"Introduction to astronomy for students in the physical sciences or engineering. Topics similar to 101, but the approach uses more mathematics and physics." More specifically, we will learn about: a) the night sky and how to observe it; b) the overall properties of ordinary stars, what their light tells us, how telescopes and spectrographs are used to gather that information; c) stellar evolution, stellar middle age, old age, death, the stellar neighborhoods; d) the Milky Way, its gas and dust, its formation of stars, and its place in the Universe as a galaxy; e) the universe at large, the normal galaxies within it, the galactic neighborhoods, large-scale structure, the expansion of space, and how we think it all got started. This course will involve computer work and the writing of a scientific paper as we analyze and "publish" data from our observations of the night sky using the telescopes and equipment in the A-Wing Observatory on campus.
Each of the lectures will start with a list of the learning objectives associated with that lesson. The lectures, tutorials, exercises, activities, review questions, self-assessment activities, etc. are all geared towards helping each learner reach those learning goals.
Our lecture sessions will be a combination of the introduction of concepts, tutorials on those concepts, and practice questions to get an idea of whether or not you are understanding what is being discussed. Since we meet for 80 minutes, two times a week, class sessions may also involve hands-on exercises, computer programming, data analysis, plus more.
The Course Calendar lists the lecture topics, reading assignments, exercises, homework, plus more. Let this calendar be your guide as to how to be best prepared for each upcoming week. Your grades will be determined by a combination of the exercises, homework, class participation, and the scientific paper on your observing project. See below for the weight of each assignment.
You will need to spend at least an hour or two, one night during the quarter observing spectacular celestial objects. The overview of what's “up” this time of year will come through the “Astronomical Treasure Hunt” assignment.
You will have about one assignment each week. Observational astronomy today consists of research, forming questions, forming a hypothesis, writing observation proposals, doing the observations, reducing the data (from raw numbers to spectra or images), analyzing the data for results (measuring, graphing, looking for correlations, doing statistics on the data), and then writing up the results for publication. As much as possible, I have tried to reproduce these processes in the exercises. Thus, they will consist of inquiry, simple calculations, computer use, mapping, data gathering and analysis, and discovery. Because this is a course directed towards those with scientific and/or engineering backgrounds and futures, we will bring in a substantial emphasis on instruments and the use of our observing equipment for the A-Wing Observatory.
Please Note: No late work will be accepted! In general, if you miss an exercise, or do not get it turned in on time, then you will receive a big, fat zero for that particular assignment. At the very least, you will have points deducted. Exceptions to this policy will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Many of our lecture sessions will be more like a seminar with all of us contributing to the discussion. We will be working on review questions, tutorials, demonstrations, and more. You cannot get participation points if you don't attend class.
We are going to attempt to get in one or two observing nights this quarter. You will choose your observing target(s) and prepare an observing plan. The scientific paper will involve background information, observing procedures and data, analysis, and summary. More details will be provided separately. The paper will be due the Thursday of finals week.
We will not have any exams in this class this quarter, including no final exam. In essence, your participation in every class and my evaluation of your preparedness will be your "exams," plus the scientific paper will involve enough work to substitute for a final exam.
Working together is encouraged: much learning takes place when discussing the material and concepts with your classmates. You are welcome to help each other find answers and discuss approaches to answers. Having said that, however, with only a couple of exceptions (of which you will be notified), ALL WORK TURNED IN MUST BE IN YOUR UNIQUE WORDS AND PHRASES . Points will be deducted when non-original work is found. In rare cases, it is evident that the whole exercise has been copied. In these cases, we have been advised to refer the work to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and appropriate disciplinary action will be decided on that level after discussions with the student or students involved.
There have been isolated instances in the past where students have not heeded the above caveats. For additional guidelines on Academic Honesty and the rights of instructors, TA's, and students, please read carefully: http://depts.washington.edu/grading/issue1/honesty.htm
The various parts of your work will be weighted as follows:
Item |
Score Each |
Total |
Exercises |
3 @ variable |
100 |
Homework |
Variable |
60 |
Participation |
Variable |
40 |
Final Paper |
100 |
100 |
Total Points: |
300 |
|
We will not be grading on any kind of a normalized curve this quarter. You will receive a grade based on your overall percentage for the quarter. The quarter percentages and the corresponding grades are as follows:
Qtr % |
grade |
Qtr % |
grade |
Qtr % |
grade |
97 |
4.0 |
82 |
2.8 |
66 |
1.6 |
94 |
3.7 |
78 |
2.6 |
62 |
1.2 |
90 |
3.5 |
74 |
2.4 |
58 |
0.8 |
86 |
3.2 |
70 |
2.0 |
<55 |
0.0 |