Touching the Sky: Getting Hands on with Astronomy

The University of Advancing Technology (UAT) general education science department has a variety of Earth, Environmental, and Astronomical courses available for students to pursue. UAT has two entry level Astronomy courses. Astronomy-101 The Night Sky is an introduction to the field of astronomy for the non-science major. Topics covered include the scientific method, the stars, telescopes, the night sky and constellations, and the moon system; the course ends with looking at the size and scale of the universe. AST-301 is a more advanced astronomy course, looking at the formation of the solar system and the planetary geology of the worlds among us.

In both astronomy courses, students are privileged to experience engaging, hands-on activities in addition to their course lectures. Each course is also provided with the opportunity to visit and study local astronomical and geological attractions. This year, the Astronomy-301 course took full advantage of the prospect of visiting Meteor Crater (also known as Barringer Crater) to evaluate the worlds most preserved impact crater. As part of the ‘History and Geology of Impacts of the Solar System’ unit, the Astronomy-301 course spent an afternoon exploring and assessing this historic site, located about 30 miles East of Flagstaff, Arizona. The students used their knowledge of geology and impact collisions to appraise the site, all the while continuing to discover new and interesting facts about impact craters.

UAT students were thrilled to see history come alive in Arizona!