Benson 180

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ASTR 1200Stars and Galaxies

• Section 001
• Benson 180
• TR 330-445
• Instructor Webster Cash
• TA Josh Moloney
• http//casa.colorado.edu/wcash/APS1200/APS1200.ht
  ml

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• Website
• http//casa.colorado.edu/wcash/APS1200/APS1200.ht
  ml
• All homework and announcements made through this
  website.
• Other useful features and links
• Text The Cosmic Perspective
• Bennett, Donahue, Schneider and Voit
• Addison Wesley

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Grades(Unfortunate, but thats the system)

• Exams
• In-Class Exams (200)
• Final Exam 130pm Dec 17, 2014 (200)
• Homework (100)
• Written Exercises to be turned in for grade
• Observatory Trip

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• COURSE SCHEDULE (HIGHLY APPROXIMATE)
• 1         January 14      Intro., Scientific
  Notation                                        
     Scale of the Universe 2                      
  21     Gravity                                    
                                    Laws of
  Motion 3                       28    Nature of
  Light                                           
                  Nature of Light 4        
  February 4      Formation Solar System           
                                   
  Sun                                          
  5                        11    Sun
                                    Telescopes
  6                        18    Exam 1
                                   
  Stars                                        
  7                        25    H-R Diagram
                                    H-R Diagram
  8            March  4      Binary Stars
                                    Stellar
  Structure                       
  9                        11   Stellar Evolution
                                    White
  Dwarfs                          
  10                      18    Exam 2
                                    Neutron Stars
  11                      25    Spring Break
                                    Spring Break
  12            April 1     Black Holes
                                    The Milky
  Way                        13           
    8       Interstellar Medium                   
                   Galaxies                         
           14                     15     
  Galaxies                                   
  Expansion of the Universe       
  15                     22      Exam 3
                                     AGN's
  Quasars 16                     29     
  Cosmology                             
                                     The Big Bang
  17            May  7        Final

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The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy Douglas
Adams Chapter 8
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THE BIG QUESTIONS

• What is Reality?

• What are we?

• Are we alone?

How do we even get a handle on these questions?
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What is Reality?
What ensued was a discussion that homed in onour
knowing almost nothing, including the nature of
consciousness. We dont even know if the
question is answerable. We just know
thatscience can answer the question at least
partially.
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What are we?
Another discussion ensued. Science has answered
somequestions well. But there is a long way to
go.
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Are we alone?
Philosophically we all agree that it is unlikely
we are alone. But we differ on the probability
of any UFOs being real.
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Drakes Equation