Exploring the Universe: Astronomical Investigations for Non-Science Majors

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An astronomy laboratory is being added and the current astronomy curriculum is being expanded in order to offer non-science-majors the opportunity to take a physical science laboratory at some point in their community college training, and to expose a greater proportion of the student body to the excitement of hands-on science. The new laboratory is focusing on giving students the opportunity to collect and analyze their own data using small telescopes, CCD cameras, and personal computers. They are also gaining an understanding of a wider range of observational methods by analyzing archival data on the laboratory computers. Through the laboratory experience, students are learning as much about the scientific process as they are about astronomy. In the second year of the program, the laboratory can be extended to include an Internet version to complement the astronomy telecourse already offered. Although lacking the "hands-on" aspect that students get from taking their own data, it nonetheless makes a physical science laboratory available to a wider variety of students. *