Professor: W.T. (Woody) Sullivan, C318 Physics/Astronomy Bldg. (PAB)
543-7773 woody@astro.washington.edu
Teaching Assistant Sections Office Contact
Bernhard Beck-Winchatz AA + AB B339 PAB 543-9095 bbeck@astro
Astronomy Office: (for messages, section changes, etc.) C319 PAB (543-2888)
Lectures: MW 10:50-12:20 in CHL 019
Office Hours: Tue. and Wed. 1-2; other times by appointment or drop in
Text: The Search for Life in the Universe by D. Goldsmith and T. Owen
(2nd Ed., 1992) (available at the University Bookstore)
Prerequisites:
As stated in the UW catalog, Astronomy 201 has the
prerequisites of either ASTR 101 or a 100-level Physics course.
If you do not have this prerequisite, be prepared to do some extra
study of needed background subjects (perhaps you should buy the ASTR
101 text for this quarter).This course is not designed for upper
division majors in science, engineering, or other technical fields.
Even if you are not a technical major, but you are comfortable with
calculus, you probably do not belong here.
Course Topics
This course is not an overview of astronomy as a whole, but
rather a view of how the phenomenon of life and the physical
Universe are related. We start with a detailed look at cosmology, the
science of the origin and evolution of the Universe as a whole. After
briefly reviewing the origin and evolution of galaxies, stars, and the
solar system (covered in ASTR 101),we next focus on the early Earth,
including a comparison with Venus and Mars. This sets the stage for the
origin and evolution of life on Earth and, finally, the possibility of
extraterrestial life and how we might search for it.
Schedule
Date Happening; due Reading due
Mo 17 Jun Intro.
Tu 18 Jun Macs (Rm A214) - Intro. to Web GO-1
We 19 Jun Davies A = pp. 250-3
Th 20 Jun Planetarium; your cosmology statement
Mo 24 Jun GO-2A = pp. 21-40
Tu 25 Jun Macs Lab - Hubble expansion
We 26 Jun Davies - all
Th 27 Jun Lab - Sky Survey; Homework #1 GO-3A = pp. 55-68
Mo 1 Jul GO-2B = pp. 40-53
Tu 2 Jul topic for short paper #1 due; review
We 3 Jul Quiz #1 (through 27 Jun) review
Th 4 Jul Independence Day
Mo 8 Jul
Tu 9 Jul
We 10 Jul
Th 11 Jul short paper #1 due
Mo 15 Jul Homework #2 due Lightman; Malville
Tu 16 Jul review
We 17 Jul [for rest of quarter, readings to be assigned later]
Th 18 Jul Quiz #2 (through 15 Jul) review
Mo 22 Jul
Tu 23 Jul
We 24 Jul
Th 25 Jul
Mo 29 Jul Homework #3 due
Tu 30 Jul topic for short paper #2 due; review
We 31 Jul
Th 1 Aug Quiz #3 (through 29 Jul) review
Mo 5 Aug
Tu 6 Aug
We 7 Aug
Th 8 Aug short paper #2 due
Mo 12 Aug Homework #4 due
Tu 13 Aug
We 14 Aug lecture + review
Th 15 Aug Last class - Quiz #4 (through 14 Aug) review
Note carefully the dates for the quizzes; if you have some important
conflict with any of these dates, contact Dr. Sullivan as soon as you
know. In general, an acceptable reason for a missed exam is of the
order of serious illness, a funeral, etc.; otherwise, your chances for
approval are much better if you notify us early.
Grading
4 quizzes 40%
2 short papers 20%
section labs and assignments 30%
T.A. evaluation 10%
The four quizzes (about 30 minutes in length) are designed to help you
keep up with the course material. These are 30 minutes in length and
will be based on lecture material (primarily), the text, and a few
photocopy readings. The short papers provides an opportunity for you to
dig into a subject of interest in more depth than usually available in
introductory courses. A handout describing this requirement will be
shortly forthcoming. "Section labs and assignments" is a grade assigned
by your T.A. on the basis of performance on in-class lab exercises and
homework assignments. Late homework will receive no credit except under
unusual circumstances. "T.A. evaluation" allows your T.A. to adjust
slightly your "formula grade" based on criteria such as class
participation, special circumstances (such as a very weak math
background combined with a real effort to overcome it), or other
factors. Our aim is to maximize the human element as much as is
feasible and fair.
Class Web Site
Astronomy 201 will have a home on the World Wibe Web at
http://www.astro.washington.edu/bbeck/201
This will be a place to keep current with lecture notes, assignments
and answers, reviews for quizzes, etc. We require each of you to check
out the Web site at least once a week and to use its facility to send
E-mail to Bernhard Beck (TA) with some comments or queries or critiques
or hosannas about either the course or the subjects we're covering.
This E-mail will be posted for all to see and will be an important
source of feedback for us, the instructors, from you, the students.
Instructions about how to use the Web and this site will be given on
the first day of sections.
Philosophy
We are not trying to provide a course to transform you all into
scientists, for that is obviously inappropriate. Rather, we hope to
infect you with some of our enthusiasm and excitement for a subject
which has fascinated humans for a long time. We hope that by the end of
the quarter you will have a better appreciation for our perception of
our place in the Universe and how that in turn affects our view of
ourselves. We also plan to use astronomy and biological evolution as
vehicles by which to give you some insight into how science works. This
is important because science has been and continues to be immensely
important in our culture. All of our goals for this course will come to
nought, however, unless we hear from you about any and all aspects of
the course. If we fail, then instructors and students fail alike; if we
succeed, then we shall all profit.
Astronomy 201 Homepage
Astronomy Mac Lab Homepage