Modern Astrophysics

As taught in: Spring 2006

A galaxy, seen from the side.

A Hubble Space Telescope image of galaxy NGC-5866, seen edge-on. (Image courtesy of William C. Keel, University of Alabama, as presented on NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day Web site.)

Instructors:

Prof. Peter Schechter

MIT Course Number:

8.284

Level:

Undergraduate

Course Description

This course explores the applications of physics (Newtonian, statistical, and quantum mechanics) to fundamental processes that occur in celestial objects. The list of topics includes Main-sequence Stars, Collapsed Stars (White Dwarfs, Neutron Stars, and Black Holes), Pulsars, Supernovae, the Interstellar Medium, Galaxies, and as time permits, Active Galaxies, Quasars, and Cosmology. Observational data is also discussed.