Course Outline
Eight chapters across thirteen weeks — from the Big Bang to the emergence of life and culture, plus two projects. Co-offered with PHY 100: Physics for the Next Generation.
Seven ages, thirteen weeks.
Two project weeks bookend the second half of the course.
Download outline (PDF)| Ch | Title | Weeks | Quiz | Progress |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Seven Ages of the Universe | 1–2 | — | — |
| 1 | Particle Age | 3–4 | Quiz 1 | Progress report 1 |
| 2 | Galactic Age | 4–5 | Quiz 2 | Progress report 2 |
| 3 | Stellar Age | 5–6 | Quiz 3 | Progress report 3 |
| Mid | Midterm Project — Astrophotography | 7 | Quiz 4 | — |
| 4 | Planetary Age | 8–9 | — | — |
| 5 | Chemical Age | 10 | — | — |
| 6 | Biological Age | 11 | — | — |
| 7 | Cultural Age | 12 | — | — |
| Fin | Final Project — Mission Design | 13 | — | — |
How the 100% adds up.
Quizzes are weekly, classwork is in-session. Both projects are group deliverables — see the Mid and Fin pages for project briefs and grading.
How to do well in AST 100.
- 01Engage with the images
This course is visual — spend time with every figure on every page.
- 02Connect the ages
Each chapter builds on the previous one. The Chemical Age only makes sense if you understood the Stellar Age.
- 03Use the NotebookLM
A curated Google NotebookLM is available for self-paced learning and question answering.
Open NotebookLM → - 04Tell a story with your projects
For projects, prioritize storytelling over technical detail. Your strength is communication — use it.
- 05Attend every class
The quizzes are weekly and based directly on class discussions.
- 06Start projects early
Both projects require research and group coordination that cannot be done the night before.