Observational Planetary Astronomy & Remote Sensing

Course Description

The course will survey current techniques and instrumentation used in observational astronomy. The goal is to provide students with background that will allow them to consider the observational (empirical) basis of planetary astronomy, and begin to design observations to test their understanding of planetary atmospheres, surfaces, and orbital and bulk characteristics. The first 2 months will consist of lectures in order to give students a physical understanding of modern telescopes, optical configurations (e.g. adaptive optics), detectors, statistics, spectrometers and spacecraft instrumentation. The class will discuss UV, optical, infrared, sub-millimeter and radar techniques, as well as the basics of radiative transfer. The second half of the course will proceed more like a workshop. Part of the focus will be on the completion of the main assignment in the course, an observing proposal to a major observatory. This half of the class will also delve more deeply into the most recent innovative techniques used in planetary astronomy.

Code

PTYS 521

Credits

3

Subject

Planetary Sciences