The study of star formation and evolution underlies most of modern astronomy. Our understanding of the formation of our own Solar System is directly tied in to how stars form, evolve, and die. The study of the nearby and the very distant galaxies often relies directly on our understanding of how entire large populations of stars evolve, as well. In a semester-long college course on astronomy, the study of stars therefore takes up a significant part of the curriculum. In recent years, stars have played a more prominent role in K-12 standards in Earth and Space Science. In both the PA standards as well as the Next Generation Science Standards, stellar phenomena like the energy generating mechanism in the Sun and the process by which massive stars fuse new elements are featured concepts.
In this workshop, we will use the formation and evolution of stars as the big idea that unifies all aspects of the workshop curriculum.
- Required pre-course reading and writing assignment
- Final agenda (updated 18 July 2016)
- List of resources shared during workshop
- Folder with workshop presentations (password protected)
Some key concepts that will be investigated are:
- Measuring properties of stars
- HR / color-magnitude diagrams
- Star Formation
- Stellar evolution
- Brown Dwarfs
- Binary stars
- Star clusters and stellar populations
- Gamma-Ray Bursts and the Swift Gamma-ray burst explorer
- Gravitational radiation from stellar remnants
Prior to the course, you will receive a copy of the following book:
The Hundred Greatest Stars by James Kaler, Copernicus Books, 2002
