This course will provide a comprehensive picture of the planets,
satellites, comets, meteors and meteorites, and other objects of the solar
system. The fundamental physical phenomena and forces which control the
motions in the solar system and other processes will be described. The nature
of the Sun will be studied, along with the most important physical processes
in the sun, in particular the source of solar energy, nuclear reactions.
The evolution of the Earth's atmosphere will be considered, with special
attention to the greenhouse effect phenomenon and its origins, and a look
at possible scenarios for the future of the Earth, as influenced in particular
by human activities. The characteristics and operating principles of prime
astronomical instruments, both on Earth and in space, will be decribed. We will
examine the implications of the history of life, particularly human life, in
the solar system, for the existence of life elsewhere in space. We will
discuss the searches now going on for life, both primitive and intelligent,
on other planets, as well as searches for other planetary systems. Simple
algebra will be used in the course, and there will be numerical problems to
solve both in the homework sets and on the midterm exams.
There will be three lectures a week, MWF, from 11:00 to 12:10 in Classroom
Unit 1 (this may change). Copies of diagrams and figures from the lectures
which are not in the text book will be kept in notebooks at the Reserve Desks
of the McHenry and Science Libraries. There will be two copies at each library.
The homework assignments and solution sets will also be available at the
libraries, as well as on this WWW page.
There will be discussion sections at which attendance is voluntary.
However,
experience has shown that attendance at these sessions is very helpful,
especially since new, interesting, information about the solar system is
sometimes presented there.