Quick start
Study Guide
Unit-by-unit chapter walkthrough (Ch 1–19).
Textbook + Bank
Embed Bennett 9e PDF, annotate, auto-forge cards.
PDF Hunter
Free Anna's Archive mirror chain — paste MD5, get fast links.
Flashcards
547 cards across 24 topics — SRS + presenter-remote.
Practice Exam
122 MC + 31 SA questions for Test 1 (Ch 1–4).
Cheat Sheet
1-page printable for open-window online tests.
★ Review sheets — Kriegler's posted study guides
~45 of 50 questions on each test come directly from these review sheets. Memorize every term.
Cosmos & Gravity
50 terms covering scale, sky, history of astronomy, Newton, energy, gravity, tides.
Light, Solar System, Terrestrials
EM spectrum, telescopes, nebular theory, Earth/Moon/Mercury/Venus/Mars numbers.
Jovians, Small Bodies, Sun
Jupiter/Saturn/Uranus/Neptune numbers, moons, asteroids, comets, exoplanets, the Sun.
Stars & Stellar Graveyards
HR diagram, star birth/death, white dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes, Milky Way.
Galaxies, Big Bang, Life
Hubble's law, CMB, dark matter/energy, fate of universe, Drake equation.
Kriegler's rules of engagement
Tests are online, multiple choice, 60-minute window. "About 45 of 50 questions come from the review sheet posted on Canvas — the other 5 from online material or the book." Best 4 of 5 tests count (lowest dropped). Two extra-credit movie reviews (10 pts each). Contact: dkriegler@unomaha.edu.
Five-test calendar (all 11:59 PM windows)
| Test | Covers | Window opens | Window closes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test 1 | Ch 1–4 · Cosmic context, sky motion, history of astronomy, motion/gravity | Sun May 31 | Wed Jun 3 |
| Test 2 | Ch 5–7 · Light & matter, telescopes, formation of the solar system | Sun Jun 14 | Wed Jun 17 |
| Test 3 | Ch 8–11 · Jovian planets, asteroids/comets/dwarf planets, exoplanets, the Sun | Sun Jul 5 | Wed Jul 8 |
| Test 4 | Ch 12–15 · Other planetary systems, the Sun, stellar properties, star birth | Sun Jul 19 | Wed Jul 22 |
| Test 5 | Ch 16–19 · Stellar death, black holes, the Milky Way, galaxies & cosmology | Sun Jul 26 | Wed Jul 29 |
Drop-the-lowest is built in — but with a 4-day window for each, target taking all five. Each test is 100 pts; final grade = best 4 × 100 = 400 pts. A ≥ 93%, B ≥ 83%, C ≥ 73%.
Lecture / chapter map
| Lecture | Date | Chapters | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 11 | 1, 2 | Cosmic address, sky basics |
| 2 | May 18 | 2, 3 | Sky cycles, history of astronomy |
| 3 | May 25 | 3, 4 | Scientific method, motion + gravity |
| 4 | Jun 1 | 5 | Light & matter · Test 1 opens May 31 |
| 5 | Jun 8 | 5, 6 | Light continued + telescopes |
| 6 | Jun 15 | 7, 8 | Solar system formation · Test 2 opens Jun 14 |
| 7 | Jun 22 | 9, 10 | Terrestrial worlds, jovian planets |
| 8 | Jun 29 | 11, 12 | Small bodies, other planetary systems |
| 9 | Jul 6 | 13, 14 | Sun + stellar properties · Test 3 opens Jul 5 |
| 10 | Jul 13 | 15, 16 | Star birth + stellar death |
| 11 | Jul 20 | 17, 18, 19 | Black holes, Milky Way, galaxies · Test 4 opens Jul 19 |
| 12 | Jul 27 | (review) | Test 5 opens Jul 26 — Ch 16–19 |
Required text
Bennett, Donahue, Schneider, Voit — The Cosmic Perspective, 9th ed. (Pearson 2022, ISBN-13 9780135794982, 832 pp.) Available as hard copy or as IA Bookshelf eBook through Canvas (charged after drop/add).
Anna's Archive — Essential Cosmic Perspective 9e (md5 44c8e2…5253)
Reference materials
- OpenStax Astronomy 2e — full free textbook, similar chapter ordering
- Crash Course Astronomy — Phil Plait (46 episodes)
- MIT OCW 8.282J Introduction to Astronomy
- HubbleSite — annotated images + concept explainers
- NASA Eyes on the Solar System (live orrery)
- Stellarium Web — live sky for any date/location
- Wikipedia — Cosmic distance ladder