What astronomy courses have you taken?

Question

What astronomy courses have you taken?

Answer 1

I am an undergraduate at Penn State studying Astronomy and Astrophysics with a double major in Computer Science.



I have taken and introductory freshman course, Astro 20s, Astro 291 - Celestial Mechanics, Astro 292 - The Distant Universe, Astro 293 - An astrophysics lab, Astro 485 - High Energy Astrophysics, Astro 480 - Galaxies and Cosmology, and I'm taking a writing course next semester, Astro 420W on Planets.

Answer 2

I'm a current astronomy major, so I've taken quite a lot.

Answer 3

I got a degree in Astrophysics from the University of Missouri - St. Louis in 2006, and am currently working on a physics degree from the aforementioned university, and a Mathematics degree from Missouri University of Science and Technology.

Answer 4

I took a Lunar and Planetary Geology course as an undergrad that touched on some astronomical subjects, but I consider it to be my weakest point, scientifically speaking.

Answer 5

I have taken classes in orbital mechanics, planetary science, astrophysics including radio astronomy, and modern physics (relativity, etc) in both undergraduate and graduate levels at the University of Michigan. This was a long time ago, and I never completed an astronomy degree. If you count aerospace engineering, then I guess I could expand the list to cover 4 years of effort with a bachelor's degree. Amateur astronomy is my hobby and I have learned a lot from just observing in groups of fellow enthusiasts, so I think that counts just as much.

Answer 6

Nothing was ever offered in high school although I read quite a bit. A near infinite number of science fiction novels of which many actually paid attention to science. And it was obvious. An introductory college course in 1968 along with an astronomy section in the general science section that was required for the first two years. I decided astronomy required entirely too much math and physics. Two other college courses around 1980 that were non mathematical. One dealt with the history of astronomy, "man discovers the galaxies" was one of the texts. So was "the first three minutes". Then there was an odd course that included UFO debunking and material on what would now be termed astrobiology. All sorts of topics. Historical Geology courses dealt with the history of the solar system. Assorted scientific american and discover articles over the years, some decent television programs, and some very good books. Most recently I have absolutely loved RARE EARTH and THE LIFE AND DEATH OF PLANET EARTH by Peter Ward and Donald Brownlee and most recently a book whose cover is silly "Where Is Everybody? Fifty Solutions to the Fermi Paradox" but its content is anything but. Good writing. Currently I'm reading "Physics of the Impossible"

Answer 7

Hi Angela,



I've never had any formal training...I wish they offered it when I went to school...but, like others..I grew up in the late 60's and 70's with Star Trek as well...plus a lot of other space related shows.

I've always had an interest in it.. but my interest only really peaked about 5 years ago..then I started off basically..watching a lot of the Discovery channel stuff...and also the History channel. NOVA is also a good one to check out.

I do have several Astronomy books and assorted star charts...I also subscribe to Sky and Telescope for about four years now.

I do my best to try and keep up with current astro-related events...and get a lot of updates from my local astronomy club of which I'm a member for three years now.



I wouldn't mind at all getting some type of formal training in the future....if for no other reason than to just stay fresh on the subject.

Answer 8

I am taking your class and that is the bulk of my knowledge of astronomy. :)

Answer 9

I have been interested in Astronomy ever since I learned how to read. I would get my older sister's encyclopedias and look at the pictures and try to figure out some of the harder words and concepts as I grew older. My mom knew I enjoyed learning about the planets and she would buy some of those little books for me to help me improve with my reading skills and my knowledge about planets. Most of this was during the time that Voyager 2 was returning information from Uranus and Neptune, so I lucked out in getting the newest information available. I also had the chance to visit Cape Canaveral once and spend a weekend at Space Camp, both while I was in Junior High. I even remember that when I was in 2nd grade and my sister was in 8th grade, she came to me for help on a project about the planets, instead of asking our parents!



As for formal schooling, we didn't cover much astronomy, but when we did, I usually had the highest scores in the class because I kept reading and looking at other astronomy books in the library while other people were more interested in fashions, music, celebs, and the opposite sex. We covered a little bit of basic astronomy in my high school Physics class (planetary motion, etc). In order to fulfill all the requirements for my college major, I wasn't able to take a formal astronomy class although I really wanted to. I did help one of my college roommates with her astronomy homework from time to time, though. I am still tempted to take the astronomy course at a nearby community college, just for the sake of knowledge.



Last year, I was invited to be a guest speaker in a kindergarten class for a talk (mostly PowerPoint and trying to answer questions and get the other kids to listen) about the planets. Most of the information I had in my head already, but I verified it through books and several websites and got lots of pictures for the kids to look at. I even had them make a model of the solar system and the planets going around the sun, which they enjoyed because they could be up and running around. I still have my presentation saved, in case the school is still interested. As for the whole issue of Pluto, I showed both sides of the issue and let them decide for themselves.



I check several different astronomy-related sites on a daily-, if not weekly basis. I have been keeping up with some of NASA and the ESA's missions and am ecstatic that the Cassini mission has been extended for another 2 years. I also use Stellarium quite often and enjoy stargazing.

Answer 10

Since I was a child I've watched and been fascinated by the stars and planets. My only formal education was a unit as part of an Earth Sciences course in college.



I also spent time in the USCG, mostly aboard ships where I had some excellent teachers. This was primarily for navigational uses but its the same old stars.



A great deal of what I've learned is self taught through various books and magazines. Thank you Carl Sagan and many others. If there's a science program on,particularly astronomy or astrophysics,I'll usually be watching.



As Jack says-Keep looking up!



btw - You always give great answers. More than can be said for a lot of people on here.



ps. I envy you for your job. Where do you teach?

Answer 11

I have been fascinated by everything related to Astronomy and Space for as long as I can remember.



As far as formal classes go, I didn't really take any until I was an undergraduate in college. However, through a lot of reading, studying, and personal experience, I learned things on my own all the way from elementary school through high school.



When I was in 5th grade, I built my first telescope, including grinding and polishing the main objective (6")... I bought the mirror blanks and tools from Edmond Scientific in Barrington, NJ. I say mirror blank(S) because I screwed a couple of them up before finally being successful! :) I went to the library and checked out a couple of the more popular books of the time including Jean Texereau's How to Make a Telescope. I used an industrial carpet cardboard insert tube for the tube, but bought the diagonal and the mirror and eyepiece mounts. I built my own focault tester as well. It was a great experience and I learned alot.



When I was a freshman in college, I took a couple of low level astronomy courses as electives, basically because I didn't yet have the math and physics background to take the more advanced (Astrophysics) courses. During this time, I became good friends with the head of the Astronomy Department at my University who basically forbade me from taking any more of the basic courses! I ended up running the planetarium shows and running the University sponsored public telescope viewing sessions as well. My time running the planetarium REALLY taught me the night sky. The nice thing about it was I could learn the Southern Sky that way as well without having to go to Perth to do it! :) Except for the time I almost got beaned in the head by a passionate young mother with a very large purse when I told her that the north star was not the brightest in the sky, it was a very rewarding experience! :)



In my senior year, I took Astrophysics, a course called planetary geology (or something like that) and other Physics courses that dealt with cosmology in general... I actually graduated undergraduate school with majors in both Math and Computer Science, and minors in Physics and Chemistry.



When I was in my 3rd year of college, the department offered an introductory Astronomy course using Sagan's Cosmos as the text. I ended up talking with his staff (and even him personally a couple of times) and published a locally used study guide for the book. That was one of the highlights of my life...



I have always tried to keep up with the latest research, but honestly,life sometimes got in the way and had a tendency to keep me from pursuing the subject as agressively as I would like to have... Now that I am retired from the corporate world, I have much more time to devote to this. That's why I have been lurking around on Y!A so much...



I love to read new research - one particular paper entitled "The Mineralogy of Dust Around Evolved Stars" is particularly interesting :)... Do you know that author? :)



I will read or listen to anything that Lisa Randall or Ed Witten puts out. I am a huge fan of M-Theory and I firmly believe that we are on the right track to shedding light on some long standing questions in theoretical physics with those theories and the pending work at the LHC...



So Angela, I know that's a little more tha you asked for, but I thought I would share anyway. Get me going on this subject, and you could be in for a very long conversation!! :)



Take care.

Answer 12

I am a freshman in high school and have not taken any astronomy course but im really into astronomy so i study a lot about it. Also I went to space camp at the Kansas Cosmosphere last summer and am going back this year and learned alot while i was there.

Answer 13

None.



I grew up in the 1960s (i.e. Apollo, Star Trek), with space all around me. We moved to the country when I was about 10, and with dark skies I couldn't help but take an interest in the sky.



So I did. I read everything I could lay my hands on, and looked at the sky every chance I got. This started with the usual Christmas Trash refractor, but I've since graduated to some nice scopes.



I still read voraciously, and follow developments as best I can. Among other things, I read Sky & Telescope each month. My latest astronomical book acquisitions are DSLR Astrophotography by Michael Covington, and Hipparcos: the New Reduction of the Raw Data by Floor van Leeuwen.



The current book at the top of the pile in the bathroom is Astronomical Algorithms by Jean Meeus. :-)



I am, by profession, a computer nerd. I work mainly with wireless data.



Addendum: what the BLEEP is the thumbs-down for?

Answer 14

I am still at high school. I am 14 years old so I haven't taken any astronomy but I study astronomy. :-D

Answer 15

I'm a junior in high school and im taking an astronomy class, its the only interesting class im taking, the rest are boring and dumb teaching us things we don't need and will forget by next year.

Answer 16

None my school does not offer any kind of astronomy classes. *frowning*.. so the info that i do know about astronomy i have had to teach myself.

i.e. internet, and books, and just looking up at night and just think about whats really out there.

Answer 17

i just seem to have a passion for the field and i spend a lot of time looking for astronomy infor... in librarys and on the internet,i have not yet envolved myself in any courses since i am still in high school....but i do hope to envolve myself in robotics and mechanotronics and maybe study astrophysics later,thanks for your question it increased my motivation to succeed in my science plans

Answer 18

From teh internetz

Answer 19

None i get most of my information from cable T.V.