Course Schedule
ASTR 101: Principles of Astronomy (Spring 2026)
How to use this schedule
- Lectures: Mon & Wed (new content; ~2 lecture readings per week)
- Fridays: Catchup and review; occasional in-class activity
- Homework: ~10 assignments due Mondays via Canvas (two-stage: solutions → grade memo); lowest dropped
- Readings: Lecture readings on course website
Textbook: Lecture readings provided on course website (OpenStax Astronomy 2e for optional reference)
Important Dates
- First class: Wed Jan 21, 2026
- Module 1 Exam: Mon Mar 2 (Observing the Sky, Light & Spectra)
- Spring Break: Mar 27 – Apr 5 (no class)
- Module 2 Exam: Mon Apr 20 (Stars, Stellar Evolution, Exoplanets)
- Last class: Wed May 6
- Final Exam: Fri May 8, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM (Comprehensive)
Module 1: Observing the Sky & Solar System (Weeks 1-6)
| Week | Dates | Topics | Readings | Slides | Demos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jan 21-23 | Course intro; Scale of universe | L1, L2 | L1, L2 | — |
| 2 | Jan 26-30 | Celestial sphere, coordinates; Moon phases, eclipses | L3, L4 | L3, L4 | Seasons, Angular Size, Moon Phases, Eclipses |
| 3 | Feb 2-6 | Gravity & orbits, Kepler’s laws | — | — | Kepler’s Laws, Conservation Laws |
| 4 | Feb 9-13 | Light & radiation, EM spectrum | — | — | EM Spectrum, Blackbody Radiation |
| 5 | Feb 17-20 | (No Mon - Presidents Day) Spectra, Doppler; Telescopes | — | — | Telescope Resolution |
| 6 | Feb 23-27 | Solar system, planets; Fri: Review | — | — | — |
Module 2: Stars & Stellar Evolution (Weeks 7-13)
| Week | Dates | Topics | Readings | Slides | Demos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Mar 2-6 | Mon: MODULE 1 EXAM; The Sun, fusion, solar activity | — | — | — |
| 8 | Mar 9-13 | Measuring stars: parallax, luminosity, H-R diagram | — | — | Parallax Distance |
| 9 | Mar 16-20 | Binary stars, stellar masses; Interstellar medium | — | — | Binary Orbits |
| 10 | Mar 23-27 | Star formation; Stellar evolution, red giants | — | — | — |
| 11 | Mar 27 – Apr 5 | SPRING BREAK — No class | — | — | — |
| 12 | Apr 6-10 | Stellar death, white dwarfs, neutron stars | — | — | — |
| 13 | Apr 13-17 | Supernovae, black holes; Fri: Review | — | — | — |
Module 3: Galaxies & Cosmology (Weeks 14-16)
| Week | Dates | Topics | Readings | Slides | Demos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Apr 20-24 | Mon: MODULE 2 EXAM; Wed: Milky Way structure & dark matter (L22); Fri: Galaxy zoo, AGN/quasars, cosmic web (L23) | L22, L23 | — | — |
| 15 | Apr 27 – May 1 | Mon: Distance ladder & Hubble’s law (L24); Wed: Type Ia SNe & dark energy (L25) | L24, L25 | — | — |
| 16 | May 4-6 | Mon: Big Bang, CMB, BBN & course wrap (L26); Wed: Final-exam review | L26 | — | — |
Fri Apr 24 is a lecture day this week (exception to the usual Friday catchup pattern) to make room for all five Module 3 readings while preserving a final-exam review on the last day of class.
Final Exam
Friday, May 8, 10:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Comprehensive exam covering all modules.