Earth Science 2150: The Solar System

This course will not be offered in 2013/14.

This is a very exciting time for the exploration of the solar system! Already we have returned samples of comet-stuff and landed a probe on Saturn’s smoggy moon, Titan. One robotic explorer continues to study the surface of Mars, more than nine years after landing, and a bigger and better one is almost there. We have spacecraft in orbit around sun-baked Mercury, Venus, Earth, Moon, Mars, Saturn, and the main-belt asteroid Vesta. Others are on their way to Jupiter and distant Pluto. There's never been a better time to consider a course in the ultimate "environmental science" - planetary astronomy!

This course requires no previous astronomy or physics background. The only math used is some geometry and algebra, but no calculus. The emphasis is on giving you an introduction to the structure, origin, and evolution of the many worlds in our solar system.  And, you’ll have the unique opportunity to use the 0.6-m telescope of the Grenfell Campus Observatory as part of your coursework!

We will not describe the planets one by one. Instead, you’ll learn about processes such as the origin of planets and the evolution of their surfaces. By mastering a few basic concepts from several different fields, you will be able to understand a remarkable variety of processes that affect the planets, including the Earth. What will this give you? A knowledge of how planets evolve, of what governs their crustal structure and their surfaces, and of the nearly limitless resources of material and energy that lie within our reach - knowledge that can help us live more successfully on and off the Earth.

Instructor:

Dr. Douglas Forbes

Office: AS 3028 (new building)

Phone: 637-6295

E-Mail: dforbes at grenfell dot mun dot ca

Text:

Moons and Planets (5th Edition), by William K. Hartmann

Grenfell Campus Observatory: 

There will be opportunities to use the Observatory's main 0.6m instrument to view the moon and some of the planets and also to use our small solar telescope to safely observe the Sun.   More information will be given in class.

Outside Reading:

You will find a reasonably good selection of books on astronomy and related topics in the Grenfell library. The main astronomy titles are to be found in the QB section. Some related titles will be found in the neighbouring physics and earth sciences stacks. There are also some astronomy titles in the QB section of the reference stacks - most of the star atlases are kept there. The Campus library also carries periodicals such as Sky and Telescope, Scientific American, New Scientist, among others, which often feature articles and up-to-date- reports on astronomy.  All three of these magazines have excellent web sites, updated daily.

Also see The Bookshelf page, elsewhere in the Physics site.

Astronomy on the Web:

There are many, many astronomy sites on the Internet and extensive information in Wikipedia. A short list of astronomy links can be found within this web site.

History Pages:

400th Anniversary of the Telescope

Galileo Galilei (1564 – 1642)

Johannes Kepler (1571 – 1630)

Isaac Newton (1642 – 1727)

Nicholas Copernicus (1473 - 1543)

Planet and Moon Exploration Pages:

Mercury

Messenger

Venus

ESA Venus Express

Moon

Evolution of the Moon - Excelent video from NASA/Goddard

Lunar Picture of the Day

Gateway to the Moon

USGC Astrogeology - Apollo Mission Media Gallery

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter

Apollo Lunar Surface Journal

A good Moon map

Mars

Mars Express

Phoenix Mars Lander

Mars Exploration Rovers JPL's links to science, images, and info on Mars rovers Opportunity and Spirit.

Mars Science Laboratory the newest and largest Mars robotic explorer - Curiosity

Jupiter

Galileo Home Page Results from the 1989 - 2004 mission to Jupiter

Juno probe to Jupiter

Saturn

Cassini-Huygens Mission to Saturn and Titan

Uranus & Neptune

Voyager

Pluto and Kuiper Belt

Voyager

Why Pluto is No Longer Considered a Planet

New Horizons probe

Asteroids, Meteorites, Comets, etc.

Dawn Space Probe mission to Ceres and Vesta

Deep Impact to Comet Tempel 1

NEAR Mission to asteroid 433 Eros

General Solar System:

• Astronomy Picture of the Day with a complete explanation and links to related sites.
• NASA Lunar and Planetary Science
• Jet Propulsion Laboratory
• USGS Astrogeology
• NASA Solar System Exploration
• Archive for Planetary Science Research An educational site sharing the latest research on meteorites, planets, and other solar system bodies being made by NASA-sponsored scientists.
• Spaceflight Now
• Check out today's Space Weather! How's the solar wind? What's the sunspot count?
• Planetary Photojournal: NASA's Image Access Page
• Solar System Exploration Links to sites for everything from NASA, plus archived information and images from previous missions.
• Icarus , the International Journal of Solar System Studies The professional journal of solar system studies
• Sky & Telescope The best amateur astronomy magazine. The web site has equipment buying tips, links to astronomical news sites and just about everything else!