Andrews Stresses Cultural Value of Astronomy as Field of Concentration--Article is Supplement to Freshman Booklet

The following article was written for the Crimson by L. B. Andrews '25, instructor in Astronomy, as a supplement to the booklet on concentration fields sent to the class of 1935.

Astronomy represents a field of science that should be attractive to the student in search of a scientific field of concentration that is not too highly specialized and possesses pre-eminently cultural values. The study of astronomy is the pursuit of knowledge for the sake of knowledge alone. Any yet who should not have the comforting satisfaction of knowing the true nature of the starry dome that confronts the eye of the casual observer on every clear night?

Just as we find interest in learning more of the nature of the earth upon which we dwell, discovering either the intimate secrets of its past, present, and future through the study of geology, or the influence of surface conditions upon our lives as treated by geography, why should we not find equal interest in a knowledge of the true nature of planetary motions and of the secrets of the starry realms? To those who would expand their mental horizon beyond the barriers of the earth and would have a keener appreciation of man's place in the universe, the subject of astronomy is addressed.

In this process of expanding his mental horizon, however, the student of astronomy does not isolate himself from contact with problems that concern his existence as a terrestrial being. The astronomer needs must look around him as well as above his head. For the study of the physical characteristics of the stars carries one into the realm of atomic physics and spectroscopic theory. The astronomical treatment of the earth as a planet necessarily requires the assistance of geology. The motions of the planets provide the application of the laws of dynamics in a somewhat more complex state of affairs than that provided by most terrestrial conditions. And, of course, the student of astronomy, and the professional astronomer too, finds a knowledge of meteorology a handy accessory. Thus a student concentrating in astronomy finds essential contacts with other fields of science and with mathematics.

First contact with the subject is attained through Astronomy 1, a full course, covering with detail the whole realm of astronomical science from the earth to the far-flung reaches of intergalactic space. It is a course for the man wishing just a single course in the subject as well as for the man who is concentrating in the field.

Requirements for Concentration

For the man concentrating in the subject the additionally required courses in astronomy are courses 5 and 3, both half-courses, the former re-covering the material of stellar astronomy in detail and stressing the application of physical principles to stellar problems, the latter the use of instruments in the determination of fundamental star positions, both by visual observation and by photographic procedure. Supplementing course 3 by Geography 34, the student comprehends the use of instruments in the field of practical astronomy. For honors and additional course is required selected from the field of astronomy.

Required supplementary course are Mathematics A and 2, which introduce the student to the use of calculus as an important tool, and from physics, Physics C, a course in optics, and one in the structure of matter. While not requisite, Geology 4 and 5 furnish useful supplementary information