Astronomy 211

Astronomy 211 / Winter 2013
The Universe and Change

Instructor: Dr. Ana M. Larson, Senior Lecturer
UWNet ID: anamunn; Office Hours: after class or by app't
Room C335, Physics and Astronomy Bldg.; Class Times : M - F 9:30 - 10:20 am, PAA A210

Required Text and Reading:

Background (if you have not taken Astr101;
Boynton's Cosmic Perspective - Ch. 1 - 7
Einstein's Universe: Gravity at Work and Play, A. Zee (Oxford University Press, 1989, 2001)
Class Lecture Notes (linked from calendar)


Aristotle, Aristarchus, et. al. Motion in a circle concentric with the Earth does not allow the Moon to change sizes. The fact that it DOES change sizes was problematic for Aristotle, Aristarchus, and others. USNO Moon phases See for yourself! Read about the phases of the Moon and watch the Lunation Movie linked at the bottom of that page. Pythagoras, retrograde motion Pythagoras and Music of the Spheres Heliocentric model Java demonstration showing retrograde motion of Mars Planetary motion models Ancient Planetary Model Animations [Displaying seems to be quite browser dependent.] Models of Planetary Motion from Antiquity to the Renaissance Aughra's model of the universe from Dark Crystal Statue Hid Hipparchus Star Catalog Physics Today Copernicus de Revolutionibus scanned in its entirety and on-line Copernican Model, A Sun-Centered Solar System Nicholas Copernicus Copernican Myths Physics Today Comprehensive Course from Thales to Einstein Galileo, Brahe, Kepler The Galileo Project Tycho Brahe, Danish astronomer Links to all things Kepler (Wikipedia) YouTube selection from Sagan's Cosmos Brahe, Kepler, and Kepler's Laws Newton Isaac Newton Resources Newton's Mountain-top Cannon The Apollo 15 Feather-Hammer Drop "Galileo was correct!" Einstein's Greatest Blunder

Aristotle, Aristarchus, et. al.: Motion in a circle concentric with the Earth does not allow the Moon to change sizes. The fact that it DOES change sizes was problematic for Aristotle, Aristarchus, and others. USNO Moon phases See for yourself! Read about the phases of the Moon and watch the Lunation Movie linked at the bottom of that page.
Pythagoras, retrograde motion: Pythagoras and Music of the Spheres; Heliocentric model Java demonstration showing retrograde motion of Mars
Planetary motion models: Ancient Planetary Model Animations [Displaying seems to be quite browser dependent.]; Models of Planetary Motion from Antiquity to the Renaissance; Aughra's model of the universe from Dark Crystal; Statue Hid Hipparchus Star Catalog Physics Today
Copernicus: de Revolutionibus scanned in its entirety and on-line; Copernican Model, A Sun-Centered Solar System; Nicholas Copernicus; Copernican Myths Physics Today; Comprehensive Course from Thales to Einstein
Galileo, Brahe, Kepler: The Galileo Project; Tycho Brahe, Danish astronomer; Links to all things Kepler (Wikipedia); YouTube selection from Sagan's Cosmos Brahe, Kepler, and Kepler's Laws
Newton: Isaac Newton Resources; Newton's Mountain-top Cannon; The Apollo 15 Feather-Hammer Drop "Galileo was correct!"; Einstein's Greatest Blunder