Stellar Astrophysics
Stellar Astrophysics covers properties of normal and peculiar stars via radiation analysis, introducing radiation transfer and theories of stellar atmospheres, interiors, and evolution.
Summary
Past student reviews · Robert Mathieu
Homeworks were time-consuming and tedious, often taking more time than other classes combined. The final exam was worth 40% of the grade, with standard cutoffs.
What you’ll be able to do
Describe the properties of stars and explain how these properties are deduced from the radiation that they emit.
Define the basic principles of radiative transfer and apply these principles to interpreting the atmospheres of stars.
Apply basic physical principles and mathematical techniques learned in prerequisite classes to understand the structure, evolution, and ultimate fates of stars.
Demonstrate thinking like a scientist, applying heuristics such as dimensional analysis and order-of-magnitude estimation to obtain quick insights into unfamiliar systems.
Communicate scientific concepts and results clearly, using a combination of writing and visual representations with bibliographic references as appropriate.
Access, read, and critically evaluate existing scientific literature and information repositories relating to stellar astrophysics.
Source: UW Guide
Grade history
↗All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors
Prerequisites
Course mapASTRON 200 and (PHYSICS 241, 249,PHYSICS/E C E 235, or concurrent enrollment)
- take all
“Used by” includes alternatives; linked courses may have other requirements. This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.
Prerequisite text tree
- All of
Professors
Spring 2027No instructors recorded for this selection.
Historical instructors & teaching patterns
ROBERT MATHIEU is recorded teaching in Fall 2010, Fall 2014, Spring 2025. Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
THOMAS BEATTY is recorded teaching in Fall 2023. 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 |
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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 a demanding style; students found the workload heavy and grading strict, though some appreciated his directness.
Recent recorded grades — Fall 2023: 3.06 GPA, 59.3% A/AB (n=54 letter grades); Spring 2025: 3.18 GPA, 51.6% A/AB (n=31 letter grades); Fall 2025: 3.15 GPA, 50.0% A/AB (n=26 letter grades).
difficulty & workload
Past student reviews · Robert Mathieu
Homeworks were time-consuming and tedious, often taking more time than other classes combined. The final exam was worth 40% of the grade, with standard cutoffs.
Past student reviews · Thomas Beatty, Robert Mathieu
One student found Thomas Beatty friendly and his teaching clear. Another found Robert Mathieu authentic and truthful, noting the class was hard but fair if attentive.
Topics
- Properties of normal and peculiar stars derived from emitted radiation.
- Introduction to radiation transfer.
- Theory of stellar atmospheres, interiors, and evolution.
Skills
- Analyze stellar properties from emitted radiation and apply radiative transfer theory to stellar atmospheres.
- Apply physical principles and mathematical techniques to understand stellar structure and evolution.
- Use scientific heuristics like dimensional analysis and order-of-magnitude estimation for unfamiliar systems.
- Critically evaluate scientific literature and information repositories in stellar astrophysics.
Grades
Latest available · Fall 2025— not enough history to project Spring 2027.
Grade distribution · % of letter grades
Grades over time
Through Fall 2025
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"
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