Observational Astronomy

ASTRON 214 Subject & Catalog Number

Description

This course will focus on the principles of observational astronomy, with a focus on the physical principles, design considerations, and operational concerns of telescopes and instruments.  It is not a course on the analysis of observational data, nor on the design of astronomical observing programs.

The course is built from two segments.  The first is a one-week class trip to Arizona, typically in June before the Fall term, to visit the MMT and other local telescopes.  This trip is highly intensive, with of order 8 hours of class activities per day.  We tour the telescopes and have seminar-style classes and problem sessions at the facility.  The focus of the material is on how telescopes and instruments work, using back-of-the-envelope calculations to explore the physical aspects of the key constraints.

The second segment will occur during the Fall teaching term and features seminars focusing on telescopes and instrumentation for X-ray, radio, and millimeter astronomy.  These seminars will require a modest amount of preparatory reading and post-class quantitative exercises.

Students will complete term papers and present them to the class in November, before Thanksgiving break.

This course can be taken for credit only by graduate students. Astronomy 200 or equivalent is highly recommended.

Only students who have participated in the class trip in May 2026 or in a previous year are eligible to enroll for credit in Astronomy 214.

Students (graduate or undergraduate) wishing to audit the Fall semester module should contact the course lead.