Would Like To Hear From Those That Are Knowledgeable In Astronomy, Physics, Or Anything Of That Nature? Advice

Question

Watching the science channel, and reading all these questions in this section, has really piqued my interest in astronomy and science. I've always been more of a liberal arts person (that's what my degree is in), and have never cared much for science. Now, i'm beginning to feel like I missed out on some very interesting and valuable information that could help me to understand some of these fascinating things that i'm reading and hearing about. I was considering taking an astronomy course this Summer....for those of you that have studied the subject, could you perhaps tell me what a beginning Astronomy college course would entail? For instance, is it more of a math oriented subject? Or would it deal more with info about the stars, earth, and solar system? If it's more math oriented, then it's probably not for me. Outside of taking a class, do any of you have any books you could recommend reading, that wouldn't be hard for a novice to understand?

Answer 1

I didn't take the intro-level astronomy class in college (I already knew a little bit about astronomy and wanted something more substantial), but even the Astronomy 311 course I took wasn't hugely complicated. This was just a moderate-sized university (UW-Stevens Point), and there were only about four or five astronomy courses, so 311 was still pretty basic. Not much math involved at all, just information, concepts, processes, that sort of thing. I really enjoyed it, and I bet you would too.

Just pick up a timetable from a school that you're considering for an astronomy class and check out the course descriptions. You should be able to get an idea of what the course will be like based on that. I'm guessing that most intro-level classes will involve little or no math--that's more for upper level- and physics courses.

You can always contact the professor from any prospective class as well. I'm sure he or she would be happy to answer any questions you'd have.

For books, I'd highly recommend Cosmos by Carl Sagan and A Brief History of Time by Steven Hawking. Hawking is a genius, but he writes for the layperson superbly--Carl Sagan, well, he just writes superbly. Both books are fabulous and easy to understand.

Answer 2

Hi, glad you are interested in astronomy!
I took two semesters of astronomy (4 chrs each) to fill my science requirements at the University of Buffalo. The math wasn't overwhelming, but it could be a problem for someone who seems to fear math. There were also lab requirements where math is essentially the crux of the assignments. I love math and I truly enjoyed the astronomy courses. I am sure that there are more qualitative astronomy courses offered. Still, I think you miss a lot if you approach astronomy without any mathimatical calculations. Within "the harmony of spheres" lies mathematical understanding.
I will put forth one of Keppler's laws of motion, and if these calculations are too difficult for you, then you should consider not taking an astronmy class that has any math.

the square root of the cube of the distance of any planet around the sun, is the time that that planet takes to complete one orbit.

This is truly an ingenious precept that Keppler came up with.

AU = astronomic unit= the distance that the earth is from the sun = 93 million miles.
http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/planets.php (check out this site)

Below are the svg distances of each planet from the sun
Mercury = .38 AU
Venus = .72 AU
Earth= 1 AU
Mars = 1.52 AU
Jupiter = 5.2 AU
Saturn = 9.54 AU
Uranus = 19.2 AU
Neptune = 30 AU
Pluto = 39.5 AU

If you cube these numbers then take the square root, you will get how many earth years it takes each planet to travel around the sun. Try it with each one and go to wikepedia and check out your answers.

one more, Halley's Comet takes 76 years to orbit the sun. On average, or what is the mean distance of Halley's comet from the sun?

Answer 3

I agree with the first post - Cosmos by the famous astronomer Carl Sagan, also available as a DVD series. It is a brilliant introduction to science, with an Astronomy focus given that Astronomy is essentially the oldest science. Carl Sagan has a very compelling style, interesting even for those who have previously not been interested in science. Beginning astronomy courses at college level do not have very much mathematics involved, it very much focuses on WHAT is out there in the universe. Fascinating stuff!

For the record, Stephen Hawking admits that he was not good at mathematics when he first went to college, but he learnt it later to study his passions in more depth. He was told when writing his book "A brief history of time" that his readership would halve for every mathematical equation he wrote. As a result, even this book is quite accessible to the non-scientist.

The universe in which we dwell is a fascinating place! I commend you for taking the first step towards learning a little bit more about it!

Answer 4

Well I'm an English major with a lifelong love of science. I second Sagan's COSMOS, surely many a scientist today got hooked watching that on TV as a kid back in the day -- now you can Netflix the whole DVD collection.

Also, a nice podcast is Astronomy Cast, see www.astronomycast.com

And by all means, just start browsing the library and bookstores, that's how lots of people have got hooked.

Answer 5

There are non-technical astronomy courses that concentrate on qualitative information, rather than how to compute orbits or red shifts. You'll just have to check the course description.

For books, I like "Coming of Age in the Milky Way", by Timothy Ferris. It's about astronomy and cosmology from a historical perspective, showing how our knowledge of the universe evolved over the centuries and talking about some of the people who made it happen.

Answer 6

Astronomy and cosmology delve into the very first moments of the universe's creation and the very limits of infinity.
Quantum physics deals with the infra-tiny building blocks of everything from ourselves to galaxies, so it is a worthwhile subject to learn about as well.

Reading is the best way to learn about things, without having to commit to a course in college (though courses can be very interesting, depending on the college and the prof).

Books:
Cosmos by Carl Sagan
Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
Check out the science or astronomy section of any bookstore, and pick out something that catches your eye.

Other resources:
Astronomy magazine (or online at astronomy.com) has lots of easy-to-understand articles on current science theories and discoveries, as well as the newest discoveries in radio and other telescope studies.
nasa.gov has lots of info online on current and future NASA exploration missions to the sun, moon, and other planets.

Answer 7

Dependig on where you live there's usually classes, specially astronomy or ecology for the non-scientist. Introductory astronomy will have lots of math, not complex, but not necessary for the layperson, either. Check out local science or natural history museuums. Cosmos is dated. Greenes Elegant universe is good - not sure if its too technical. Check out amazon and note the lists. I forgot his name but (is it?) Lives of a Snail is great (biology). Most popular science books do not rely on the math to make their point, so it usually can be totally ignored. I recommend instead you subscribe to (US) Discover, American Scientist, Scientific American, or Seed. Pick up an issue of each to decide your comfort level. Similarly I love Astronomy magazine. Subscribing to Discover and Astronomy would be a fantastic start. Also be sure to check out pictures of the day (is it space or astronomy??) and the Space.com web site.

Answer 8

Subscribe to Science News. Its a weekly summary of science doings for the week. The articles are short and written for a general audience. You can also buy Astronomy magazine or Sky and Telescope magazine, both of which are available in bookstores or by subscription. They both have excellent articles and the pictures are fantastic. I have the only astronomy related avatar so you can trust me.

Answer 9

I've never taken a formal course in astronomy--so I can't help you there. But here's a couple of outstanding (and fun) sites that you'll like:

space.com (practically anything to do with astronomy/space travel--and great images)

nasa.gov (the official NASA site--plus lots of stuff on science besides astronomy. Plus you can watch the shuttle launches live)

Answer 10

I agree with Matt, start with Cosmos or any of Dr. Sagan's Books, But I suggest getting the 17 part series on dvd with the book.