Earth 2.0: the Exoplanet Revolution
An introduction to exoplanet research covering planet detection methods, physical properties, and formation processes through classroom and lab activities.
Summary
Past student reviews · Robert Mathieu
The class involved homework every two weeks, two midterms, and a final project, with no final exam.
What you’ll be able to do
Make scientific measurements, with an emphasis on the role of uncertainty.
Develop a testable hypothesis, and display and manipulate data in a way that supports or rejects it.
Apply Newtonian laws of gravity and motion and a quantum mechanics-based understanding of electromagnetic radiation to interpret the properties of stars and exoplanets.
Apply radial-velocity and transit techniques to discover exoplanets within existing data.
Use mathematics effectively to determine the masses, radii, densities, and equilibrium temperatures of exoplanets.
Interpret the compositions of exoplanets in the context of a unified theory of protoplanetary disks and planet formation.
Apply basic atmospheric and geophysical evolutionary processes to predict exoplanet environments, with an emphasis on the greenhouse effect.
Integrate history, philosophy, sociology and art to explain the human significance of the exoplanet revolution.
Source: UW Guide
Grade history
↗All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors
Prerequisites
Course mapSatisfied Quantitative Reasoning (QR) A
- Satisfied Quantitative Reasoning (QR) A
This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.
Prerequisite text tree
- Satisfied Quantitative Reasoning (QR) A
Professors
Spring 2027No instructors recorded for this selection.
Historical instructors & teaching patterns
ROBERT MATHIEU is recorded teaching in Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2024. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
Calendar & sections
Spring 2027Schedule loads here as you scroll.
| Section | Mode | Enrolled / capacity | Waitlist |
|---|
Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections.
Meeting source records
Student experience
the class
Past student reviews · Robert Mathieu
Robert Mathieu taught this course with high energy, making the material engaging and easy to follow for students.
Recent recorded grades — Spring 2024: 3.43 GPA, 67.9% A/AB (n=28 letter grades); Fall 2024: 3.15 GPA, 38.7% A/AB (n=31 letter grades); Spring 2026: 3.87 GPA, 93.3% A/AB (n=15 letter grades).
difficulty & workload
Past student reviews · Robert Mathieu
The class involved homework every two weeks, two midterms, and a final project, with no final exam.
Past student reviews · Robert Mathieu
Students found the professor helpful during office hours and noted that textbook readings were optional.
Topics
- Search and analysis of planets orbiting distant stars
- Protoplanetary disks and planet formation
- Atmospheric and geophysical evolution of exoplanets
Skills
- Scientific measurement and uncertainty analysis
- Exoplanet detection via radial-velocity and transit methods
- Applying physics principles to stellar and planetary properties
Grades
Latest available · Spring 2026— not enough history to project Spring 2027.
Grade distribution · % of letter grades
Grades over time
Through Spring 2026
More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data
Not enough comparable courses for Spring 2027 in UW–Madison.
Sources & history
Catalog & offerings
Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.
Catalog observation history
Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.
Selected offering source records
No offering records for the selected term.
Raw records
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Student reviews
Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.
Read original reviews
Grade history
Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.
Explore recorded gradesRecorded 2026-10-14
Model outputs & technical records
LLM outputs across runs
Full model traces
Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.
Model & dataset provenance
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"requirements_status": "needs_review",
"dataset_revision": "fc1811fa52e581ea57a35c0cf3343f8740a8ffbf",
"observed_at": "2026-10-14 17:50:09.728220+00:00"
}