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Bruce Betts' Online College Intro Astronomy Course 2013
Introduction to Planetary Science and Astronomy
Want to take an Introductory Planetary Science and Astronomy class at your leisure with the Planetary Society's Director of Projects, Dr. Bruce Betts. He taught the virtual college class at California State University Dominguez Hills spring semester 2013 -- Physics 195: Introduction to Planetary Science and Astronomy. Dr. Betts guides you through the solar system and universe in a class heavy on imagery and fun, and light on math, while still giving you a strong introduction to what we know and how we learn more. He also talks to a number of guests throughout the course. You can watch the entire archive below, as well as access class resources.
Class Resources
Here are some resources for the class: the syllabus, an updated class schedule and reading assignments list, and written class assignments as they were given to the students formally enrolled in the class. We'll also try to post tests. Unless you are one of the students enrolled in the class already, you can choose to do them or not :)
Class Video Archives
Here are the archived versions of each 2013 class along with descriptions of what is covered in each class. Each class is one-and-a-half hours. Just click on a session title to get to a large version of the video for that class. You can also access the archive of all of last year's (Spring 2012) version of the same class.
2013 Classes
Intro Astronomy 2013. Class 1: Tour of the Solar System
Take a tour of the Solar System in class 1 of Dr. Bruce Betts' online Introductory Planetary Science and Astronomy course at California State University Dominguez Hills.
Intro Astronomy 2013. Class 2: How We Explore Space
Guests
Lecture 2 of Dr. Bruce Betts' online Introductory Planetary Science and Astronomy course covers easy things to see in the night sky without a telescope, and the electromagnetic spectrum (from gamma rays to visible to radio waves) -- what it is, and how and why we use different wavelength regions to explore planets and even learn their compositions. The class starts with guest Mat Kaplan, Media Producer for The Planetary Society and Bruce and Mat record a What's Up segment for Planetary Radio. Filmed at California State University Dominguez Hills.
Intro Astronomy 2013. Class 3: Telescopes, the Moon
Lecture 3 of Dr. Bruce Betts' online Introductory Planetary Science and Astronomy course covers optical, radio, and space telescopes, the history, exploration, and importance of the Moon to our Solar System understanding, as well as impact cratering, lunar tides, phases, and solar eclipses. Recorded at California State University Dominguez Hills.
Intro Astronomy 2013. Class 4: Mercury, Venus-Earth-Mars Atmospheres, Venus
Lecture 4 of Dr. Bruce Betts' online Introductory Planetary Science and Astronomy course covers Mercury (characteristics, geology, core, exploration, water ice at poles), the Terrestrial Planet Atmospheres/Triad Planets -- a comparison of Venus, Earth, and Mars and why their atmospheres are so different, including discussions of the Greenhouse Effect, temperature systems (Kelvins, Celsius, Fahrenheit), and plate tectonics; and Venus (characteristics, geologic evolution, exploration). Recorded at California State University Dominguez Hills.
Intro Astronomy 2013. Class 5: Venus (cont.), Mars
Lecture 5 of Dr. Bruce Betts' 2013 online Introductory Planetary Science and Astronomy course covers Venus (continued: surface landers, exploration), and Mars (characteristics, many types of geologic features, poles, exploration spacecraft: flyby, orbiters, and landers/rovers). Recorded at California State University Dominguez Hills.
Intro Astronomy 2013. Class 6: Mars (cont.), Asteroid Threat
Guests
- Emily Lakdawalla, Senior Editor and Planetary Evangelist, The Planetary Society
Lecture 6 of Dr. Bruce Betts' 2013 online Introductory Planetary Science and Astronomy course covers Mars (continued: Phoenix, rovers Curiosity and Opportunity, including an update from Emily Lakdawalla of The Planetary Society, and moons), and the near Earth asteroid threat to Earth, including statistics, past impacts, and information on the recent 2012 DA14 flyby and Chelyabinsk fireball. Recorded at California State University Dominguez Hills.
Intro Astronomy 2013. Class 7: Asteroid Belt, Jupiter System
Guests
- Amy Mainzer, NEOWISE Principal Investigator, Jet Propulsion Lab
Lecture 7 of Dr. Bruce Betts' 2013 online Introductory Planetary Science and Astronomy course covers asteroid hunting from space with Dr. Amy Mainzer (JPL), NEOWISE principal investigator, in addition to covering the Asteroid Belt (characteristics, asteroids visited, meteorites), and the Jupiter system (planet, atmosphere and interior, magnetosphere, aurora, ring, moons including Io; icy Galilean satellites will be covered next week). Recorded at California State University Dominguez Hills.
Intro Astronomy 2013. Class 8: Icy Galilean Satellites, Saturn System
Lecture 8 of Dr. Bruce Betts' 2013 online Introductory Planetary Science and Astronomy course covers the Icy Galilean Satellites (Europa, Ganymede, Callisto) of Jupiter, and the Saturnian System including atmosphere, interior, rings, and moons including Enceladus and Titan. Recorded at California State University Dominguez Hills.
Intro Astronomy 2013. Class 9: Uranus and Neptune Systems, and Trans Neptunian Object Discovery
Guests
- Mike Brown, Planetary Astronomer, California Institute of Technology
Lecture 9 of Dr. Bruce Betts' 2013 online Introductory Planetary Science and Astronomy course starts with guest Dr. Mike Brown of Caltech, discoverer of Trans Neptunian Objects, then covers the Uranian and Neptunian systems including atmospheres, interiors, rings, and moons including Triton. Recorded at California State University Dominguez Hills.
Intro Astronomy 2013. Class 10: Trans Neptunian Objects including Pluto, KBOs, Comets
Lecture 10 of Dr. Bruce Betts' 2013 online Introductory Planetary Science and Astronomy course covers Transneptunian Objects (TNOs) including the Pluto System, Eris, Kuiper Belt Objects, Comets, and the Oort Cloud, and also covers the solar wind, aurorae, and the heliosphere. Recorded at California State University Dominguez Hills.
Intro Astronomy 2013. Class 11: Exoplanets and Solar System Origin and Formation
Lecture 11 of Dr. Bruce Betts' 2013 online Introductory Planetary Science and Astronomy course covers Exoplanets (planets around other stars) including discovery techniques and current knowledge and characteristics, and multi-planet systems including a previously recorded interview with Kepler scientist Dr. Darin Ragozzine (Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory). Lecture 11 also covers the origin and formation of the Solar System as well as a quick look at Kepler's 3rd law and planetary orbits. Recorded at California State University Dominguez Hills.
Intro Astronomy 2013. Class 12: The Sun and Stars
Lecture 12 of Dr. Bruce Betts' 2013 online Introductory Planetary Science and Astronomy course covers the Sun (physical characteristics, zones, solar cycle, sunspots, flares, coronal mass ejections, fusion, etc.) and Stars and Stellar Lecture 12 of Dr. Bruce Betts' 2013 online Introductory Planetary Science and Astronomy course covers the Sun (physical characteristics, zones, solar cycle, sunspots, flares, coronal mass ejections, fusion, etc.) and Stars and Stellar Evolution (star types and colors, evolution, HR Diagrams, birth and death phases, white dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes), as well as brief coverage of solar sails and Lagrange Points. Recorded at California State University Dominguez Hills. Note this lecture was previously recorded.
Intro Astronomy 2013. Class 13: Galaxies, the Universe, Life
Guests
- Bill Nye, Chief Executive Officer
Lecture 13 of Dr. Bruce Betts' 2013 online Introductory Planetary Science and Astronomy course begins with a conversation with Bill Nye about profound questions in the universe, then covers galaxies (our place in the Milky Way, types of galaxies, Hubble Deep Field), the Universe (determining distances, expansion of the universe, Big Bang theory and evolution of the universe, WMAP and Planck results, dark matter, dark energy, neutrinos), and life in the universe (Earth life requirements, astrobiology, SETI). Recorded at California State University Dominguez Hills.
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