SOHO image of the Sun
Planetary Nebula, Cat's Eye
Cataclysmic Variable, Z Cha

Astronomy 122: Birth, Life, and Death of Stars

Ultimately, the Sun supplies most of the energy used to power our lives on the Earth and thus the Sun directly touches and impacts our lives. Further, in the future, much more of our energy needs may be satisfied by physical mechanisms similar to those which power the Sun. Here, in Astronomy 122, we study how and the Sun and stars work and how they change as they move through their lives; stars are born, live, age, and die. Equally as important as probing the theoretical properties of the Sun and stars, we also consider the reliability of the database on which our understanding of the Sun and stars is built. This requires us to learn how the information we have on stars has been acquired and how reliable is the information itself.

Earth-Like Planet Discovered
Himiko: Giant Mystery Blob Near Dawn of Time!

Mt Wilson Solar Webcam

Angeles Fire Map

ASTRONOMY PICTURE OF THE DAY

Instructor: James N. Imamura
Office: 444 Willamette Hall
E-mail: imamura@uoregon.edu
Phone: 541-346-5212
Office Hours: 10:00-12:00, MW or by appointment

Course: ASTR 122: Birth, Life and Death of Stars; ASTR 122 is a science group satisfying course
Course CRN:
Text: Astronomy Today, 6th edition, Chaisson & McMillan
Class: 18:00-19:50, MTR
Room: 100 Willamette Hall
Grading:
Tests:

Topic

Material

Reading

Date

Notes

1

Why Do We Study Stars?

assorted chapters

07/30/09

Topic 1

2

How Do We Study Stars?

Chapter 3

03/08/09

Topic 2

3

Properties of Stars

Chapter 4, & 17

08/03/09,08/10/09

Topic 3

4

Spectral Analysis: Lines and MK Spectral Classification

Chapter 4, & 17

08/11/09,08/13/09

Topic 4

5

Tying Things Together: H-R Diagram, Mass-Luminosity Relation, ...

Chapter 17

08/13/09,08/18/09

Topic 5

6

The Sun: Our Star

Chapter 16

08/18/09,08/20/09

Topic 6

7

Star Formation

Chapter 18,19

08/24/09,08/27/09

Topic 7

8

Stellar Evolution

Chapter 20,21

08/31/09,09/01/09

Topic 8

9

Type I and Type II Supernovas

Chapter 21

2009

Topic 9