| Course Title: Cosmology |
| Start Date: 09/09/2026 End Date: 12/22/2026 |
| Term: Fall Semester 2026 |
| Description: This course covers cosmological models and their relationship to observational data. Topics include background electromagnetic radiation, nucleosynthesis, dating methods, determinations of the mean density of the universe and the Hubble constant, and tests of gravitational theories. We also discuss questions concerning the foundations of cosmology and its future as a science. Students will have the opportunity to run cosmological simulations and conduct original research with the potential for co-authored publication. |
| Distribution(s): II - Math & Sciences |
| Academic Level Of Course: Undergraduate | Credits:4.00 |
| Faculty | Phone | Email address |
| Stacy Kim | stacykim@mtholyoke.edu |
| Meeting Dates | Method | Meeting days | Meeting times | Building name | Room | Frequency |
| 09/09/2026 - 12/22/2026 | Lecture | Monday, Wednesday and Friday | 03:15PM - 04:30PM | TBA | TBA | Weekly |
| Requisite Courses | ||
| Prereq: ASTR-100, ASTR-101, ASTR-102, or ASTR-115; one semester of Physics; and one semester of calculus at high school or college level. | Take previously | Required |
| Comments |
| Additional Comments |
| Course Tags | ||
| NXDTA0001 | NXDTA: Nexus in Data Analytics and Society | This course is approved for the Data Analytics |
| Cross-listed Sections |
| None |
| Course Availability | ||||
| Section status: Open | Capacity: 18 | Enrollment: 11 | Available: 7 | Waitlist: 0 |
BOOK INFORMATION
| Book List | Required | Publisher Full Price |
| Title: Introduction to Cosmology Author: Ryden, Barbara Copyright: Edition: 2nd Volume: ISBN: 9781107154834 Publisher: Cambridge University Press |
Required | 60.00 |
| Title: Extragalactic Astronomy and Cosmology Author: Schneider, Copyright: 2016 Edition: 2nd Volume: ISBN: 9783662500606 Publisher: Springer |
Optional | 55.00 |
| Title: An Introduction to Modern Astrophysics Author: Carroll, Bradley W., and Dale A. Ostlie Copyright: 2017 Edition: 2nd Volume: ISBN: 9781108422161 Publisher: |
Optional | 110.00 |
| Additional Book Comments |
| This is NOT the complete book list for this class. |