| Lecture Date | Chapter # | Tentative Topics | Lecture Notes | Miniquizzes | Homework Assignments due |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 08/25 | Introduction I | Units, Scales, Scientific Method, Celestial Sphere, Earth's Orbital Motion | Introduction I | - | - |
| 08/27 | Introduction II | Earth's and Lunar Orbital Motion, Eclipses | Introduction II | PRS Test | - |
| 09/01 | Chapter 1 | History of Astronomy: Geo- and Heliocentric Universe, Ptolemy, Copernicus, Galilei, Brahe, Kepler | History | - | HW1 |
| 09/03 | Chapter 1 (cont.) | Gravity, Newton's Laws | Gravity | Quiz 1 | - |
| 09/08 | Chapter 4 | Solar System: Planets, Comets, Asteroids | Solar System | - | HW2 |
| 09/10 | Chapter 4 (cont.) | Solar System (cont.): Formation of the Solar System | Formation of the Solar System | Quiz 2 | - |
| 09/15 | Chapter 5 | Earth and Moon | Earth and Moon | - | HW3 |
| 09/17 | Chapter 2 | Earth and Moon (cont.); Light, Energy, and Matter | Light and Matter I | Quiz 3 | - |
| 09/22 | Chapter 2 (cont.) | Light, Energy, and Matter (cont.): Thermal Radiation | Light and Matter II | - | HW4 |
| 09/24 | Chapter 2 (cont.) | Light, Energy, and Matter (cont.): Spectral Lines | Light and Matter III | Quiz 4 | - |
| 09/29 | Chapter 6 | The Terrestrial Planets | Terrestrial Planets | - | HW5 |
| 10/01 | Chapter 3 | Telescopes; Brief Review for Test 1 | Telescopes | Quiz 5 | - |
| 10/06 | - | The First Test (Chapters 1 - 6) | - | - | - |
| 10/08 | Chapter 7 | The Jovian Planets | Jovian Planets | Quiz 6 | - |
| 10/13 | Chapter 8 | Moons, Rings and Pluto | Rings, Moons, and Pluto | - | HW6 |
| 10/15 | Chapter 9 | The Sun | The Sun | Quiz 7 | - |
| 10/20 | Chapter 9 (cont.) | The Heart of the Sun | The Sun and the Stars | - | HW7 |
| 10/22 | Chapter 10 | Stars, Bulk Properties | The Stars | Quiz 8 | - |
| 10/27 | Chapter 10 (cont.); Chapter 11 |
Interstellar Medium; Origin of Stars |
Interstellar Medium | - | HW8 |
| 10/29 | Chapter 12 | Stellar Evolution: Lifes and Deaths of Stars | Stellar Evolution | Quiz 9 | - |
| 11/03 | Chapter 12 (cont.) | Eta Carinae; Review for Test 2 | Review for Test 2 | - | HW9 |
| 11/05 | - | The Second Test (Chapters 7 - 12) | - | - | - |
| 11/10 | Chapter 13 | "Afterlife" of Stars: Neutron Stars and Black Holes | Neutron Stars | - | HW10 |
| 11/12 | Chapter 13 (cont.) | Black Holes; Theory of Relativity | Black Holes and Relativity | - | - |
| 11/17 | Chapter 14 | The Milky Way | Milky Way Galaxy | - | HW11 |
| 11/19 | Chapters 15, 16 | Galaxies and Dark Matter | Dark Matter | Quiz 10 | - |
| 11/24 | - | Our Solar System - Planetarium Show | Planetarium | - | - |
| 11/26 | - | Thanksgiving | - | - | - |
| 12/01 | Chapter 17 | Cosmology | Cosmology | - | HW12 |
| 12/03 | Chapters 1 - 18 | Life in the Universe; REVIEW for the FINAL | Final Review | Quiz 11 | - |
| 12/07 | Good Luck | FINAL EXAM: HCB 101, 12:30 - 2:30 PM | - | - | - |