ASTR 203
Exploration of the Universe Norbert Vance
The lecture course meets on Tuesday and Thursday 124 B Strong
evenings from 5:30pm to 6:45pm in 300 Strong. (734) 487-4146
Text: Explorations Thomas T. Arny, Stephen Schneider 5th Ed...Sherzer Observatory
with Starry Night© CD-ROM ; SC001 & SC002 star charts (734) 487-3033
Astronomy Lab ASTR 204 Lab Instructors: David Sitar, Monika Keith, Mark Fairclough, Aron Dodger
An optional lab meets once a week at select times in the Astronomy Lab, 402 Sherzer. The lab is separate from the lecture in that the student receives an independent grade and one credit for the course. Note, too, that it can be taken concurrently with the lecture or opted for at a later date. Required lab manual: Astronomy Lab Course Pack.
Observing Sessions
Evening observing sessions at Sherzer Observatory will be announced in lecture if weather looks promising. Views of the sun, moon, planets, and stars with our 10" apochromatic refractor telescope, Celestron 14" SCT (C14), a Celestron Nextstar 8 GPS, and a variety of other telescopes are superb, as is the view of the campus from the deck. Dress for Michigan weather! An optional field trip to EMU's KEEC (Fish Lake) biology field station is scheduled for October 24-26, 2008. These trips have been a very popular and enjoyable experience for many ASTR 203 students. A $50 fee covers 2 nights stay, 3 meals, hikes, observing, rocket launches, etc. No previous experience required! Check our web site for details plus images from previous trips.
The EMU Astronomy Club is open to anyone with an interest in astronomy. The club meets on Thursday evenings at 7:30pm in the Astronomy Lab, 402 Sherzer Hall. Members can usually be found in Sherzer Observatory after the meeting, especially if clear. An active schedule is planned! Contact Greta Welke, Astro Club President. Additional observing hours on other nights will be announced in class. Attending club meetings, observing sessions, and field trips is an excellent way to learn more about astronomy and in an informal setting.
Reading Assignments and Hour Exams
Reading assignments are given during lecture and a list of relevant chapter terms displayed. Note that some select terms will be excluded and a few that do not appear in the text may be included. Additional supplements are available via your text CD-ROM and our web site. There will be four multiple choice, one hour exams. Each exam is worth 100 points. Your grade will be based upon the numerical average of these four exams. The date of each exam will be announced at least one week before it is to take place. Arrive on time with pencil in hand. The chapter schedule covered on each exam follows:
Course Sequence:
EXAM I
Chapter
1 History of Astronomy; understanding the night sky
2 Gravity and Motion; the people who figured this out
3 Light and Atoms; knowing what those distant things are made of
4 Telescopes; tools of the trade
EXAM II
11 The Sun, Our Star; understanding our life-giving star
12 Measuring the Properties of Stars; they are much more than dots in the sky!
13 Stellar Evolution; stellar birth and mid-life
14 Stellar Remnants; stellar death- white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes
EXAM III
15 The Milky Way Galaxy; our home galaxy
16 Galaxies; it's a BIG universe out there!
17 Cosmology; the story of the universe, prospects of other life in the universe
EXAM IV
5, 6 The Earth, The Moon; our home planet and satellite
7 Survey of the Solar System; formation of the planets
8 The Terrestrial Planets; Mercury, Venus, (Earth) Mars
9 The Outer Planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and "dwarf planets"
10 Meteors, Asteroids, and Comets; debris of the solar system... are we in danger?
YOUR TOTAL AVERAGE = Sum of 4 exams (+ quizzes)
400
Letter grades are assigned according to the following scale:
A 100-88 C 71-65
A- 87-85 C- 64-62
B+ 84-82 D+ 61-59
B 81-78 D 58-55
B- 77-75 D- 54-52
C+ 74-72 E 51-0
To be successful in this course, class attendance is very important. Topics and terminology discussed in class are drawn from the text and highlighted. Good notes are an effective outline for the exams. Additional references will be posted to the instructor's web site at www.physics.emich.edu/nvance on occasion. I encourage you to participate in class and visit the observatory ...take advantage of your brief time with us!
In addition, 4-6 pop quizzes will be given at random times during the term, the results of which will be added to your total score. These will serve as a check of attendance and familiarity with the material in a given unit. Though the point total may appear small, those points could make the difference between, say, a B+ or an A- when averaged in at the end of the term (no make-ups for missed quizzes under any circumstance).
Make-up exams are given at the discretion of the instructor and only if the student provides a documented reason for an excused absence. Examples of potentially acceptable excuses are the following: sickness-with a doctor's note, court appearance, funerals, or major religious holidays- with one week prior notification. (Note that Exam IV is NOT cumulative but is held during the Final Exam period. You must appear for this exam at the scheduled time- no make up.) As a courtesy, please turn off cell phones while in class! Use of laptops, iPods, PDA's, etc. is not permitted during lecture as they generally serve as distractions to the learning environment.
EXAM IV 5:30 pm Tuesday, December 16
Some select observing events for the Fall term, 2008September
5-6 Kensington Metro Park "Astronomy on the Beach" event, I-96, E of US-23
6 waxing crescent moon near Antares in SW, 10pm
9 waxing gibbous moon near Jupiter in SE, 10pm
12 waxing gibbous moon near Neptune in SE, 10pm
14 waning gibbous moon near Uranus in SE, 10pm
22 Autumnal Equinox; sun crosses celestial equator heading south
26-28 "Great Lakes Star Gaze", Gladwin, MI
October
6 first quarter moon near Jupiter in S, 8pm
24-26 FISH LAKE WEEKEND (http://www.physics.emich.edu/astrclub/fishlake.htm)
November
1 "young" waxing crescent moon near Venus very low in SW, lower right of Jupiter, 7:30pm
3 waxing crescent moon below Jupiter in S, 7:30pm
6 first quarter moon just E of Neptune in S, 7:30pm
8 waxing gibbous moon just above Uranus in SE, 7:30pm
21 waning crescent moon near Saturn in E, 5am (just before dawn)
December
1 Beautiful trio conjunction of Venus, Jupiter, and a very young crescent moon low in SW, 7pm
21 Winter Solstice; Sun farthest south this year
31 waxing crescent moon near Venus in SW (Neptune just W of Venus), 7pm
** Take note of subtle changes such as sunset/sunrise times and position of the stars of the autumn sky like Ursa Major (Big Dipper) in the northwest, Cassiopeia in the northeast, and the changing position of the "Summer Triangle" throughout the term. Carefully observe the changing positions and phases of the moon, the positions of Venus and Jupiter in the SW, especially late in the term. Be sure to stop by Sherzer Observatory and see the planets and many other celestial objects for yourself. The conjunction of Venus, Jupiter, and the moon occurs low in the SW the Monday evening after Thanksgiving break... look for it. It will be beautiful! Use your text’s CD-ROM program Starry Night© to simulate some of the above events to get an idea of what should occur.