic history of this world we call home.

Announcements

• Course concluded!
• Please stop by and pick up your final exams. I'll be around this week (3-6 Jan), out of town the next (9-13 Jan), and back the following week (16-20 Jan).
• Morehead Planeterium and Science Center is looking for eager undergrads to help them with planetarium shows and other presentations. See their job announcement if you're interested.
• If you didn't take the lab, you still can. You can sign up for ASTR 101L this spring or any semester between now and graduation. And you can also take ASTR 102 if you want to learn more about stars and galaxies.

Last modified 3 January, 2017.