Physics 111 Spring 2026 Tentative Course Calendar

Note:

Below is the tentative course calendar for PHY111. After a class, the lecture title will show up as a link; this means that the powerpoint is available. Also, a link "Lecture Visuals" will show up - it will contain the images and videos that were used for that lecture - please read the disclaimer at the bottom of this calendar page regarding the lecture visuals. Most of the video titles link to a preview clip.
For now, the calendar is completed only up to the next exam; this allows us some flexibility in our pace. I reserve the right to make changes to this calendar as deemed necessary.
Remember, there is a separate homework calendar on MasteringAstronomy.

Important Note: If any of these links don't work, please let Dr. Alexander (alexansg@miamioh.edu) know.

January

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Week 1 26
Snow
Day! 		27 28
Lecture: Course Policy & Overview
Video: An Invitation to Astronomy . . from an old friend 		29 30
Lecture: Some Important Concepts & Numbers
  • Lecture Visuals
  • Reading: Chap 1

    • February

    Monday

    Tuesday

    Wednesday

    Thursday

    Friday

    Week 2 2
    Lecture: The Sky from Earth
  • Lecture Visuals
  • Reading: Chap 2.1-2
    		• 3 4
    Lecture: The Motion of the Moon & Eclipses
  • Lecture Visuals
  • Reading: Chap 2.3
    		• 5 6
    Lecture:Was Ptolemy Pstupid?
  • Lecture Visuals
  • Reading: Chap 2.4 & 3.1-2
    • Week 3 9
    Lecture: Kepler's Laws
  • Lecture Visuals
  • Reading: Chap 3.3-4
    		• 10 11
    Lecture: Newton & Gravity
  • Lecture Visuals
  • Reading: Chap 4
    		• 12 13
    Video: Newton's Dark Secrets

    First Observing Project Submission due by 5pm.
    See Project Assignment
    Week 4 16
    Lecture: Light and Matter
  • Lecture Visuals
  • Reading: Chap 5.1-2
    		• 17 18
    Lecture: Telescopes - Light Buckets
  • Lecture Visuals
  • Reading: Chap 5.3
    		• 19 20
    Video: Ultimate Space Telescope

    Optional Video: Hubble's 25th Anniversary (from ~2015)
    Week 5 23
    EXAM 1
    In class; on paper
    (Chapters 1-5)
  • Score Distribution
  • Exam 1 Key
    		• 24 25
    Lecture: The Solar System; An Overview
  • Lecture Visuals
  • Reading: Chap 6
    		• 26 27
    Video: Nova: To the Moon, Part 1 (trailer)

    Watch this Intro to Part 1 before coming to class.

    March

    Monday

    Tuesday

    Wednesday

    Thursday

    Friday

    Week 6 2
    Lecture: The Earth
  • Lecture Visuals
  • Reading: Chap 7
    		• 3 4
    Lecture: The Moon
  • Lecture Visuals
  • Reading: Chap 7
    		• 5 6
    Video: Nova: To the Moon, Part 2
    Week 7 9
    Lecture: Venus and Mars
  • Lecture Visuals
  • Reading: Chap 7
    		• 10 11
    Lecture: The Jovian Planets
  • Lecture Visuals
  • Reading: Chap 8
    		• 12 13
    Lecture: Solar System Junk
  • Lecture Visuals
  • Reading: Chap 9
    • Week 8 16
    Video: NOVA: The Day the Dinosaurs Died     		17 18
    EXAM 2
    In class; on paper
    (Chapters 6-9)
  • Score Distribution
  • Exam 2 Key
    		• 19 20
    No Class

    Spring
    Break
    Week
         		23 24 25 26 27

    April

    Monday

    Tuesday

    Wednesday

    Thursday

    Friday

    Week 9 3/30
    Lecture: Extrasolar Planetary Systems
  • Lecture Visuals
  • Reading: Chap 10
    		• 3/31 1
    Lecture: The Sun: Structure
  • Lecture Visuals
  • Reading: Chap 11.1,3
    		• 2 3
    Lecture: The Sun: Energy Production
  • Lecture Visuals
  • Reading: Chap 11.2
    • Week 10 6
    Video: NOVA: Einstein Revealed, Part 1     		7 8
    Lecture The Nature of Stars
  • Lecture Visuals
  • Reading: Chap 12
    		• 9 10
    Lecture: Stellar Evolution 1: Birth and Middle Age
  • Lecture Visuals
  • Reading: Chap 13.1
    • Week 11 13
    Lecture: Stellar Evolution 2: Death
  • Lecture Visuals
  • Reading: Chap 13.2-4
    		• 14 15
    Video: NOVA: Einstein Revealed Part 2     		16 17
    Lecture: Stellar Remnants: White Dwarfs, Neutron Stars, & Black Holes
  • Lecture Visuals
  • Reading: Chap 14
    • Week 12 20
    Video: BBC: Who's Afraid of a Big Bad Black Hole?     		21
    PHY111 Extra Credit Opportunity!
    Joseph R. Priest Lecture         		22
    EXAM 3
    In class; on paper
    (Chapters 10-14)
  • Score Distribution
  • Exam 3 Key
    		• 23 23
    Class
    Cancelled!
    Week 13 27
    Lecture (On Zoom): The Milky Way Galaxy
  • Lecture Visuals
  • Reading: Chap 15
    		• 28 29
    Lecture (On Zoom): Galaxies
  • Lecture Visuals
  • Reading: Chap 16
    		• 30 5/1
    Video: BBC: Stephen Hawking's Universe: Cosmology
  • Instructions for MA assignment

    Video: Stephen Hawking's Universe: Cosmology
    Backup Link

    I also highly recommend the full length movie about Hawking, The Theory of Everything. Here's the Trailer.

    • May

    Monday

    Tuesday

    Wednesday

    Thursday

    Friday

    Week 14 4
    Lecture: Cosmology: The Origin of the Universe
  • Lecture Visuals
  • Reading: Chap 17
    		• 5
    Homework Video: BBC: Most of Our Universe is Missing
  • Instructions for MA assignment

    Video: Most of Our Universe is Missing
    Backup Link
    		• 6
    Lecture: The Fate of the Universe, Dark Matter, & Dark Energy
  • Lecture Visuals
  • Reading: Chap 18
    		• 7 8
    Lecture: Extraterrestrial Life and Intelligence
  • Lecture Visuals
  • Reading: Chap 19
    • Finals
    Week
    A comprehensive final exam will be given at the time and place scheduled by the registrar     		11
    Final Exam
  • 12:45pm - 2:45pm
  • Location: 319 KRG

    Observing Project due by 5:00pm
    (make sure to follow the instructions on the Assignment)
    		• 12 13 14 15


    Important Notice About Lecture Visuals

    • The links in the "Lecture Visuals" will show the images, animations, videos, external links, etc. that I use in class that go with the power point for that lecture. I did not produce all of these; they are things that I have collected from many years of teaching this material. Many of the images and animations are from your textbook, Bennet et al. I would love to give proper credit to the authors of the other items; however, they're from many different texts that I have used over the years
    • The images and links should show on any browser; however, the animations and videos are in many different formats and may not show on your browser without you changing the settings and/or acquiring different plugins for whatever browser you're using.