Components of the Milky Way Galaxy: stars vs interstellar matter, central object, rotation
curve, populations, chemical composition and kinematics. Classification of normal galaxies,
Hubble sequence, different galaxy classification systems. Global parameters of galaxies:
masses, sizes, luminosities, composition, stellar populations. Observational evidence for the
existence of dark matter. Spectra of galaxies versus their composition. Methods for
determining distances to galaxies. Formation of galaxies, galaxy evolution scenarios, the
importance of collisions and mergers of galaxies in their evolution. The Local Group,
components and characteristics. The nearest galaxies: Sagittarius dwarf galaxy, Magellanic
Clouds, M31 and M33. Dwarf galaxies: types and properties. Virgo and Coma clusters of
galaxies, the large-scale structure of the Universe. The unified model of the AGN, Seyfert
galaxies, blazars, radio galaxies. Active galaxies, sources of non-thermal radiation in active
galaxies. Quasars and their spectra, interpretation of quasar spectra. Supermassive black
holes, relations between supermassive black hole masses and other galaxy parameters.
Gravitational lensing: conditions and examples of the formation of Einstein rings, double and
multiple images. Weak lensing and microlensing.
