Welcome to ASTR1/2!
This is the homepage for ASTR 1 and 2 for Spring 2026. The sections included are
- ASTR 1-004 (38769) and ASTR 2-003 (38783): MW 5.05 PM - 6.20 PM. We shall meet in SB C203.
- ASTR 1-003 (38787): Su 11.00 AM to 1.50 PM. We will meet online here.
Most of the content on this site is licenced under a creative commons licence. You do not, however, necessarily have the right to share the content on this page. Before you share any content, read the copyright information.
Start Here
- The "Course Schedule", linked to below, contains the course content per class. Thus, you can see what we're doing during what class, and when assignments are due.
- The "Calendar", linked to below, lists when our classes take place as well as when you should watch the lecture videos. It also contains the exam dates. Note that there are three exams.
- There are three types of assignments: Weekly Ponderings, Activities, and Homework. The due dates are listed on Course Schedule. They can be accessed via links near the bottom of the page.
- The classes are split into WP and Activity sessions. During a WP session, we'll discuss the WP assignment; this assignment is due just before the start of class. During an Activity session, we'll be discussing the background material for the Activity, as well as (to some extent) the questions themselves. For the in-person section, we'll reserve time for you to work on the Activity in class.
This site is fully ADA compliant and follows the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Level AA.
It is designed to be usable by everyone, including students who rely on assistive technologies.
My office hours are entirely online. To book an appointment, please use the appointment booking app. For all office
hours, this is the Zoom link.
Here are some images and GIFs.
This is the free textbook. At the bottom of this page, I
give you the textbook sections that pertain to the lectures.
Your final grade will be the average of the three exams, although I will drop the lowest exam. The assignments affect the final grade in the sense that 25% of the exam
questions will come directly (and equally) from the three types of assignments.
Class Syllabus, Exam link, Calendar, and Course Schedule
Lecture Videos and Slides
Assignments
Textbook-Lecture Equivalents
Lecture 1: sections 4.1 to 4.3; Lecture 2: sections 5.1 to 5.5; Lecture 3: sections 3.1 to 3.4; Lecture 4: sections 8.1 to 8.3, and 4.5; Lecture 5: chapters 15 and 16; Lecture 6: chapter 17; Lecture 7: chapter 7; Lecture 8: chapter 10, Mars discussion only; Lecture 9: chapter 13; Lecture 10: chapter 14; Lecture 11: sections 21.1, 22.1, 22.4, 22.5; Lecture 12: chapter 24 Lecture 13: chapter 26; Lecture 14: chapter 29