The Physics & Astronomy Department gives all kinds of classes, including an bold curriculum of superior seminars for our physics, astrophysics, and astronomy majors, but also many introductory courses for all students. Astronomy as a Science and a Sense of Scale I introduce astronomy’s place in science, and give a way of the scale and time scales involved. The sun is the middle of our photo voltaic system; the planets, over 61 moons, the asteroids , comets , meteoroids and different rocks and gasoline all orbit the Solar The Earth is the third planet from the sun in our solar system.

The traditional astronomers and priests, seen that the flooding at all times occurred on the summer time solstice, which additionally simply happened to be when the brilliant star Sirius rose before the solar and so, they had been able to predict the annual flooding, a talent which in flip rendered them appreciable energy.

In present use, astronomy is worried with the study of objects and matter exterior the earth’s atmosphere,” while astrology is the purported divination of how stars and planets influence our lives. Our location on a rural hilltop with limited mild air pollution grants us an unbelievable view of the night sky, even with the bare eye.

Astrochemistry is the study of the abundance and reactions of molecules in the Universe , and their interplay with radiation ninety seven The discipline is an overlap of astronomy and chemistry The phrase “astrochemistry” could also be applied to each the Photo voltaic System and the interstellar medium The study of the abundance of parts and isotope ratios in Solar System objects, comparable to meteorites , is also called cosmochemistry , while the study of interstellar atoms and molecules and their interplay with radiation is usually referred to as molecular astrophysics.

Primary focus areas include galaxies and the buildings by which they’re embedded, exoplanets, and star and planet formation. Theoretical astronomy is oriented toward the development of computer or analytical fashions to explain astronomical objects and phenomena.