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Dynamical Astronomy - ASTR 301

Lectures for the course Dynamical Astronomy, upper level undergraduate course at CSUN. Offered in the fall since 2018.

Syllabus

Notes
      Chapter 1 (Spherical Astronomy);
      Chapter 2 (Kepler's Laws);
      Chapter 3 (Celestial Mechanics).

Slides

Course Structure

  • Class 1
    • Syllabus and overall overview.

  • Class 2
    • Celestial Sphere - Definitions

  • Class 3
    • Coordinate Systems - Horizontal and Equatorial

  • Class 4
    • Coordinate Systems - Hour and Ecliptic

  • Class 5
    • Spherical trigonometry - fundamentals

  • Class 6
    • Spherical trigonometry - conversions

  • Class 7
    • Spherical trigonometry - longitude

  • Class 8
    • Precession

  • Class 9
    • Planetary motion - Elongation

  • Class 10
    • Geocentric parallax

  • Class 11
    • Superior and inferior planets

  • Class 12
    • Motion of the Earth - aberration

  • Class 13
    • Motion of the Earth - parallax

  • Class 14
    • Stellar proper motion

  • Class 15
    • Orbital period - finding Mars

  • Class 16
    • Kepler's lab

  • Class 17
    • Constructing orbits

  • Class 18
    • The orbit is an ellipse

  • Class 19
    • The Sun is the focus

  • Class 20
    • Equant model and Kepler's 2nd law

  • Class 21
    • Time and area - Kepler's equation

  • Class 22
    • Solution of Kepler's equation; Kepler's 3rd law

  • Class 23
    • Celestial mechanics: Gravity

  • Class 24
    • Celestial mechanics: From Newton to Kepler

  • Class 25
    • Celestial mechanics: Constants of motion

  • Class 26
    • Celestial mechanics: Types of orbit