PHYS 1111 — Introduction to Astronomy
4 semester hoursUndergraduateLectureNUpath NDusually offered: fall, springtypical days: M/W/ThBostonTraditional
Introduces modern astronomical ideas. Topics include an introduction to the cosmos, Earth and its relation to the universe, our solar system (planets, moons, asteroids, and comets), the sun and how it works, stars and their classification, and the life and death of stars. Introduces various tools of the astronomer (the nature of light and radiation, telescopes, the types of spectra, and what they tell us).
Offering history
| Term | Sections | Enrolled | Capacity | Full | Open seats/section |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2023 | 1 | 30 | 33 | 91% | 3.0 |
| Spring 2024 | 1 | 16 | 50 | 32% | 34.0 |
| Summer A 2024 | 1 | 6 | 35 | 17% | 29.0 |
| Fall 2024 | 1 | 42 | 48 | 88% | 6.0 |
| Spring 2025 | 1 | 7 | 50 | 14% | 43.0 |
| Summer A 2025 | 1 | 4 | 35 | 11% | 31.0 |
| Fall 2025 | 1 | 21 | 48 | 44% | 27.0 |
| Spring 2026 | 1 | 21 | 50 | 42% | 29.0 |
Snapshots from scheduled scrapes — not live seat availability. "Full" can exceed 100% when sections over-enroll.
Meeting times
Share of recent sections by weekday: M 86% · T 7% · W 57% · Th 57% · F 0%
Common patterns: MWR (50% of sections), M (29% of sections), S (14% of sections), MTWR (7% of sections) — in patterns, R means Thursday
Professors
Fall
- Jacqueline McCleary (100% of students) · reviews
Spring
- James Hudon (52% of students) · reviews
- Stefan Kautsch (48% of students) · reviews
Summer A
- Alessandra Di Credico (100% of students) · reviews
Percentages are each professor's average share of the season's enrolled students in recent terms.
Links
Official catalog (PHYS course descriptions) · Student reviews on RateMyHusky · All PHYS courses · Plan it at numap.app