Lecturers: Lectures: Announcements:
Rien van de Weygaert,
Kapteynborg ZG 186, Zernike Campus tel. 3634086, weygaert@astro.rug.nl
The lecture schedule will be:
Monday 19:05-21:00 hoorcollege/lecture
Academiegebouw, vd Leeuwzaal
Friday 15:00-17:00 hoorcollege/lecture (4 classes), werkcollege/tutorial (4 classes)
Academiegebouw, vd Leeuwzaal
First lecture on monday November 13, Academiegebouw
Second lecture on friday November 18, Academiegebouw)
Third lecture on wednesday November 22, Academiegebouw.
Lecture monday December 11, Academiegebouw (19:00-21:00): CANCELLED.
Due to the weather alarm, heavy snowfall, and uncertain road and transport conditions, I decided to cancel the lecture.
I will inform you asap about the timeslot for the replacement of the lecture.
Extra Lecture: thursday December 14, 15:00-17:00, Bernoulliborg, 5161.0151
this lecture replaces the December 11 monday evening lecture that had to be cancelled because of the weather alarm.
Lecture friday January 12, 15:00-17:00: cancelled, because of travel lecturer.
Extra Lecture: thursday January 18, 19:00-21:00, Academiegebouw, vd Leeuwzaal
this lecture replaces the January 12 lecture that is cancelled because of travel lecturer.
Tutorial lecture friday December 8, Nijenborgh 4, 5114.0043.
Tutorial lecture friday December 15, Nijenborgh 4, 5114.0043.
Tutorial lecture friday January 19, Nijenborgh 4, 5118.-156.
Exam: monday January 22, 14:00-17:00; Bernoulliborg 5161.0165
studying the recession of galaxies at the Mt. Wilson 100inch telescope
Literature:
The course will be based on
lecture notes/slides (see below)
book:
Cosmos, An Illustrated History of Astronomy and Cosmology
John North
2nd ed., 2008, Univ. Chicago Press (paperback)
additional books you may want to consult (ie., do not buy, these are not course books):
Cosmology, the Science of the Universe
Edward Harrison
2nd ed., 2000, Cambridge Univ. Press
Conceptions of Cosmos:
From Myths to the Accelerating Universe: A History of Cosmology
H. Kragh
2013, Oxford Univ. Press
the History and Practic of Ancient Astronomy
James Evans
1998, Oxford Univ. Press
Ancient Cosmologies
eds. C. Blacker, M. Loewe
1975, George Allen & Unwin Ltd.
Selection of key scientific publications in cosmology:
- Hubble E., 1929, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sciences, Vol. 15, 168-173
a relation between distance and radial velocity among extra-galactic nebulae
- Penzias A.A., Wilson R.W., 1965, Astrophys. J., 142, 419-421
a measurement of excess antenna temperature at 080 Mc/s
- Dicke R.H., Peebles P.J.E., Roll P.G., Wilkinson, D.T., 1965, Astrophys. J., 142, 414-419
Cosmic Black-body Radiation
Kepler's Geometric Model of the Cosmos
Lecture Notes & Exam Material: Tutorials:
The course is based upon the lecture notes. The content of these is the exam material.
Below you find a listing of the notes, for you to download in 3 formats (pptx, pdf, pdf with 2 slides per page).
Generals pptx
Generals pdf
Fundamental Questions pptx
Fundamental Questions pdf
Fundamental Questions pdf, 2 slides per page
Cosmology Timeline pptx
Cosmology Timeline pdf
Heavenly Rhythms pptx
Heavenly Rhythms pdf
Heavenly Rhythms pdf, 2 slides per page
Gods & Myths pptx
Gods & Myths pdf
Gods & Myths pdf, 2 slides per page
Order in the Cosmos pptx
how Babylonians and Greeks rationalized the heavens
Order in the Cosmos pdf
how Babylonians and Greeks rationalized the heavens
Order in the Cosmos pdf, 2 slides per page
how Babylonians and Greeks rationalized the heavens
the Universe Mechanized pptx
Hellenistic Cosmology
the Universe Mechanized pdf
Hellenistic Cosmology
the Universe Mechanized pdf, 2 slides per page
Hellenistic Cosmology
the Universe Mechanized pptx
the Antikythera Mechanism
the Universe Mechanized pdf
the Antikythera Mechanism
the Universe Mechanized pdf, 2 slides per page
the Antikythera Mechanism
the Scientific Revolution pptx
the Scientific Revolution pdf
the Scientific Revolution pdf, 2 slides per page
Gravity, ruler of the Universe pptx
Gravity, master of the Universe pdf
Gravity, master of the Universe pdf, 2 slides per page
the Big Bang pptx
the Big Bang pdf
the Big Bang pdf, 2 slides per page
the Expanding Universe pptx
the Expanding Universe pdf
the Expanding Universe pdf, 2 slides per page
the Early Universe pptx
the Early Universe pdf
the Early Universe pdf, 2 slides per page
Cosmology Awareness Poll, assignment
Cosmology Awareness Poll, group list
Cosmic Debates, assignment
Cosmic Debates, group list
Essay Topics: Exam:
Part of the course requirements is a 10-15 page (individual) or 20-25 page report on a specific cosmological topic. The essays
should be written individually or in groups of two.
Topics may be on Physical Cosmology (ie. the present-day scientific cosmology), cosmological contributions
by a range of scientists, cosmology of a range of philosophers/philosophies, cosmology in various cultures, cosmology
in different religions and cosmology in an artistic context.
The following list contains a large list op suggestions for a topic. In addition, you may define your own topic, on the
condition it will be approved by the lecturer.
In all cases, before starting the work on your essay, consult the lecturer to 1) inform with whom you write the essay, 2) the
topic of your choice. The list of topics you find on:
Cosmology Essay Topics pdf
In case the topic has already been claimed by another group, I may ask you to find another topic.
The exam will be in the form of
written exam (monday Jan. 22, 14:00-17:00)
essay on a topic of cosmology, 10-15 pages (individual) or
20-25 pages, groups of 2 students (see above)
For the Written Exam, on monday Jan. 22 (multiple choice, 50 questions)
the following material will have to be studied:
Lecture notes, lect1 up to lect10 (download from this page, see above)
* lect1, Fundamental Questions
all slides
* lect1a, Cosmology Timeline:
read thoroughly, appreciate time/epochs of cosmological developments
* lect2, Heavenly Rhythms
all slides
* lect3, Gods and Myths
all slides
* lect4, Order in the Cosmos
all slides
* lect5, The Universe Mechanized
all slides
* lect5a, The Universe Mechanized, the Antikythera Mechanism
read thoroughly, appreciate context and significance Antikythera Mechanism
* lect6, Scientific Revolution
all slides
- * lect7, Gravity
all slides
- * lect8, the Big Bang
all slides
* lect9, the Expanding Universe
slides 1 -71
slides 72-118 on accelerating universe: read thoroughly
* lect10, the Early Universe
slides 49-89 on problems of standard Big Bang, and Inflation
Exam examples: 10 typical questions of a Cosmic Origins exam:
Exam example questions
Lecture Schedule:
(provisional, changes possible)