Exploration of the Solar System is an introductory course in the astronomy of the solar system, intended for students who are majoring in fields other than the natural sciences. The astronomy of the solar system is one of the most exciting fields in all science nowadays, ranking with molecular biology and genetics. New results from spacecraft are coming in daily, and may be seen on the front page of the New York Times. This is an especially timely semester to take a solar system astronomy class. Last July two solar system exploration "events" occurred. On July 3rd the Deep Impact spacecraft blasted a crater in comet Temple 1 to better study what comets are made of and how they are put together. Later in the month astronomers announced the finding of an object likely bigger than Pluto sparking claims of the discovery of the solar system's "10th planet." For the past year, the Mars Exploration Rover spacecraft have been roaming the surface of Mars, returning information that will rewrite textbooks. The Cassini spacecraft arrived at Saturn in the summer of 2004 after a seven year voyage, and is still returning images of unprecedented detail. In January of this year it sent a probe to parachute to the surface of Saturn's moon Titan, which may be the only solar system body other than the Earth to possess liquid lakes and oceans. During the Fall semester, other spacecraft missions will be launched, progress in their planning, or come to completion. As we discuss solar system objects and the latest findings about them, we will also be locating them in the night sky. Looking to the future, it is highly likely that major discoveries in solar system astronomy will be made during our lifetimes, discoveries which may profoundly change our view of ourselves as human beings. This course will prepare students to better comprehend the nature and significance of those discoveries.
| Topic and Week | Subject | Textbook Reference |
| Topic 1, Week 1 | Initial pleasantries, Overview of Solar System | -- |
| Topic 2, Week 2 | The solar system in the night sky | Chapter 2 & 4 |
| Topic 3, Week 3 | Orbit of the Moon and Kepler's Laws | Chapter 4 & 5 |
| Topic 4, Week 4 | The Earth as a planet | Chapter 8 |
| Topic 5, Week 4 | The Earth's atmosphere | Chapter 8 |
| Topic 6, Week 5 | The Moon and its Geology | Chapter 9 |
| Topic 7, Week 5 | The Age of Impacts | Chapter 9 |
| September 22 | First Exam (5:30-7:30) |
arranged location |
| Topic 8, Week 6 | Mars, water, and ancient life | Chapter 11 |
| Topic 9, Week 7 | Mars, 4 billion years ago | Chapter 11 |
| Topic 10, Week 7 | Venus | Chapter 10 |
| Topic 11, Week 8 | the Jovian planets: big balls of liquid hydrogen | Chapter 12 |
| Topic 12, Week 8 | The Galilean satellites: water on Europa | Chapter 14 |
| Topic 13, Week 9 | Saturn: its ring and moons | Chapters 12 & 14 |
| Topic 14, Week 9 | Way out: Uranus etc. | Chapter 13 |
| Topic 15, Week 10 | Comets, Asteroids, and Meteors | Chapter 15 |
| Topic 16, Week 10 | Comets and cometary material | Chapter 15 |
| October 27 | Second Exam (5:30-7:30) |
arranged location |
| Topic 17, Week 11 | Asteroids: tiny worlds | Chapter 15 |
| Topic 18, Week 11 | Meteors, Meteorites, and Asteroids | Chapter 15 |
| Topic 19, Week 12 | The Sun: story of a G2V star | Chapter 17 |
| Topic 20, Week 13 | The origin of the solar system | Chapter 18 |
| Topic 21, Week 14 | Stars like the Sun and other solar systems | Chapter 17 |
| Topic 22, Week 15 | Where are they? Life in the universe | -- |
| TBA |
Final Exam |
arranged location |