Ay 20 - Basic Astronomy and the Galaxy

The electromagnetic spectrum; ground and space observing techniques; telescopes and basic astrophysical optics; orbits, binary stars and exoplanets; stellar masses and radii, distances, and motions; basic radiative transfer; the HR diagram; the birth, structure, evolution, and death of stars; the structure, contents, and dynamics of the Galaxy. A term project involving the Palomar 60" telescope will introduce astronomical measurement techniques.