| DATE | TOPIC | READING |
| W 2/1 | Introduction: Measuring the Sky | Ch. 1,2 |
| M 2/6 | Light | Ch. 2 |
| Th. 2/9 | The Interaction Between Matter and Light | Ch. 3 |
| M 2/13 | Distance -- The Elusive Dimension see also here for explanation of distances in astronomy, and parallax | Ch. 3 |
| Th. 2/16 | Kepler, Newton & Gravity | Ch. 4 |
| M 2/20 | Special Session: Meet in Chapin Library in two
groups according to last name: A-J: 1:10-1:45 PM K-Z: 1:50-2:25 PM BE ON TIME!! | Th. 2/23 | Clues to Cosmology: Redshift & Hubble | Ch. 5 |
| M 2/27 | More Clues: the Cosmic Background | Ch. 5 |
| Th. 3/1 | Einstein's General Relativity If interested, see the following more advanced notes on: metrics and geometry the relationship of observed properties and redshift. | Ch. 6.1-6.4 |
| M 3/5 | Black Holes & Quasars | Ch. 6.5-6.6 |
| Th. 3/8 | FIRST MIDTERM EXAM | through Ch. 6.4 |
| M 3/12 | The Expanding Universe See the following notes on the derivation of the Friedmann Equation, as we did it in class | Ch. 7.1-7.3 |
| Th. 3/15 | Expansion & Dark Energy Read "Big Bang Misconceptions" available on glow | Ch. 7.4-7.5 |
| NO CLASS -- SPRING BREAK | ||
| M 4/2 | Understanding Radiation | Ch. 8 |
| Th. 4/5 | The Nuclear Realm | Ch. 9 |
| M 4/9 | Stellar Evolution and Nucleosynthesis Read "So You Want to Make a Star" available on glow | Ch. 9 |
| Th 4/12 | The Big Bang: an overview Read "Dark Energy" available on glow | Ch. 10.1-10.2 |
| M 4/16 | How the Big Bang Explains Everything | Ch. 10.3-10.4 |
| Th. 4/19 | SECOND MIDTERM EXAM | through Ch. 10 |
| M 4/23 | The Very Early Universe; Density and Destiny | Ch. 11 |
| Th. 4/26 | Secrets of the CMB | Ch. 12 |
| M 4/30 | "The Elegant Universe" by Brian Greene (KK away on observing run) | Ch. 14 |
| Th. 5/3 | Large-Scale Structure of the Universe | Ch. 12 |
| M 5/7 | Problems in Paradise; Inflation | Ch. 12 |
| Th. 5/10 | Into the Future Read "End of Cosmology?" available on glow | Ch. 14 |
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