Wonderful teacher who cares, is easy to understand and personalizes his lectures

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This is a difficult course, and the way he handles the material varies from easy to difficult.

He was one of the most interesting and engaging professors I've had, but I absolutely hated the class because of the material.

he is very funny!! kind of hard though, lot of physics

A Perfect combination of erudition, humor, and tangentiality; I absolutely loved the class. He draws heavily from the homework when making tests, so as long as you stay on top of that you're assured a decent grade.

Do your homework; sleep the night before test

The material for this class is outrageously boring. Magnani makes it as close to fun as is possible. He's an awesome guy, but I don't recommend the class.

this guy is awesome. he's so helpful, and his tests aren't bad at all if you just read the chapters and do the homework problems. he almost makes you want to major in astronomy (but not quite). if your thinking about taking this class, i totally recommend it, it's pretty interesting

Professor Magnani is an amazing teacher. The material for this course is pretty dull, but he does a great job teaching it. He really knows his stuff and he's funny. He's very helpful and I definately enjoy his class. Best lecturer I have had thus far.

Prof. Magnani is a gifted lecturer and a heck of a guy. The power of these concepts and the mechanisms behind cosmic workings was conveyed masterfully by Magnani; you can tell that he's passionate about this stuff! Still no matter how fascinating this class is, there is some really difficult math behind it all. Believe me, do your homework!

Really explains the difficult to grasp concepts well. He is preatty funny to.

I found the subject matter really difficult (1020 was very physics-based), but Professor Magnani taught it well. He was interesting to listen to and he was clearly very passionate about the subject. It wasn't the right class for me, but he was definitely the right teacher.

The class had a lot of math and physics, which is not my thing, but I really enjoyed it. He is fun to listen to. You have to do the reading assignments to understand everything. Go to the astronomy viewing nights! Supremely fun.

Loved his class. He explained a difficult subject very well. Very approachable. Almost made me decide to major in Astronomy.

Excellent professor. Goes out of his way to make the material accessible. Very considerate and realistic in his grading. It seemed like the point of these classes was to enjoy learning interesting stuff - which is how it should be.

I thought this course was very hard. I loved Professor Magnani. Great guy, very funny. But I did not realize this course involved so much physics. I don't mind the math, but I disliked all the PHYSICS concepts present. You have to really work hard to get an A or B.

I loved this class. His tests are based on the notes, so it's really helpful to go to class. Also you have to do the homework to know the math for the test.

Professor Magnani does a great job of making a very dull class mildly interesting. The material is quite difficult and full of physics, which is not my thing. The tests are equally as difficult, but study your butt off and you should come out with a good B. Also, do the office hour thing, I sure wish I would have.

He was awesome! He's really funny and the class was not boring at all. He makes the subject matter fairly easy to understand, and the lab isn't that bad...you get to go outside and look at stars and such.

Loris Magnani is amazing: knowledgeable, clear, and oftentimes hilarious. I personally never touched the book past the second chapter and scored As on my tests, but I came in knowing a lot of the material already from independent study last year. This class is not physics-intensive at all, despite what some say; most math is plug and play algebra

Magnani is absolutely hilarious. I stopped going to class after the first few weeks and still did very well on all of his tests by just reading the book and doing the homework. Once, for extra points on our test, he made the whole class sing a song. Very entertaining and an enjoyable class to attend.

Magnani is a genius, but he is also hilarious. I went to every lecture, mostly just for the laughs. I'm not a science person, so I found the tests challenging, even though I read the book. I recommend buying the book, even though it isn't that great -- Magnani tends to give us more credit than I deserve, at least.

Dr. Magnani was a great professor. He was very helpful and made class entertaining. I only wish I understood the subject material (i.e. calculations) better and applied myself a little more!

Magnani makes the material really come to life. His tests can be tough, but they're pretty straightforward if you've done the homework. The math is at an Algebra I level.

He is so funny and very helpful. The class can be tough, but if you get lost go to his office hours and he helps a lot! He keeps every class interesting.

Had him for lab and he was awesome. Really makes it easy. Great sense of humor and makes lots of space jokes!

I'm so not a science person, but Magnani made me love astronomy. The material's pretty tough but he's very approachable during office hours and even holds study sessions before tests. And then there's the fact that he's pretty much the funniest guy ever and one of the most quotable professors I've ever had!

The best professor that I ever had! Took intro astronomy classes in 1995 and 1996 and subsequently changed my major from psychology to physics, which I received from UGA in 1997. His lectures on black holes were amazing to me. Loris is still a friend of mine to this day!

I took his lab, and the class was great! It was so much fun. Professor Magnani never went to our labs, but the TAs were so helpful and funny guys. Definitely take this lab.

Professor Magnani is a great guy, and very willing to help out any student who asks for it. He is almost always available for questions during class and outside of it. The subject matter can get a bit dull, and the tests can be hard, but he is a fairly lenient grader.

This class is interesting, but it is not an easy A! That said, Dr. Magnani is a great teacher. He's incredibly helpful and honest about what he expects from students. And he has a great sense of humor! If you need a science and have an opportunity to take a class from Dr. Magnani, you won't regret it.

Everyone runs into a few special professors and Dr. Magnani is definitely one of them. His eagerness to discuss astronomy, clear and engaging teaching style, and ability to explain the same concept in several ways make signing up for his class an opportunity you shouldn't pass up.

I only had Loris for the lab, but he was so great! He really knows what he's talking about and makes the material fun. Our class had major problems with the telescope though, so he pretty much just gave us all A's.

Although we had absolutely atrocious weather (I was able to attend about 3 of the lab classes out of 9 or 10), I was still able to succeed in the class because Prof. Magnani was so understanding - he changed the amount of labs required in order to reflect the weather. He was also pretty funny during the training classes, definitely recommended!

Loris is without a doubt one of the best teachers at this university. He is friendly and honest with students, and getting an A in the lab isn't hard at all if you just show up. He also gives you many opportunities to do the labs if you miss one. I cannot recommend him highly enough

He was always willing to help before or after class and allowed you to make appointments if you couldn't make office hours. He genuinely cared about us and our grades and made class interesting and fun. Hated physics but loved him! I'd take Astro 1010 just to have him as a teacher again.

Loris Magnani is AWESOME. I hated Physics, and still do, but he made the subject really enjoyable. Lectures were for the majority really good because of all his sarcastic comments and "jokes." He was really helpful if you needed help for certain things. Also, he gives great study guides!! Overall AMAZING teacher (who loves to throw chalk).

Funny guy, obviously knows his stuff. His tests aren't hard at all and willing to help outside of class.

Fantastic professor, can't recommend him highly enough. If you want to learn about physics and still manage to stay awake, this guy is your best friend.

Loris Magnani was my favorite professor my first semester. He may be a research professor, but he cares very much about his students and will go to lengths to help them. His lectures are interesting and he explains things well. His interest in the subject shines through in his lectures!

Hilarious guy, and genuinely good hearted. He'll never grade you unfairly, and did in fact even go out of his way to give people extra chances they didn't even deserve to fix their grades. He's fantastic at teaching the material, and always manages to put a humorous spin on the subject matter. Trust me: YOU. WANT. TO. GET. THIS. PROFE

Hands down the best professor I've ever had in college, and that's after 3 years. Seriously considered switching to Astronomy as a major after Magnani's class. I would explicitly ask him to go over math/physics formulas, but other than that his lectures are everything you could possibly ask for.

TAKE MAGNANI. He will go out of his way to help you and is a great professor, plus his jokes are funny. Great class!

I've taken both ASTR 1010 & 1660 with Dr. Magnani and all I have to say is he is by far the best professor I've had at UGA. He's nice, smart, and deeply cares for his students. I like that he opts to give his lectures on a blackboard instead of using Powerpoint, it shows the man cares about his job as a professor in addition to his research.

Had Magnani for the lab, and wished I had him for the class. Where my confusion lay in the class, he clarified it all the first night of the lab. Extremely helpful, and hilarious on top of that.

Great professor cannot recommend more.. especially great for non-science majors. I had little interest in astronomy before taking the class, but he made the subject fascinating.

I 100% recommend taking this class. Mr. Magnani is hilarious, but also makes the class very entertaining. He understands that most of the students in the class do not care about astronomy, so he makes it as easy as possible. I never studied and I made A's on all of his tests. Attendance quizzes are given a random times, but they are only 2 points

TAKE THIS PROFESSOR! He is great! He makes the subject interesting and has a great test bank on his website that you can refer to to study, they are almost word for word. The final was essentially all of the tests put together. He curves grades and adds points on to your finial grade at the end of the semester, you will not get less than a B.

Professor Magnani is very knowledgeable about astronomy and is a very good professor. He posts old tests on his site and a lot of the current test questions come straight from the old tests.

Although I received a C in this course, Dr. Magnani is my favorite professor to date. Such a sweet man, and he truly tries to help you as much as possible (I'm just not a physical science person!) Very, very understanding and gives you a couple points extra at the end of the semester! Highly recommended!

AMAZING teacher, obviously loves what he does, and he's funny. I found the class difficult, but I'm not good at science (not even history, apparently) and he was very helpful. Plus, watching him teach is a rewarding experience in and of itself.

He does a lot of research from what I can tell, but he really cares about his students and is a super nice guy. My class was mainly tests and a little group work, but the group work is an easy A. Algebra is involved, but otherwise just do the optional homework, review your notes, and maybe read the textbook and you should make a good grade.

Dr. Magnani is the best professor I have had at UGA. He is very passionate about what he teaches and finds ways to keep his students interested. Reading is important for the class, but it is pretty mindless. Tests are straightforward and if you studied a little bit you should be well on your way to an A. He is very willing to help also!

He was so incredibly nice. He's truly a great professor. In the 1010 class, he sometimes goes into some confusing physics and isn't the clearest when he explains things in class, but he is so willing to help. It's a great course, and the lab class is really interesting! It's an easy A with minimal studying. Just show up and you'll be fine.

Loris is so easy going and always makes jokes. he mentioned a few times how teaching a beginner class was not much fun but he definitely tried to make it as enjoyable as possible. he was always so passionate about the subject and tried to find objects around the room to demonstrate (he broke a stool demonstrating acceleration). easy tests!!

I took this course because I needed a physical science, but I'm glad I did. Dr. Magnani is hilarious! He's like a cool uncle who knows a lot about space. He is very approachable and willing to work with you during office hours for as long as you need. He grades fairly, loves when students ask questions, and is a very chill person in general.

Very knowledgeable and nice professor, he's really passionate about astronomy and funny at times. There's five tests during the semester which require very basic algebra skills. Overall, a very interesting class!

I'm not a big science person, so I found this class really difficult, but some others found it pretty easy. 5 tests plus a cumulative final, the lowest test is dropped and with extra credit you can replace the next lowest one. Lectures are super boring but every once in a while he'll make you laugh. Read the book and do the math homework, it helps.

One of the best professors at UGA. Dr. Magnani exudes charisma and inspiration.

Magnani is a super cool and funny dude. If you don't understand the material he's really really good at meeting with you during office hours to explain whatever you need. The subject material is difficult, but his test reviews are really helpful. A lot of math... which he helps with, but don't go in not expecting any.

Dr. Magnani is a terrific professor. He is excellent, extremely smart, and very fair in his grading. He challenged me to think outside of my box. His wolf shirts are unrivaled. 10/10.

If you are taking Astronomy, TAKE MAGNANI!!! 5 tests and a final, weighing at 72% and 28%, respectively. He drops the lowest exam, and then replaces the second lowest with your extra credit (which is almost a guaranteed 100). If you read the book, you will be golden.

Dr. Magnani was my favorite teacher freshman year. His class is pretty easy and he only tests on things he mentioned in class. Super funny and a fair grader.

One of the best professors I have ever had! I never get bored during lectures and anyone who puts in effort can do well. I learned so much about the subject and loved the class so much I am considering getting a minor in astronomy. Do yourself a favor and go to class every day because you'll only have to learn the material yourself otherwise.

One of the best professors I have ever had! I never get bored during lectures and anyone who puts in effort can do well. I learned so much about the subject and loved the class so much I am considering getting a minor in astronomy. Just go to lecture every day and you can get an A on every exam.

Dr. Magnani is a pretty cool professor. He doesn't require attendance and offered extra credit. He also drops your lowest test grade. I took this class because I needed an easy science. While not hard it is not an effortless A. There is quite a bit of math in it and sometimes the homework didn't feel like it matched up with the test.

You don't need to go to class. 5 exams and about 5 extra credit problems during the semester. The EXC is averaged and replaces your lowest exam grade (he gives 95 if you attempt them all) and another one of the lowest exam grades is dropped. Final exam old test questions + a few new ones. Highest test grade is 88 but I think I'll still get an A.

He gives 5 test that are 25 multiple choice and drops one and gives you a chance to do extra credit to replace another. I went to every other class and read the text book the night before a test and my lowest test grade was a 92. If you put in a little bit of work, this class should be a breeze.

I took him for a lab and it was so fun! He's such a nice guy and teaches you everything you need to know about the telescope, etc. Labs are super easy and he basically gives you an A if you show up and do the labs! Final was 10 questions and super easy.

Professor is very helpful in office hours. The class is pretty tough but others found it very easy. Contains simple physics formulas and concepts on tests. No homework, just tests. He assigns extra credit if you do an assignment.

Took this for my physical science credit. If you have a basic understanding of the solar system and experience with basic algebra, its not that hard. I recommend showing up for every lecture and paying attention, as a lot of what he says is on the tests. Just reading the book isn't a good idea, plus he's hilarious and often inspiring. Take it.

Probably my favorite teacher from my first semester at UGA. Know the homework and review your notes, and it should be easy to get an A. He is really passionate and funny I HIGHLY recommend taking his class.

An all around great guy. His witty comments and dog t-shirts will make you want to come to class. My favorite professor so far ever.

THIS IS NOT A BREEZE AND MATH HEAVY. Easy to get above a B but difficult to get an A. I put a lot of hours into this class (not complaining but just letting you know because others on here have said no work is necessary). Also, BEWARE, he actually grades extra credit (have seen some 4s and friends who got 7s and she wrote 3+ pages).

Look, this class isn't the easiest. I think something like 70 people dropped (my class this semester). If you are naturally a quantitative thinker and math comes easily, then you will think this class is a breeze. If you are a humanities person (like myself) then it will be alot of extra work you have to put in. Just depends.

Loris is a really passionate astronomer. Its astronomy, not astrology remember that. Astronomy is not memorizing stars and planets; it is about how they work. Loris is hilarious with his jokes, and his teaching shows just how in love he is with what he is teaching. You HAVE to study. There is extra credit in the form of MULTIPLE essays. Do your HW!

Professor Magnani is awesome. He's funny, passionate, and always willing to answer questions. There are 5 tests total worth 72% and a final for 28%. The lowest test score is dropped. He gives extra credit essays and if you do them, he'll average the score between them and replace your second lowest test score if it's lower.

He gives opportunities to students to do extra credit essays throughout the semester I would highly recommend doing all of them. He is an extremely smart person and very helpful when it comes to his office hours. I also would recommend doing the homework even though it is not graded. It helps you tremendously on the exams.

I went to most classes, I did skip some, but I studied really hard to get high Bs on tests. 5 tests, 1 dropped, & 1 replaced with extra credit plus a final. I thought this class was going to be an easy A and the tests were very difficult even when I completed the HW, went to class, & read book. Loris is funny and really passionate, but I dont rec.

Not a bad class to take. His tests are somewhat difficult so definitely read all the textbook chapters before the test. I never went to a single lecture and got an A. The final isn't too bad and repeats some of the test questions so keep your old tests. Definitely do your extra credit cause it will save you.

Had to get a pretty solid study group from the start. Tests get easier further into semester. READ THE CHAPTERS, that's how I did so well. Five tests but lets you drop the lowest grade. Replaces the second lowest grade if you do well on all of the extra credit essays combined! Go to office hours for help if needed on the math or for clarification.

Mr. Loris was an amazing professor and the only professor that I had my first year of college that acknowledged me by my first and last name. The only complaint would be his explanation on math; they would get a little complex and convoluted. Besides that, don't hesitate to take his class!

I absolutely loved Dr. Magnani as a person. He was always so nice and helpful when I went to his office hours. However, if you are not a physics/astronomy major good luck. The class is very hard and the tests are multiple choice but very tricky. I had to get involved in a study group and we met to study every week. There is also a lot of math.

I only used the textbook for practice questions, but others read the chapters. He's a really funny guy, and his lectures are understandable and enjoyable. He drops an exam grade and allows you to replace another by writing extra credit essays. The final is cumulative, but all the questions are pulled from previous exams, so you've seen them before.

He is a very nice and funny professor and some of his lectures are very interesting. His tests are easy, and he gives homework from the book which he does not check. He gives extra credit essays which can replace one of your test grades, and he also drops a test. The labs at night from 8-11, and the indoor labs are boring. Outdoor labs are fun.

Dr. Magnani is awesome. Physics is hard and he understands that. He never tries to trick you on tests and tells you what to study. He will curve test if the average is really low. He is also very funny if you get the chance to talk to him outside of class. I would 100% take again.

Im not sure how the class usually works, but with COVID and everything we had about 10 mandatory labs and only one quiz. We were able to use our notes for any exam and hes a pretty fair grader. Just get your stuff in on time.

If you're a non-STEM major looking for an easy science credit this is 100% not the class. The material is so so boring but Magnani is pretty funny in a dry humor kind of way. Tests are usually way easier than the lectures make it seem but I still didn't do very well because it was so boring and I just could not pay attention

Professor is great as a person, is able to get the content out although sometimes spirals into random topics. Im not a STEM major so I think thats why I struggled with this class a little bit. If youre looking for a science credit class, this definitely wont be the easiest.

His lectures were mostly him rambling, but they were interesting at times. However, he is NOT the one to take if you're looking for an easy science credit (take astr1010 instead if you can). Theres weekly discussion posts on packback, and his homework is not graded but theyre useful to look at since thats basically what the exams are made of.

He's clearly very intelligent and experienced in his field of astrophysics, but I believe that makes him better suited to upper level materials. The intro-level was just too easy for him to teach to use, and he often went on rambling about topics that weren't of substance to the material we were covering.

pretty good professor but i would not take the class if you're looking for an easy science class. it's a lot of material to learn and study, and tests are very specific. sometimes he does put previous exams from other years to show what the tests will be like and there is an extra credit essay to replace your lowest test grade with.

The most interesting class I took all semester! Super nice professor with really interesting lectures. Important to study and attend lectures in order to understand the class and concepts, tests are hard but manageable. Extra credit essay opportunity at the end.

He was a great professor who clearly knew what he was talking about. The lectures were dry, but most of our semester was spent outside. Labs can be hard, but he grades on completion only. Besides labs, we were only graded on 2 quizzes and a lab final. If you show up to class it should be an easy A.

The professor himself was only there a few times, but did good with his lectures. The class is very late at night due to the nature of it, but you usually get out before the end time. As long as you finish your labs, you'll do alright in the class. Most of the stuff we learned was interesting, but if you have no interest in astronomy, do not take.

Love this man

Dr. Magnani was one of the best professors I've had, ever. He emphasized learning and appreciating the material over grades. He was also hilarious and had a good heart. His lectures were fun to attend and thought provoking. The material is hard since it's physics, but Magnani delivered it in an accessible way. Best teacher ever, loves dogs too.

What can I say about Dr. Magnani that hasn't already been said about Einstein, Hawking, or Sagan. This is one of the greatest professors of all time, a GOAT if you will. Brace yourself, knowledge is coming. You'll learn why the earth rotates and why it makes your day. You'll learn about Saturn and understand why they put a ring on it.

Dr. Magnani is incredibly knowledgable and passionate about astronomy. Although we didn't get to have many outside observation sessions, the indoor labs were still interesting and graded on completion. He would sometimes lecture far above the content, but it just gives you insight into his mastery of the subject. The quizzes and final were simple.

Dogs, dogs, dogs!! The day he doesn't wear a frickin' dog shirt is the day heck freezes over. Pretty much everyone bombed the final, as it was scheduled less than a day after the final for PHYS 4101. My only complaint is that he didn't curve those terrible grades, so pretty much nobody got an A. Take advantage of the 1st test and the at home test.

Lab was late at night on Tuesdays so it's not great if you participate in greek life, however it's a very easy lab so I think it was worth getting it out of the way. Class is led by TAs and they're nice. Ian is goated. Lectures can be VERY boring late at night, and the labs a little confusing but it's still an easy A for a science. No homework.

I loved my class with Dr. Magnani this semester and I'm really sad that he'll be retiring after the spring because I'd love to take more classes with him. The first test was a bit weird but outside of that the whole class was great.

The lab was great and Magnani made it a great deal better.

great professor. sad that he's retiring