AST 1003 - The Solar System

College of Natural Sciences

Credit(s): 3
Contact Hours: 47
Effective Term Summer 2025 (650)

Requisites

Prerequisite ENC 0025 and
Prerequisite REA 0017 and
Prerequisite MAT 0028

Course Description

This course is a study of Earth as a planet, the Moon, and the Sun, measurement of time, eclipses, planets and their satellites, comets, meteors, and various theories of the origin of the solar system. Consideration will be given to the historical development of the science and the basic principles of mechanics as applied to astronomy.

Course Topics

Topic 1
 

Study Abroad- Italy

Learning Outcomes and Objectives

  1. The student will summarize historical developments in astronomy by:
    1. Describing the motivating factors for ancient cultures to observe and predict celestial events.
    2. Explaining the advantages of the Copernican (heliocentric) model over the Ptolemaic (geocentric) model.
    3. Discussing the significance of Galileo's first observations with a telescope.
    4. Paraphrasing Kepler's Laws of planetary motion and describing Newton's contributions to classical physics, gravitation, and orbital motion.
    5. Recalling important events in the discovery and exploration of objects in our solar system.
  2. The student will apply tools of astronomical observation by:
    1. Defining important locations on the celestial sphere and their relation to the motion of the Earth.
    2. Using declination and right ascension to interpret constellation charts.
    3. Relating measurements of time to the motions of the Earth and the Moon.
    4. Selecting an appropriate telescope (or other scientific instrument) to observe the various types of electromagnetic radiation.
  3. The student will characterize Earth as a planet by:
    1. Identifying Earth's interior layers and describing their properties.
    2. Describing the role of plate tectonics in the evolution of Earth's geology.
    3. Recounting the origin of Earth's atmosphere and oceans.
    4. Summarizing the evolution of Earth's atmosphere, including the greenhouse effect and its importance to Earth's current and future habitability.
    5. Describing the origin of Earth's magnetic field and its influence on solar-terrestrial relations.
    6. Discussing the role of small body impacts in Earth's past, and the current threat posed by Earth-crossing asteroids.
  4. The student will describe the Moon and its interactions with the Earth by:
    1. Explaining the phases of the Moon and the geometry of eclipses.
    2. Comparing the Moon's surface and interior to those of the Earth.
    3. Summarizing how the interaction of the Sun, Earth, and Moon produces the tides.
    4. Explaining the currently accepted theory of the Moon's origin and evidence that supports it.
  5. The student will summarize the contents of the solar system by:
    1. Describing the general characteristics of the Sun.
    2. Comparing and contrasting other planets with the Earth, using characteristics such as rotation, density, atmosphere, and magnetic field strength.
    3. Distinguishing between Terrestrial, Jovian and dwarf planets (such as Pluto).
    4. Describing the composition and location of asteroids.
    5. Describing the nature and origin of meteors, meteorites, and meteor showers.
    6. Describing the composition, behavior and locations of comets.
    7. Describing the Kuiper belt and the Oort cloud and their connection to the origins of comets.
  6. The student will summarize the variety of natural satellites in the solar system by:
    1. Identifying and describing prominent moons, including which could be habitable.
    2. Comparing and contrasting Earth's moon with other moons in the solar system.
    3. Describing the role of tidal heating as a source of geologic activity on some moons.
    4. Discussing current theories about the origins of large moons.
    5. Describing the nature and origin of the small irregular moons of Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.
  7. The student will explore theories of planetary system formation by:
    1. Summarizing the currently accepted theory of how our solar system formed.
    2. Describing the currently accepted model of how planetary systems are formed.
    3. Describing how our planetary system differs from other planetary systems.

Criteria Performance Standard

Upon successful completion of the course the student will, with a minimum of 70% accuracy, demonstrate mastery of each of the above stated objectives through classroom measures developed by individual course instructors.

History of Changes

Revised 8/9/83 DBT 6/24/85 SCN change 3/10/86 Effective Session I, 1987-88 Reviewed C&I 2/5/91 3 YR C&I Review 8/94 C&I 12/6/94, eff II, 1994-95 DBT 4/18/95 Effective Session I, 1995-96 3 Yr Review 1999-2000. Online 2000-1. Effective Session I, 2001 (20011). 3-Year Review 2007. Amended prerequisites effective 20112(0450). C&I Approval: 12/06/1994, BOT Approval: 04/18/1995, Effective Term: Spring 2012 (450). C&I Approval: 02/21/2020, BOT Approval: 03/17/2020, Effective Term: Summer 2020 (575).
C&I Approval: , BOT Approval: , Effective Term: Summer 2025 (650)

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