AST 103: Introduction to Astronomy This course is a survey of modern astronomy introducing cycles of the sky, astronomical observations, history of astronomy, gravitation, light, optical instruments, stellar evolution and classification, galaxies, cosmological theories, survey of the solar system, and life in the universe.  Prerequisites: Reading proficiency as established by District Policy. Student Learning Outcomes 1. Predict, observe, and analyze the motions of stars, the Sun, and the Moon as influenced by seasonal and latitudinal variations. 2. Explain the causes of lunar and planetary phases and eclipses. Predict and observe the phases of the Moon and planets, and estimate probable eclipse dates. 3. Utilize telescopes to conduct astronomical observations. 4. Critically evaluate both historical and contemporary theories of the solar system. 5. Describe fundamental mechanisms of light production and apply these principles to celestial phenomena. 6. Explain how analysis of stellar spectra provides information about the motion, temperature, composition, and density of celestial objects. 7. Describe the process of stellar formation and identify prominent regions of star formation in the night sky. 8. Apply quantitative methods to deduce stellar evolution and probable endpoints. 9. Describe techniques for determining distances to celestial objects and apply these measurements to infer the size and structure of the universe. 10. Describe scientific methods employed in the search for extraterrestrial life. 11. Apply scientific reasoning to evaluate physical and natural phenomena. 12. Identify the unifying themes of the scientific field of study. 13. Interpret numerical and graphical representations of scientific data. 14. Utilize essential tools and equipment for basic scientific analysis and research. 15. Record the results of investigation through writing.

AST 131: Introduction to Astronomy Research Introduction to Astronomy Research introduces students to research. This course is designed to assist undergraduate research teams complete modest scientific research projects. Teams meet with their instructor to conduct research. Each student team makes observations, analyzes original data, writes and edits a team paper, has their paper reviewed by an external reviewer, and submits their paper for publication. Introduction to Astronomy Research purposely limits the difficulty of research projects. The goal of this course is to not only introduce students to research techniques and tools, but to guide them through the process of writing and editing a scientific paper. Contact is primarily with other students and instructors. Completion of this course prepares students for the much more demanding workshop, Advanced Astronomy Research, AST 231. Prerequisites: None. Student Learning Outcomes 1. Participate in scientific research. 2. Plan, as a team, a research project. 3. Obtain and reduce observations from a remote robotic telescope for your project. 4. Analyze reduced observations. 5. Write and edit the team paper, obtain an external review, and submit for publication. There are two versions of AST 131: exoplanets and binaries.

AST 231: Advanced Astronomy Research The Advanced Astronomy Research class is a continuation of Introduction to Astronomy Research. This course is designed to assist undergraduate research teams complete modest scientific research projects. Each team meets via video conferencing to conduct research and meets with their research supervisor and other teams in weekly staff meetings. Each student team manages their own research, obtains and reduces observations made by a remote robotic telescope, analyzes original data, writes and rewrites a team paper, obtains an external review for their paper, and submits their paper for publication. Prerequisites: AST 131 with a grade of “C” or higher, or instructor approval Student Learning Outcomes 1. Participate in scientific research. 2. Plan, as a team, a research project. 3. Obtain and reduce observations from a remote robotic telescope for your project. 4. Analyze reduced observations. 5. Write and edit the team paper, obtain an external review, and submit for publication.