Book: The Rough Guide to the Universe by John Scalzi, Penguin; paperback.

ISBN 1-85828-939-4

INTRO: January 20008

Welcome to IRP Astronomy 2008. Our study group will work with materials from several sources:

* this site

* other interesting astronomical sites

* our textbook

* and from occasional direct observations of the moon and visible planets

This site will also serve as our course pack; in a format that can be updated as the course progresses and as new discoveries are announced. You can save or print the pages as you like. You can also refer to the unofficial IRP homepage through the link above.

The syllabus and assignments are found below, as are possible topics for brief class presentations. You may want to share the research for a presentation with others in the class.

Most of the links can be reached by merely clicking on their addresses. Otherwise you can simply copy-and-paste the addresses into your browser. No additional computer skills are required. (Some sites may offer short movies, which your system may be able to display.)

To begin your personal exploration of the universe, enjoy the images and information on these sites:

1. The marvelous and comprehensive site for the Hubble Telescope. Explore the gallery of images, the movie of the night sky, the pedagogical material.

http://hubblesite.org/

2. Sky Tonight: It offers images of the most striking objects in today's sky, from Sky & Telescope Magazine. Go to This week sky at a glance

http://skytonight.com/

The course will evolve weekly (sometimes daily), so check this site frequently. Your interest in the various topics will determine the evolution of the course.

Please send comments on the topics and the site. This should be a very collaborative adventure. It is not a lecture course but rather will be, as much as possible, very much in the IRP peer learning mode.



It is assumed that you will be actively involved in classroom discussion of the reading and Internet material, and that you will make extensive exploration of the Internet resources. Should you wish to relinquish your place in the class to someone on the waiting list, please inform us immediately.

This course is designed for those interested in astronomy, but with no knowledge of physics or mathematics. It is not a course in astrophysics.

Start with simply enjoying the stunning images and thinking about ways to consolidate such imagery. The skies have been a part of human experience since prehistory. Every known culture has had its astronomy, music, art and religion, often interwoven.

Enjoy the world of astronomy!

JOHN: This is a "footer" -- You could add a "back to top" or another set of links here; they stay the same on every page.