ASTR 206
Astrobiology Spring 2025
Division III Q Quantitative/Formal Reasoning
This is not the current course catalog

Class Details

This course will focus on the development of complex life and its observational signatures, both on Earth and on other worlds. We will first investigate the conditions that have led to the development of complex life on Earth. We will view Earth over time from an outsider’s perspective and challenge preconceptions about the basic requirements for life. We will also explore the ‘hot spots’ in the search for life beyond Earth in our Solar System. Observations in the next decade may reveal biosignatures in the atmospheres of exoplanets. We will learn about these future observations, while also interacting with current research-grade data for other planets and learning about the methods used to constrain the physical conditions on other worlds. Using quantitative models, we will test the stability of Earth-like planets to the variable and potentially hostile conditions of evolving solar systems.
The Class: Format: lecture
Limit: 20
Expected: 12
Class#: 3927
Grading: yes pass/fail option, yes fifth course option
Requirements/Evaluation: weekly problem sets, one paper, two mid-term exams, and a final exam
Prerequisites: Math 130 and at least one prior physical science course (either Astronomy, Physics, Geosciences, or Chemistry), or permission of instructor
Enrollment Preferences: Science majors, with preference given to students majoring in Astronomy, Astrophysics, or Geosciences
Distributions: Division III Quantitative/Formal Reasoning
QFR Notes: In this course students will make quantitative comparisons between environmental conditions on Earth, other planetary bodies, and models. The students will also examine observations regarding the detection and characterization of planetary bodies, including contemporary data.

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