The Astronomy Department encourage scientific literacy at all levels, with a quest is to understand the Universe itself. Astronomy was first taught at Columbia in 1757 and, during the intervening 263 years, has formed an important part of the University's curriculum
For questions about specific courses, contact the department.
Courses
Prerequisites: Recommended preparation: a working knowledge of high school algebra. May be counted toward the science requirement for most Columbia University undergraduate students. The overall architecture of the solar system. Motions of the celestial sphere. Time and the calendar. Major planets, the earth-moon system, minor planets, comets. Life in the solar system and beyond.
ASTR UN1404: In this course, we will explore how stars, galaxies, and the Universe formed and changed over time. We will have a combination of lectures, class discussions, and hands-ons activities to examine concepts including: distances to, and fundamental properties of, nearby stars; nucleosynthesis and stellar evolution; novae and supernovae; galaxies; the structure of the universe and theories concerning its origin, evolution, and
ultimate fate. This course will use algebra, but ample math support will be provided. You can only receive credit for ASTR UN1404 if you have not taken ASTR BC1754, ASTR UN1420 or ASTR UN1836
