PHYSICS 1060
A Survey of Astronomy:
Stars, Galaxies, and the Universe
Fall 2004
Dr. Mike Fanelli
COURSE INFORMATION & SYLLABUS
OFFICE: 310M EESAT Building
OFFICE PHONE: 940 - 369 - 7653
OFFICE HOURS: M & W 2:00 - 3:00; also via email or appointment
EMAIL:
WEBPAGE:
CLASS WEBSITE:
This printed class guide is intended to provide basic information for you to keep with your notes. Much additional information is provided on the website, please look at it frequently.
PREREQUISITES: Proficiency in algebra.
TEXT: “Astronomy Today” by Chaisson and McMillan, 5th Edition.
Either purchase (1) the full hardback book OR
(2) the paperback VOLUME II, “Stars and the Universe”
DO NOT BUY BOTH, unless you intend to take both courses.
ATTENDANCE: I expect students to participate in the class. As a general rule, students who attend class perform better on tests than those who do not attend. I do not take roll on a regular basis, and attendance is not factored into your grade. Note that a substantial amount of material will be presented only during lectures. That material will be included in the exams.
LABORATORY: A one-credit laboratory course, Physics 1061, is offered to complement this lecture course. Most students take the lecture and laboratory simultaneously. You must register separately for the lab -- you are not automatically registered for the lab when you sign up for the lecture. The lab is graded separately from the lecture.
CONTACTING ME: If you have questions about the course material, test policies, grading, etc, the best method for contacting me is to send an email query to or visit during office hours. If you leave a phone message, please state your return phone number slowly and clearly. Email gets answered within a few days.
CLASS CONTENT: Physics 1060 is the second half of a two-semester survey course covering astronomy at an introductory level. This course describes patterns and objects visible in the night sky, covers experimental techniques and the physical principles important in astronomy, then examines the nature and evolution of stars, stellar systems, the gas and other matter between the stars, and the nature of the universe. I will supplement the textbook with current science events relevant to the exploration of space, and provide background on what I refer to as the “societal” aspects of astronomy. While this course is a largely descriptive survey, some mathematical relationships will be presented. An important goal of any science course is learning to reason quantitatively.
CLASS FORMAT: The format for this class will be lectures and discussion accompanied by audio/visual material (animations, videos, Internet based material). We will cover material at a pace of approximately 30 textbook pages per week (1-2 chapters). The syllabus lists the topics and related text chapters to be covered. I will generally follow the text, highlighting important points and relationships. Make an attempt to read each chapter prior to class so that you will be familiar with the material when it is discussed. Material from the text will be supplemented by lecture notes. Please note that the lectures are not a substitute for reading the text, nor is just reading the text a substitute for the lectures. Animations and videos are an essential element in an astronomy survey course. Given our 50-minute class length, we will use the Media library to view video material a few times during the semester. I will place videos on reserve, and you can view them individually or in small groups. Video viewing will sometimes replace a class – details will be provided on the course web page.
ASSIGNMENTS: The basic assignment is to read about ~30 pages per week and complete the questions at the end of each chapter. These questions are designed to improve comprehension of the material and prepare you for exams. Additional readings from web-based sources may be assigned; the links will be provided in class. I will also assign 1-3 math problems from the list at the end of each chapter. Solutions to the math problems will be posted on the webpage and discussed in class.
IMPORTANT DATES:
EXAMS
/ Sept 22 / Oct 18 / Nov 10 / Dec XFINAL EXAM / Section 1 / (MWF @ 11AM) / Section 2 / (MWF @ 1 PM)
Friday
Dec 10
/ @ 10:30 AM / WednesdayDec 08 / @ 10:30 AM
Drop Deadline: / November 2 / 5:00 PM
GRADING FORMAT: Your grade is based on the total points accrued from the hourly exams, the final, and any extra-credit work which may be offered. Your final letter grade is based on a total of 1000 points. All assigned reading and material discussed in class, including audio/visual presentations, may show up in an exam. I will call attention to any material not explicitly discussed in the text for which you will be responsible.
To allow for some flexibility in this class, there are two grading formats – each student can choose their format. Four hourly exams will be given plus a comprehensive final. Each of you can choose to drop one test score—the choice is made at the final exam. Or you may choose to count all four tests. Dropping a test score allows students who did poorly in one test or missed the test entirely to still have a chance for a good grade. A more detailed discussion of these grading options will be posted on the webpage.
OPTION 1 OPTION 2
% Total / Total Points / % Total / Total Points4 Exams / 20% each / 800 / 25% each / 750
Final Exam / 20% / 200 / 25% / 250
Tests will consist primarily of multiple choice questions and a few calculations (answers also expressed in a multiple choice format). Test questions are derived directly from the review material at the end of each chapter and from class notes.
Exams will take a class period and be a combination of material from the text and class notes.
The Final Exam will be comprehensive.
Letter grades will be assigned by taking your total points, dividing by 10, and applying this grade scale:
A = 100-88, B = 87-78, C = 77-65, D = 64-55, F < 55
A small adjustment (i.e., a curve) may be applied to this grade scale after the Final, when I assign letter grades.
MAKE-UP POLICY: READ THIS CAREFULLY !!
If an exam date coincides with a scheduled, University-approved activity, you may take the exam prior to the time when exams are returned (generally one week later). You MUST notify me BEFORE the exam to schedule a makeup. Since there is an option to drop one test, there will be NO makeup exams for unplanned absences. A make-up exam may be permitted only for a serious illness to the student; these will be determined on a case-by-case basis. If a make-up exam cannot be taken before graded exams are returned, it may be made up during the study week at the end of the semester. Note that in the case of a chronic medical problem, which affects a student’s academic work for a significant portion of a semester, the appropriate action is to withdraw from the course. Incompletes cannot be assigned unless the student has completed a significant portion of the work in a class.
PREPARATION FOR EXAMS: Questions posed on the exams are derived from the questions at the end of each chapter in the text. I do not emphasize memorization of definitions, rather I want you to think about the material and understand the concepts. Exam questions will test your understanding not your ability to memorize facts. Additional details are provided on the webpage.
MATH CONTENT: Many students register for science courses with trepidation, due to usually exaggerated fears of the math content of the course. In this class, a small amount of quantitative material will be included, since nature and physical laws are often described mathematically. But there will no calculus or even algebraic problem solving. We will cover scientific notation, ratios, and interpretation of straightforward physical relationships.
THE ASTRONOMY ENTERPRISE: Most of you are taking this course to meet a science requirement. “Astronomy” should be viewed not just as a science but as an exploration of nature—humanity’s search for the nature and operating principles of the universe in which we find ourselves. This exploration is an ongoingenterprise; there are many unanswered questions “out there”. Some of the material in your text is already outdated, replaced by new knowledge gained through the endeavors of astronomers, geologists, and planetary scientists. I will emphasize this ongoing activity during the course, highlighting the various space missions and new Earth-based observations that promise to continue to rewrite the textbooks for many years to come. Through this class you will gain an appreciation of the astronomy enterprise and follow these missions and new discoveries in the future.
UPCOMING ASTRONOMY & SPACE SCIENCE EVENTS:
Sep 08 – Genesis Mission Solar Wind Sample Return to Earth
Oct 07 – Scheduled launch of SWIFT, NASA’s next mission, to study gamma-ray bursts
Oct 27 – Total Lunar Eclipse, visible to Texans
Nov 17 – Leonid Meteor Shower
Dec 25 – Release of Huygens Probe from Cassini
Dec 30 – Scheduled launch of Deep Impact; designed to intercept Comet Tempel 1 (7/05)
Jan 14 – Huygens Probe descends to the surface of Titan
The Department of Physics will make reasonable adjustments to ensure equal opportunity for qualified persons with disabilities to participate in all physics programs and activities. Please see the instructor if special accommodations are required.