AST 305 - Observational Astronomy

A hands-on, project-based course where students will use telescopes in the Wheaton College Observatory, remote telescopes all around the world, as well as archival data obtained from space- and ground-based observatories, to carry out independent research projects throughout the semester. The projects will range from topics such as monitoring variable stars and physical environments close to black holes and neutron stars, motion of nearby and hypervelocity stars, studying spectra of the Sun and bright astronomical objects. Students will learn how to analyze multiwavelength data, visualize and interpret results, and present conclusions in the form of scientific reports.

Prerequisites
One course in Astronomy or PHYS 180 or Permission of Instructor.

Credits 1

Area
Natural Sciences

Division
Natural Science

Compass Attributes
Natural Science