General Information

First course in the intro astronomy sequence for students with interests in astronomy and astrophysical science.

Prerequisites

Calculus I credit or co-registration in MATH 1110 or MATH 1910.

Topics Covered

  • Evolution of the universe from the Big Bang onwards
  • Star formation, structure, and evolution
  • Physics of white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes
  • Galaxy formation and structure
  • Cosmology

Workload

There are 6 problems sets in total graded on correctness (you usually have 2 weeks to complete them). There are weekly “quizzes” where you watch a video and answer some questions on canvas. There is one prelim and a final. [Fall 2024]

General Advice

Make sure to take notes during class and study the slides well! Sometimes it is also helpful to read the textbook. When studying for exams, review your notes and the problems sets. Make sure you understand all the concepts well. [Fall 2024]

Testimonials

I really enjoyed this class. Professor Ho is a very caring, engaging and passionate professor. What is amazing about this class is that it covers almost all the different fields in astronomy, which means you can get an overview of what astronomy is like. You will get to learn different fields in more detail when you take 3000 and 4000 level classes, but none with the range of knowledge as 2211. [Fall 2024]

Past Offerings

Semester Professor Median Grade Syllabus
Fall 2024 Anna Ho N/A ASTRO2211_FA24.pdf