2024 Summer Session A
6 weeks, May 20 - June 28
ASTRON 9 001 - LEC 001
Selected Topics in Astronomy
Cultural Astronomy
Bryan Jeffrey Mendez
May 20, 2024 - Jun 28, 2024
Tu, Th, Fr
09:00 am - 11:29 am
Internet/Online
Class #:13688
Units: 3
Instruction Mode:
Online
Offered through
Astronomy
Current Enrollment
Total Open Seats:
27
Enrolled: 18
Waitlisted: 0
Capacity: 45
Waitlist Max: 5
No Reserved Seats
Hours & Workload
7.5 hours of instructor presentation of course materials per week, and 15 hours of outside work hours per week.
Course Catalog Description
This seminar will explore one of a variety of subjects in greater depth than in introductory courses. Possible topics include stars, galaxies, the solar system, the interstellar medium, relativity and cosmology, history of astronomy, observational astronomy, and life in the universe.
Class Description
This course will examine the cultural expressions of astronomy across the globe and throughout history (including our modern era). We will study how astronomy has influenced (or been influenced by) calendars, language, literature/mythology/folklore/entertainment (including science fiction), agriculture & cuisine, arts (visual, performing, crafts), fashion (clothing and body art), architecture, religion, politics, economics, and of course science. We will take a dip into archeoastronomy and examine how astronomy is used to interpret artifacts from ancient cultures. We will study some of the famous ruins of ancient civilizations (Newgrange, Stonehenge, the Giza Necropolis, Chichen Itza, Machu Picchu, Pueblo Bonito, etc.) for their alignments to astronomical events and examine ways to interpret the meaning placed on these alignments by each culture.
We will begin by exploring the apparent motions of the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars in the sky and the motions of Earth and these bodies through space that explain our ground-based point of view. To better understand the context of modern astronomical influences in culture, we will also briefly review the state of our knowledge about the lives of stars, the nature of planetary systems, and the evolution of the Cosmos.
Rules & Requirements
Repeat Rules
Requirements class fulfills
Meets Physical Science, L&S Breadth
Reserved Seats
Current Enrollment
No Reserved Seats
Textbooks & Materials
Associated Sections
None