Opportunities for theoretical and observational work on the frontiers of science are available in cosmology, cosmogony, radio astronomy, planetary atmospheres, relativistic astrophysics, laboratory astrophysics, gravitational theory, infrared balloon astronomy, stellar astrophysics, spectroscopy, and exobiology. Facilities include the Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory, the Laboratory for Infrared Astrophysics, balloon astronomy equipment (16-inch telescope, cryogenic detectors), and modern 24- and 16-inch Cassegrain reflectors.

This course applies physics to understand the astronomical phenomena related to galaxies. The structure, components, and evolution of galaxies will be examined, exploring both (1) the relationships among stars, gas, and dust within galaxies and (2) the interaction of galaxies in groups or clusters. Concepts of stellar populations and the cycle of star formation and death will be used to understand different galaxy types as seen using radio, optical, and high-energy telescopes.

How much are physics and astronomy influenced by society and culture, and vice versa?  How is knowledge generated in these fields, and to what extent do history, culture, ethics, and social factors affect the conduct and perception of scientific advancement? In this course, students will explore the broader sociocultural context in which physical and astronomical knowledge is generated, as well as the effects that this context has on attribution and acceptance of scientific ideas.

Lab Section for ASTR 200

The purpose of this course is to introduce data analysis and visualization techniques that will allow students to excel in further coursework in astronomy and other STEM majors. Students will be introduced to how to use the Python programming language to analyze and manipulate data; how to create, interpret, and present visualizations of those data; and how to apply statistical analysis techniques to data. We will sharpen these skills through the lens of astronomical data collection and analysis, though the skills themselves are applicable in many other fields.

Spring semester. The Department.

How to handle overenrollment: null

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Students will conduct independent research under faculty direction.

(Offered as ASLC 360 and RELI 360) What does it entail, and feel like, to embrace the modern world from a Buddhist perspective? The course examines key issues that have shaped the development of modern Buddhism across East Asia, while fostering a critical assessment of some fundamental assumptions in the making of the modern age.

(Offered as ASLC 357, ARHA 357, and HIST 357 [TC, TE, ME, P]) The Shahnameh (Book of Kings), completed by Abu’l Qasim Ferdowsi around 1010, is one of the world's greatest epics, and also one of the most enigmatic. The Shahnameh tells the history of pre-Islamic Iran from the beginnings of civilization until the Arab conquest in the seventh century A.D. Its tales of battles, romance, heroism, and betrayal have been appreciated as literature for centuries. At the same time, it’s been deployed for political and cultural ends.

(Offered as ASLC 327, EUST 327, and FAMS 327) The relationships among media, the state, and civil society are complex.  This course aims to address these relationships by examining cinema—the art form of the twentieth century—in Japan and Spain during different but overlapping eras of tumult: the 1930s to the 1980s.

(Offered as ASLC 231 and ARHA 231) This seminar examines the movement of objects, people, and ideas across the Pacific in order to understand how the Transpacific, thinking oceanically, offers new narratives of art histories that connect Asian and Asian American studies. The Transpacific intertwines two narratives: the Pacific as a space of expansionism and imperialism, and the Pacific as a zone of alternative alliances.