Astronomy 410 / Physics 410:
Astrophysics

Fall Semester 2009

Astronomy Picture of the Day: Stickney Crater
November 7, 2009

Stickney Crater Stickney Crater, the largest crater on the martian moon Phobos, is named for Chloe Angeline Stickney Hall, mathematician and wife of astronomer Asaph Hall. Asaph Hall discovered both the Red Planet's moons in 1877. Over...


More Astrophysics News

Class News (Last Updated: Tuesday, November 3):

  • Course Gradebook (Last updated: Tuesday, November 03 ) Updated to include all coursework through Tuesday, November 3.

  • Problem Set 9 (due Monday, November 9) has ben posted on the assignments page.

(Last Updated: Tuesday, November 3)


Astrophysics is the science of physics applied to astronomical situtations. Since the time of Galileo, our physics has informed understanding of astronomical situations, but in the last century, astronomy has also informed our understanding of fundamental physics. This course will cover: introductory celestial mechanics (Newton's Gravity), the interaction of light and matter, telescopes and detectors, stellar properties and models for stellar interiors, stellar evolution, and possibly the Milky Way galaxy.