Welcome to the USC Astronomy Center Web pages. The Astronomy Center, located in the basement of the Jones Physical Science Building (PSC), is where students enrolled in the self-paced astronomy courses may study, take tests, and complete required labs. These pages contain information about Astronomy at USC. They also contain links to a variety of astronomically interesting sites for anyone interested in astronomy.

If you find a broken link, please drop us a line and we will correct this problem as quickly as possible.

Instructors:

Prof. Carl Rosenfeld - lcr@sc.edu - Office: PSC 605 (777-8145) and PSC 007C (777-6947)
Soheila Gharanfoli - soheila@sc.edu - Office: PSC 007A - 576-6235
Alex Mowery, Observatory Director - mowery@physics.sc.edu
Dan Overcash, Observatory Assoc. Director - overcash@physics.sc.edu

Astronomy Center Staff

Course Designer:

John L. Safko, Distinguished Professor Emeritus

Contact Astronomy Center:

EV Desk: 777-4793
Help Desk: 777-6173

General Description of Astronomy Courses at USC

Orientation to Astronomy at USC - Slides shown at the first class meeting of ASTR 111

Self-Paced Astronomy Syllabi:

ASTR 111/111A
ASTR 111A/211A
ASTR 211/211A
ASTR 311

Unit material for the above courses not currently available in the Study Guide:

Unit 56 - An Introduction to the Special Theory of Relativity
Unit 57 - An Introduction to the General Theory of Relativity
Unit 59 - Introduction to Charge Coupled Devices (CCD)
Unit 60 - Image Processing and Analysis Using CCD Imaging

The following units are held at the Melton Observatory. Details of these units are available on the observatory's website and in your Study Guide.

Unit 45, 46, 47 and 48 - The Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring Sky (offered during the appropriate seasons)
Unit 49/50 - The Night Sky (both units taught together)
Unit 55 - Solar Observation
Unit 59 - Introduction to Charge Coupled Devices (CCD)
Unit 60 - Image Processing and Analysis Using CCD Imaging (Unit 59 must be completed first!!!)

Sign-up sheets will be posted outside of Room 007C. Click here for the observatory lab schedule for the current semster. This schedule is subject to change without notice.

For the South Carolina Honors College course SCHC 115:
Please check with the Instructor

Other advanced astronomy courses which may be offered as announced:
ASTR 320, ASTR 340, ASTR 520, ASTR 533 and ASTR 534

The final lesson in C111 on Science and Pseudoscience is not a part of the WEB source material. It is posted on this site as Pseudoscience.

If you have an astronomy paper to do, there is a link somewhere on this page that will help you! This list contains links to sources of Astronomical interest and is not meant to be 'The List of Astronomically Interesting Sites' (we will try to make it as complete as possible but there are literally hundreds and thousands of pages that could fill in these categories!). The index is as up to date as the "last modified" date at the top of this page.

[USC Home] [Melton Observatory Home] [Midlands Astronomy Club] [Grand Strand Stargazers-Myrtle Beach, SC]
[Charlotte Amateur Astronomy Club] [Astronomy Club of Augusta GA]

NASA's Solar System Sampler - Need we say more?

Bloopers the Professional Astronomers Have Made - Mishaps and goofs at several optical and near-infrared telsecopes. See the dead ladybug!

Space Questions and Answers at All Levels - Teachers and students (at all levels), and space buffs can read previously submitted questions and answers and ask your own.

Space-Based Biological Experiments from NASA's Life Sciences Data Archive

Information, Classroom Demos and Ideas Mostly for the Introductory College Level

Physics and Astronomy Tutorials - Sources of information at all levels complied by the American Association of Physics Teachers. High School through Graduate Studies. Lots of simulations.

What would happen to the Earth if a wandering star or object passed through the Solar System? - Simulations for students from Junior High through College.

Watch for Falling Rocks - Simulation of the effects of meteorite impacts on the Earth.

Celestia is a free space-travel simulator program by Chris Laural. Travel to Betelgeuse or elsewhere. Download the program and enjoy. There are more detailed and additional voyages that you can download from the Celestia Mother Lode.

The following provides selected links on astronomical topics for all ages.
They are not intended to be comprehensive. For more links go to your search engine.