This course is intended for anyone interested in learning about planetary and stellar astronomy. (Galactic astronomy and cosmology are covered in PHYS 172: Stellar and Galactic Astronomy and Cosmology.) In addition to our coverage of the scientific ground of the subject, we will also discuss the technological advances that have made major discoveries possible. Along the way, we will include two interludes of a week’s duration each that will allow us to explore the wider historical context of the material, via exploration of historical periods that have important Astronomy events in them and also connections to Theater through analysis of the play “Galileo” by Bertolt Brecht and Copenhagen by Michael Frayn.