Astronomy 100 Syllabus

Hunter College of CUNY

TITLE: Astronomy 100, Introduction to Astronomy

Three hours per week three credits. This is an introductory, one-semester basic astronomy course designed for non-science majors. The approach in this course is to emphasize the ideas of Astronomy and a qualitative understanding of the physical processes that shape the Universe.

Learning Outcomes

Students are expected to learning basic observational features of the night sky, the Copernican revolution and Kepler's laws of planetary motion, Newton's laws of motion and gravitation, properties of light and spectroscopy, origin of the Solar System, the Sun and stellar evolution, galaxies, dark matter and dark Energy, cosmology, Hubble's Law and the expanding Universe, from the Big Bang to the present, future scenarios.

Textbook and Homework Material: The Cosmic Perspective: Stars, Galaxies and Cosmology, Eight Edition. Jeffrey O Bennett, Megan Donahue, Nick Schneider, Mark Voit

MyLabsPlus with Mastering Astronomy for homework assignments

Grade Requirements

• The course grade will be determined on the basis of three Midterm Exams, Homework Assignment and a Final Exam.

• There will be NO EXTRA CREDIT assignments in this course.

• Midterm exams will cover the material in the lectures and readings since the previous midterm, as indicated in the Lecture and Exam schedule of the semester.

• The final exam will be cumulative.

• If you miss the final exam for a valid reason, e.g. serious medical condition and you present a proof of your condition you will receive a grade of incomplete (IN)

Academic Integrity

Hunter College regards acts of academic dishonesty (e.g., plagiarism, cheating on examinations, obtaining unfair advantage, and falsification of records and official documents) as serious offenses against the values of intellectual honesty. The college is committed to enforcing the CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity and will pursue cases of academic dishonesty according to the Academic Integrity Procedures.

Accessibility

In compliance with the American Disability Act of 1990 (ADA) and with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Hunter College is committed to ensuring educational parity and accommodations for all students with documented disabilities and/or medical conditions. It is recommended that all students with documented disabilities (Emotional, Medical, Physical and/ or Learning) consult the Office of AccessABILITY located in Room E1124 to secure necessary academic accommodations.

Hunter College does not discriminate against any student on the basis of pregnancy or related conditions. Absences due to medical conditions relating to pregnancy will be excused for as long as deemed medically necessary by a student's doctor and students will be given the opportunity to make up missed work. Students needing assistance can seek accommodations from the Office of AccessABILITY

Lecture and Exam Schedule