Astronomy 102 - Syllabus

2M, 8:35-9:30 am, Peltier 101

Professor:Dr. Kaisa Young

Office: 137 Beauregard Hall

Office hours: 9:30-10:30a, TR 8:30-9a and 10:30-11a, R 12-3p, F 9:30-11:30a

Phone: 985-449-7070 (work)

E-mail:

Course Webpage:

Catalog Description: ASTR 102. Introductory Astronomy II. 3-3-0. Extragalactic astronomy including the study of quasars, black holes, galaxies other than our Milky Way, and early stars. Also including a study of cosmology, astrobiology, and the search for extraterrestrial life. Sp only. (40.0201)

Prerequisite: None

Required Text: Understanding Our Universe by Palen, Kay, Smith & Blumenthal . Ebook and loose leaf version of the text available from the publisher:

Class Materials: Documents discussed in class will periodically be placed on the Moodle site for download. Study resources and animations are available on the StudySpace website:

Clickers: You are required to purchase an Iclicker remote for in-class participation. Iclicker is a response system that allows you to respond to questions I pose during class, and you will be graded on that feedback and/or your in-class participation. You will register your clickers in class.

Student Outcome Objectives:

  • The student will be able to describe the lives and deaths of low and high-mass stars.
  • … be able to describe the physical characteristics of our Sun.
  • … be able to distinguish between different types of galaxies and describe the characteristics of the Milky Way.
  • … demonstrate an understanding of the currently accepted model for cosmology and the beginnings of the universe.
  • … be able to describe the current methods in and limits to search for extraterrestrial life.
  • ASTR 102, as a Core Curriculum course, fulfills three hours of general education requirements in the area of the natural sciences and is thus designed to enable students to meet the following broad outcomes for all the natural sciences:
  • Upon completion of the undergraduate curriculum, students will be able to comprehend and to apply the basic principles of science and methods of scientific inquiry.
  • Graduates will be able to comprehend and to use quantitative concepts and methods to interpret and to critically evaluate data and to effectively problem-solve in a variety of contexts demanding quantitative literacy.
  • For further explanation of the learning objectives associated with these goals, visit

Outline of Topics:

  1. Stars and Stellar Environment
  2. Measuring the Stars
  3. Our Star: The Sun
  4. Evolution of Low-Mass Stars
  5. Evolution of High-Mass Stars
  6. Galaxies, the Universe, and Cosmology
  7. The Expansion of Space
  8. The Realm of the Galaxies
  9. Our Galaxy: The Milky Way
  10. Modern Cosmology and the Origin of Structure
  11. Life in the Universe

Exams: All examinations will be closed book. There will be fourexams.Tentative dates for the exams are: Feb 8, 27, and Mar 27. The fourth exam will be during the Final Exam period, 2M – Monday, May 13 at 10am. The second exam is the Star Properties Inventory and will be counted as a drop exam to replace your lowest exam grade.

Quizzes: There will be 6 quizzes, 5 points each, and will be announced at least one class before the quiz.

Class Participation: Students will be given many opportunities for class participation, including short in-class writing, clicker questions, in-class and on-line surveys. Class participation assignments will not be graded. If you participate, you will receive 2 points per activity. The maximum number of class participation points is 20 (10 activities). There will be at least 13activities during the semester, so some may be missed and full credit still given.

Project: Students will be complete an individual or group project due at the end of the semester. A complete description of the project will be given separately. Written projects will be submitted using Turnitin (see policy below).

Grading: There are a total of 250 points. Each exam counts 50 points (150 points). Quiz grades combine to a total of 30 points. Class participation will combine to a total of 20 points. The project will be worth 50 points. The grading scale is percentage-based with A (90-100%), B (80-89%), C (70-79%), D (60-69%), and F (0-59%) grades being assigned at the end of the semester.

Extra Credit: Extra credit will be given for extraordinary work on the projects. Projects that go above and beyond the requirements may receive between 1 and 5 points extra credit.

Make-up Policy: Make-ups for quizzes and examinations will be determined by the instructor on a case-by-case basis; there are no make-ups for class participation.Excused absences include illness, university-sponsored activities, or other adverse situations; the student must have written documentation justifying their absence. For unexcused absences, I will deduct five points from your exam grade for the first missed day and 1 point for every subsequent weekday until you contact me to arrange a make-up.

Academic Honesty Policy: Dishonesty in taking examinations will follow the guidelines set in the “Code of Student Conduct” manual. Consequences for academic dishonesty span from a failing grade on the assignment to suspension from the university. No cell phones will be allowed to be out of your bag, pocket, etc. while you are in possession of an exam. Sharing information about the exams with students in the other section will be considered cheating.

Attendance Policy: Attendance is essential and mandatory. There will be no class participation credit for in class activities that are missed.NO Food or Drink allowed in Peltier Auditorium.

Drop Date: Wednesday, April 17, 2013 is the final date to receive an automatic “W” when dropping a course or resigning from NichollsStateUniversity.

Turnitin Policy: By taking this course, students agree that all assignments are subject to submission to Turnitin.com, an online plagiarism prevention and detection service. All work submitted to Turnitin.com will be added to its database of papers. Turnitin’s privacy policy and a description of the service available at Specifically, this service compares your paper with Internet webpages, articles in databases, and all papers previously submitted from this university or any other. Turnitin then either confirms the originality of your work or gives the source of plagiarism. In cases of detected plagiarism, the paper and supporting evidence will be handled in compliance with the Student Code of Conduct (

Disabled Students: If you have a disability that requires assistance, please let me know. Also, you will need to register with the Office of Disability Services for coordination of your academic accommodations. The Office of Disability Services is located in Peltier Hall, Room 100-A. The phone number is 985-448-4430 (TDD 449-7002).

Academic Grievances:
The proper procedure for filing grade appeals or grievances related to academic matters is listed in Section 5 of the Code of Student Conduct and at the following link:

Continued Learning following an Extreme Emergency:
In order to make continued learning possible following an extreme emergency, students are responsible for:
● reading regular emergency notifications on the NSU website
● knowing how to use and access Moodle(or university designated electronic delivery system)
● being familiar with emergency guidelines
● evacuating textbooks and other course materials
● knowing their Moodle (or designated system) student login and password
● contacting faculty regarding their intentions for completing the course
Faculty are responsible for:
● their development in the use of the Moodle (or designated) software
● having a plan for continuing their courses using only Moodle and email
● continuing their course in whatever way suits the completion of the course best, and being creative in the continuation of these courses
● making adjustments or compensations to a student’s progress in special programs with labs, clinical sequences or the like only in the immediate semester following the emergency.