Material Detail

This video was recorded at ASTR 160 - Frontiers and Controversies in Astrophysics. Professor Bailyn introduces the course and discusses the course material and requirements. The three major topics that the course will cover are (1) exoplanets--planets around stars other than the Sun, (2) black holes--stars whose gravitational pull is so strong that even their own light rays cannot escape, and (3) cosmology--the study of the Universe as a whole. Class proper begins with a discussion on planetary orbits. A brief history of astronomy is also given and its major contributors over the centuries are introduced: Ptolemy, Galileo, Copernicus, Kepler, and Newton. Resources: Class Notes - Lecture 1 [PDF] Professor Bailyn's guide to Extrasolar Planet Websites

Disciplines:

• Science and Technology  / Astronomy