Text:     Nightwatch: A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe,  T. Dickinson, **4th edition (revised and expanded through 2018);
           SC1 and SC2 star charts, Sky Publishing Co.
Emphasis will be placed on your class notes which are derived, in general, from the book.  Numerous handouts will also be used for course study.

Observing Sessions: Weather permitting, observing sessions will be held in the observatory and on the deck. Comfortable, warm clothing and shoes (boots) are recommended.  Dress in excess for the weather is a good rule.  We take advantage of any clear nights!  Four Skyquest 8-inch Dobsonian telescopes (equipped with computer-aided guide devices), two Skyquest 10-inch Dobs, and an Orion 10" Intelliscope Dob serve as our base telescopes. We also have two computer-controlled Celestron 'Nexstar' 8-inch SCT telescopes with 'Fastar' optics and one Meade LX-200 8"SCT telescope, plus work will be progressing on our 8" SCT/observatory installation.  Detailed lunar, planetary, and stellar observations are carried out with the large 10-inch apochromatic refractor telescope in Sherzer Observatory.

Fish Lake: A field trip to KEEC near Lapeer, Michigan, October 24-26, 2008 is scheduled for the course.  Your attendance is highly anticipated*.  Many aspects of the course taught in weeks prior to Fish Lake will be applied there.  This also gives us the potential for an entire night, or two, of concentrated observing and an opportunity to see things not possible from Ypsilanti's evening skies. Cost is $50 for 2 nights, 3 meals, hikes, observing and more.
( *make advanced arrangements with employers, etc. where possible)

Reading Assignments, Quizes, and Grading:  Reading assignments are given during lecture.  A total of  five short answer, multiple choice, and chart identification quizes will be given, occuring approximately every second or third week. Your final grade will be based upon the numerical average of these five quizes.

Chapter
           Quiz 1
1        Discovering the Cosmos
2        The Universe in Eleven Steps
3        Backyard Astronomy
4        Stars for all Seasons
           Our place in the universe, charts, constellations,
                   star identification, SC1 and SC2 charts
           Quiz 2
6        Probing the Depths
           Catalogs, "deep sky" objects - clusters, nebulae, galaxies,
                   Greek alphabet, double stars, variable stars
           Quiz 3
8        Moon and Sun
9        Solar and Lunar Eclipses
           Lunar and solar features, lunar phases, eclipses
           Quiz 4
7        The Planets
10      Comets, Meteors, Auroras
           Objects of the solar system
           Quiz 5
5        Stargazing Equipment
11      Photographing the Night Sky
           Telescopes and binoculars, astrophotography using CCD and digital imaging
                           Note: Quiz 5 will occur on the final exam night for this course which is Wednesday, December 17.
                           You must appear for this quiz at the scheduled time - no make up.

Grade Scale:
Letter grades are assigned according to the following scale:
A       95-100    C      72-76
A-     90-94       C-    70-71
B+     87-89       D+   67-69
B       82-86       D      62-66
B-      80-81       D-    60-61
C+     77-79       E      59-0

Equipment Usage and Supplies:  Given the fragile nature of the expensive equipment you will be using, do not hesitate to ask questions if you are uncertain about operation.  Work slowly and carefully... ask classmates for assistance.  Also, walking away with eyepieces, adapters, filters, etc., even inadvertently, can "rob" what has literally taken years to establish.  Please return items to their proper storage place before leaving for the evening.  Photography supplies will be handed out by the instructor.  Conservation is greatly appreciated!

Note that the EMU Astronomy Club is an active, ongoing student organization..  They hold open houses and observation sessions, and are presently building a radio telescope.  Attending their meetings, time and place to be announced at the start of the term,  is an excellent way to supplement your class experience and gain additional observing time.

And, remember, if you miss one night, that’s equivalent to one week’s worth of conventional class time!   No class on the Wednesday evening before Thanksgiving.

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.

  Some select observing events for the Fall term
September
October
7 November
4 December
**calendar to be updated, Spring 2008**

**  Take note of subtle changes such as phases of the moon, sunset/sunrise times, position of the stars of the autumn sky such as Ursa Major (Big Dipper) in the northwest, Cassiopeia in the northeast, and the 'Summer Triangle' overhead.   This semester,  Jupiter disappears into the sun's glare late in October, Uranus and Neptune cross the southern sky during evening hours. Use the program Starry Night© found on the Astronomy Lab computer network to simulate some of the above events to get an idea of what should occur.  Contact my web site for additional information at http://www.physics.emich.edu/nvance