HISTORY 473 - History of Astronomy

Institution:

University of Missouri-Kansas City

Subject:

Description:

The course will examine how and why our views of the planets, the stars, and the universe have changed from Babylonian and Greek times to the 20th century. The course will consider such topics as ancient earth-centered cosmologies, the origin of astrology, the development and acceptance of the Copernican cosmology, the contributions of Newton, Galileo, Kepler and others to uncovering the laws of heavenly bodies, the gradually successful attempts to determine the distances to and composition of the stars, various interpretations of the Milky Way, and the eventual discovery of galaxies beyond our own, as well as touching on such other matters as early views of comets and "new" stars, the development of the telescope, the impact of photography, and early speculations on extraterrestrial life. Also offered as HISTORY 573R . 3 hrs

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.umkc.edu/

Phone Number:

(816) 235-1000

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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