3 credits
Fall 2025 Distance Learning Lecture Lower DivisionScience
This course is designed for science and non-science majors alike to learn about the origin and characteristics of the bodies in our Solar System, including planets, moons, asteroids, comets, exoplanets beyond, and the search for extraterrestrial life. We'll discuss how solar systems form and die, the origin of the terrestrial versus giant planets and their orbits, the evolution of planetary surfaces due to asteroid impacts and volcanism, the development of atmospheres, the formation of planetary rings, the origin of moons, the hazards of space travel, and why Pluto IS a planet.
Learning Outcomes1Place your home in context with the Universe (cosmic geography).
2Understand how the solar system came to be.
3Understand the basic structure of the solar system and Earth's place in it.
4Understand the processes that shape the surfaces of the planets.
5Learn about past, current, and future exploration of space.
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