Astrophysical and Planetary Science Classes at the University of Colorado in Boulder

These great courses should give you a deeper, more thorough understanding of astronomy than you've ever been taught. Learn all about the solar system, black holes, and space exploration. Classes like Modern Cosmology---Origin and Structure of the Universe will delve into such things as the Big Bang, and the age, structure and size of the universe. Find out how certain ancient cultures observed and studied the universe in the Ancient Astronomies of the World. Other courses like Planets and Their Atmospheres will help students to better understand the atmosphere of such planets as Mars, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn. They're great classes for anyone pursuing a career in space and planetary research.

What is Astronomy

Astronomy is one of the oldest sciences. People of early civilizations performed methodical observations of the night sky. Even some astronomical artifacts have been found from much earlier periods. Also commonly referred to as astrophysics, astronomy is the scientific study of celestial objects like stars, planets, comets, and galaxies. It is also the study of phenomena that originate outside the Earth's atmoshere; such as, the cosmic background radiation. The subject is concerned with the evolution, physics, chemistry, meteorology, and motion of celestial objects. The formation and development of the universe is also studied in astronomy.

Coolest courses on astronomy

ASTR 1010: Introductory Astronomy 1 (4 Credits) - Students will be introduced to the principles of modern astronomy for nonscience majors, summarizing our present knowledge about the Earth, Sun, moon, planets, and origin of life. The class requires nighttime observation sessions at Sommers-Bausch Observatory and Fiske Planetarium.

ASTR 1030: Accelerated Introductory Astronomy 1 (4 Credits) - This course covers principles of modern astronomy summarizing our present knowledge about the Earth, Sun, moon, planets, and origin of life. Another visit to the planetarium and observatory for observation sessions is required in this class. I'm sure you're broken-hearted.

ASTR 1110: General Astronomy: The Solar System (3 Credits) - Students examine principles of modern astronomy for nonscience majors, summarizing our present knowledge about the Earth, Sun, moon, planets, and the origin of life. The course will offer you the chance to attend nighttime observation sessions at Sommers-Bausch Observatory and Fiske Planetarium.

ASTR 1120: General Astronomy: Stars and Galaxies (3 Credits) - You will examine the principles of modern astronomy for nonscience majors. The course focuses on the Sun, stars, neutron stars, black holes, interstellar gas, galaxies, quasars, and the structure and origins of the universe.

ASTR 2010: Modern Cosmology---Origin and Structure of the Universe (3 Credits) - Students will be introduced to modern cosmology to nonscience majors. The class examines such subjects as the Big Bang, the age, size and structure of the universe, and the origin of the stars, galaxies, the solar system, the elements and life.

ASTR 2030: Black Holes (3 Credits) - As if you didn't already know, black holes is the focus of this course. The phenomena is one of the most bizarre in nature. Students are introduced to the predicted properties of black holes, astronomical evidence for their existence and formation, and modern ideas about space, time, and gravity.

ASTR 2500: Gateway to Space (3 Credits) - You will be introduced to the basics of atmosphere and space sciences, space exploration, spacecraft design, rocketry, and orbits. Students design, build, and launch a miniature satellite on a high altitude balloon.

ASTR 2600: Computational Techniques (3 Credits) - Students will be introduced to practical research skills and provides orientation to computational tools commonly used in research by astrophysicists and planetary scientists; such as, UNIX and IDL.

ASTR 3300: Extraterrestrial Life (3 Credits) - Discusses the scientific basis for the possible existence of extraterrestrial life. Includes origin and evolution of life on Earth; possibility of life elsewhere in the solar system, including Mars; and the possibility of life on planets around other stars.

ASTR 3720: Planets and Their Atmospheres (3 Credits) - Explores the physics and chemistry of the atmospheres of Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, and Titan. Examines evolution of the atmospheres of Earth, Venus, and Mars; and the escape of gases from the Galilean satellites, Titan and Mars; the orbital characteristics of moons, planets, and comets.

ASTR 3740: Cosmology and Relativity (3 Credits) - Special and general relativity as applied to astrophysics, cosmological models, observational cosmology, experimental relativity, and the early universe.

ASTR 3750: Planets, Moons, and Rings (3 Credits) - Approaches the physics of planets, emphasizing their surfaces, satellites, and rings. Topics include formation and evolution of planetary surfaces, history of the terrestrial planets, and dynamics of planetary rings.

ASTR 3760: Solar and Space Physics (3 Credits) - Explores the physical processes linking the Sun and planets, emphasizing solar radiative and particulate variability and the response of planetary atmospheres and magnetospheres. Topics include the solar dynamo, solar wind, coronal mass ejections, cosmic ray modulation, magnetospheres, aurora, the space environment, and climate variability.

ASTR 4800: Space Science: Practice and Policy (3 Credits) - Exposes students to current controversies in science that illustrate the scientific method and the interplay of observation, theory, and science policy. Students research and debate both sides of the issues, which include strategies and spin-offs of space exploration, funding of science, big vs. small science, and scientific heresy and fraud.

ASTR 5140: Astrophysical and Space Plasmas (3 Credits) - Students will better understand magnetohydrodynamics and a few related areas of plasma physics applied to space and astrophysical systems. This will include planetary magnetospheres and ionospheres, stars, and interstellar gas in galaxies.

ASTR 5300: Introduction to Magnetospheres (3 Credits) - You will be introduced to solar and stellar winds, and planetary and stellar magnetospheres. The class will acquaint students with the guiding center theory for particle motion, magnetospheric topology, convection, radiation belts, magnetic storms and substorms, and auroras.

ASTR 5400: Introduction to Fluid Dynamics (3 Credits) - This class covers equations of fluid motion relevant to planetary atmospheres and oceans, as well as stellar atmospheres; effects of rotation and viscosity; and vorticity dynamics, boundary layers, and wave motions.

ASTR 5550: Observations, Data Analysis and Statistics (3 Credits) - Students will be introduced to multi-wavelength observational techniques, their limitations and effects of various noise sources. Describes basic data handling, error analysis, and statistical tests relevant to modeling. Topics include probability distributions, model-fitting algorithms, confidence intervals, correlations, sampling and convolution.

ASTR 5700: Stellar Structure and Evolution (3 Credits) - This course focuses on basic stellar astronomy; such as, stellar classifications, kinematics, populations and distributions, and H-R diagrams. You will take a look at the principles of stellar structure, including energy generation and energy transport by radiation and convection.

ASTR 5710: High-Energy Astrophysics (3 Credits) - Students will better understand the astrophysics of UV, x-ray, gamma-ray, and cosmic-ray sources in this class. This will include the fundamentals of radiative and particle processes, neutron stars, black holes, pulsars, quasars, supernovas and their remnants; stellar flares; accretion disks; binary x-ray sources; and other cosmic x-ray sources.

ASTR 5720: Galaxies (3 Credits) - The classification, structure, content, dynamics, and other observational properties of galaxies, active galaxies and clusters of galaxies are among the subjects highlighted in this class. Students will discuss Hubble's Law, the cosmic distance scale, and the intergalactic medium.

ASTR 5800: Planetary Surfaces and Interiors (3 Credits) - Students examine the processes operating on the surfaces of solid planets and in their interiors. Emphasizes spacecraft observations, their interpretation, the relationship to similar processes on Earth, the relationship between planetary surfaces and interiors, and the integrated geologic histories of the terrestrial planets and satellites.

ASTR 6610: Earth and Planetary Physics 1 (3 Credits) - Examine the mechanics of deformable materials, with applications to earthquake processes. Introduces seismic wave theory in this class. Other topics you'll be studying in this class will include inversion of seismic data for the structure, composition, and state of the interior of the Earth.

About the college or university

Little known facts: The school was established back in 1876. Their motto is "Let Your Light Shine". There have been approximately 24,000 undergraduates and 4,000 post-graduates. They were the first to create a new form of matter, called the "Bose-Einstein condensate" which is a few hundred billionths of a degree above absolute zero. They were the first to observe a "fermionic condensate" formed from pairs of atoms in a gas. They discovered a protein in the blood that can prevent the AIDS virus from reproducing and spreading to healthy cells. The university has also accomplished many more things; such as, the creation of a classifying and numbering system for human chromosomes, and the production of computerized 3D images of the entire body in anatomical sections.

University or college location: Boulder, Colorado

Directions to the college or university

From DIA: You will fly in or out of DIA or should I say, Denver International Airport. Driving time between DIA and Boulder is approximately 60 to 90 minutes. From DIA, follow Peña Boulevard (10 miles) south to I-70, and exit onto I-70 west. Follow I-70 west to I-270 west. I-270 merges into U.S. 36 west and takes you west into Boulder (about 23 miles). Exit at Baseline Road; turn left on Broadway and turn right or north. The campus is to the right. For alternate routes, see the map from DIA to Boulder.

From the Denver Area and South: To get to Boulder from the Denver area, go west on U.S. 36 (from I-25 or I-270) and exit at Baseline Road. Turn left (west) on Baseline Road, then right or north on Broadway to campus.

From the North: From the north, take U.S. 287 south to Highway 119. Highway 119 becomes Highway 157 (Foothills Parkway) just north of Boulder. Turn right or west from Foothills Parkway onto Baseline Road. Drive west on Baseline to Broadway, then turn right (north) on Broadway to campus.

From the West: Take I-70 east to U.S. 6. Go east on U.S. 6 to CO. 58. Turn right (east) on CO.58 to CO. 93. Make a left (north) onto CO. 93 towards Boulder. CO. 93 will turn into Broadway once in Boulder. Continue on Broadway west until you see the campus on your right. It will be shortly after you pass Baseline Rd.