Stars, Planets, & Life

This course deals with the history of events in the cosmos leading up to the formation of the solar system and the appearance of life on the earth. Topics include the origin of the universe; the birth and death of stars; properties of the earth, moon, Mars, and Venus as observed by earth-bound and spacecraft observations; the origin and history of life on the earth; the impact of astronomical and geological changes on biological evolution; life and intelligence in the cosmos; and philosophical implications in the synthesis of astronomy, earth sciences, and the history of life.