Block 1, Tentative Schedule:
 


Thurs, September 6th

Introduction to Class, Nature of Astronomy
"When I had heard the learn'd astronomer,
When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me,
When I was shown the charts and diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them,
When I was sitting heard the astronomer where he lectured with much applause in the lecture-room,
How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick,
Till rising and gliding out I wandered off by myself,
In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time
Looked up in perfect silence at the stars."
 

Walt Whitman

 

Streaming Video: Introduction to Astronomy On-Line

Day 1 - Part 1

Powers of Ten

Day 1 - Part 2

Textbook:

 
       1.Preview:    The Cosmic Landscape
         Test Yourself Questions, pg 13, 1 - 5

       2.Overview 1:    The Night Sky

Objectives: You should be able to:

  1. Recognize and appreciate that we are no longer tethered to this Earth.
  2. Explain the scale of distances in the solar system, the galaxy, and the universe.
  3. Explain the difference between AU and LY.
  4. Use the appropriate unit of distance in describing scientific distances.
  5. Use the Power of Ten notation to describe large and small distances in the universe.

Key Words: You may use these for Review or SEARCH items:

  
Introduction to the Internet & Historical Foundations
"We had all the stars up there," said Huck, "And we use to lie on our backs and look up at them and discuss 'bout whether they was made or just happened. Jim he allowed that the stars were made, but I allowed they just happened. Jim said the Moon could'a laid them; Well, that looked kind of reasonable so I didn't say nothing against it. I've seen a frog lay most as many, so of course it could be done."
Mark Twain (Huckleberry Finn)

 

       Textbook:
                  1.  Chapter One : History of Astronomy, Sections 1.1 and 1.2, pg 24 - 46
Test Yourself Questions, pg 57, 1 - 3


Objectives: You should be able to:

  1. Explain the difference between a Constellation and an Asterism.
  2. Distinguish between Apparent and Absolute Magnitudes.
  3. Define key points on the Celestial Sphere, including Zenith, Nadir, Celestial Equator, and Celestial Poles.
  4. Explain how the Gravitational Force of the sun and moon acting on the Earth cause its orbit to precess.
Key Words: You may use these for Review or SEARCH items:

Look Up: Phases of the Moon Go to this active link. It shows the various phases of the moon and what phase it is in today.

Motions in the Heavens - Our Solar System
Lunar cycles

  Streaming Video: Seasons and Phases of the Moon

Objectives: You should be able to:

  1. Explain why, in general, the sun, moon, and planets appear to move towards the east across the sky
  2. Describe how the moon looks in its varied phases.
  3. Explain the positioning of the sun and moon during a solar eclipse.
  4. Explain the positioning of the sun and moon during a lunar eclipse.
  5. Describe why seasons take place as they do.
  6. Relate long term climatic changes to the earth's precession.
  7. Explain the Milankovich hypothesis
  8. Explain how ancient cultures looked to the heavens, sometimes for religious reasons, sometimes for understanding their place in the universe. Here is one of the best links to Chaco Canyon.
Key Words: You may use these for Review or SEARCH items:

There will be no lab during this first week of school. This gives you an opportunity not just to gather your thoughts, but to prepare for the activity portion beginning next week. A video is available to you to explain how to do Lab #1. You will keep an Observing Journal for the semester. This should be kept (although printed out later) on a CD or some sort of memory stick with directories for planets, the moon, the sun, stars, clusters, galaxies, comets, nebulae, etc. Each time you observe an object you must keep record of date, time, where you were and whatever information is essential. Since this is worth three lab grades, it is an essential and very important part of your grade. At the end of the semester I will collect your printed or hand written journal, not the electronic folder. Too often it can happen that I am unable to open the electronic files. Any labs sent in to me need to be in Microsoft Word or Excell format so we are all consistent. Thanks.
 
Thurs, September 13th
IDEAS OF CLASSICAL ASTRONOMY I

Aristarchus

Streaming Video:

 

Textbook:

          1.  Chapter One : History of Astronomy, Sections 1.3 -1.5, pg 46 - 60
 

Test Yourself Questions, pg 57, 4 - 5
          2.  Projects - Read over. Some of these may be ideas for your personal diary or what we call, Observing Journal

          3. Essay One - Backyard Astronomy  pg 61 - 69. Information here should be helpful to understand relationships of the Earth and Sky. Most of what we see depends of how the Earth is situated (in its orbit about the Sun and and its daily rotation) relative to the rest of the sky.
         Test Yourself Questions, pg 69, 1 - 5

Catch up on readings to date
Objectives: You should be able to:
  1. Discuss how the Greeks showed us that the universe is accessible to human reason.
  2. List contributions of Aristarchus and other Greeks
  3. List accomplishments of the Greeks in describing the universe.
  5. Describe Ptolemy's model of the solar system and especially his account of retrograde motion.
  6. Exlain the movement from the geocentric system to the heliocentric model of the solar system.
  7. Discuss the Copernican Revolution
  8. List contributions made by Tycho Brahe towards understanding a new solar system
  9. State Kepler's Three Laws of Planetary Motion.
    10. Johannes Kepler
    Johannes Kepler (1571-1630)
  10. Use Kepler's Third Law to relate orbital distance and period.
  11. Compare differing ways scientific models come about and become accepted.
Key Words: You may use these for Review or SEARCH items:

 

Lab # 1: The Celestial Sphere

Keck Telescopes

This is an image of the "Twin" Keck Telescopes, largest telescopes in the world, with 10 metre diameter mirrors. Located atop Mauna Kea, Hawaii.

Your first lab requires you to construct a Celestial Sphere and answer some simple questions about it based on your geocentric model of the solar system. Note, this is a geocentric model so that what we see in the heavens is basde on where we are on the Earth. You have to be able to do some imagining but it is workable..

Celestial Sphere

Streaming Video: Lab # 1 - Celestial Sphere. View this once or twice so you have a good idea what is going on before you actually attempt to answer questions for the lab.

Outside

There will be a video on the night sky produced especially for this class. Heavenly objects will be identified for you to find during the semester.

 

Activities:Ask yourself, as an "astronomer", how do we calculate when Easter falls and when Ash Wednesday is dated?

IDEAS OF CLASSICAL ASTRONOMY II

"Nature uses only the longest threads to weave her patterns, so each small piece of her fabric reveals the organization of the entire tapestry."
Richard Feynman
Astronomy Laser Disc Video:None
 
         

          1. Chapter Two: Gravity and Motion, sections 2.1 - 2.9  Read and understand what escape velocity is, the Law of Gravity and the Laws of Motion. Test Yourself Questions, pg 93, 1 - 5

Objectives: You should be able to:

  1. Describe the contributions of Galileo to science and tell why he is considered the "Father" of Modern Science.
    2. Cartoon
  2. What did Galileo see?
  3. Discuss the role the church played in open and free discussion of science.
  4. Know and understand Newton's Laws of Motion
  5. Articulate Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation.
  6. Discuss Newton the man and scientist.
Key Words: You may use these for Review or SEARCH items:

Thursday, September 20th

TELESCOPES AND GATHERING LIGHT

Hale 200

Video: None

Textbook:

          1. Chapter Three : Light and Atoms, Sections 3.1 - 3.7 ,  Test Yourself Questions, pg 117, 1 - 5

Listen to: Fire in the Sky

Objectives: You should be able to:

  1. Contrast the particle and wave models of light
  2. List the various kinds of light in the Electromagnetic Spectrum
  3. List the wavelengths for each region of the em spectrum: Optical, IR, UV, Radio, Gamma Ray and X-Ray
Key Words: You may use these for Review or SEARCH items:

 

ASTRONOMICAL TOOLS OUTSIDE THE VISIBLE SPECTRUM
- TELESCOPES

 

Textbook:

          1.  Chapter Four: Telescopes - pg 120 - 142. Doing the Telescope Lab (#2) and the Spectroscope Lab (#3)will help you understand this material.

Test Yourself Questions, pg 143, 1 - 5

Objectives: You should be able to:

  1. How a Radio Telescope is similar to and unlike optical telescopes.
  2. List some of the major Radio Telescope facilities in the world.
  3. Describe the limitations of radio telescopes.
  4. State why radio interferometry has been developed.
  5. Describe the effects of the earth's atmosphere on IR, UV, and X-rays
  6. List advantages and disadvantages of the HST.
  7. Access and acquire images from the HST archives.
  8. NASA's Great Space Observatories
  9. Compare Reflector and Refractor Telescopes.
  10. Identify features of Refractor, Cassegrain and Newtonian telescopes.
  11. Know the difference between Magnification, Light Gathering and Resolution
  12. State advantages and disadvantages of various kinds of telescopes and binoculars.
  13. Discuss why UV, X-Ray and Gamma Ray astronomy is done in space. While Infrared Astronomy can be done from high altitude ground based telescopes, The Spitzer Infrared Space Telescope promises to reach new targets and provide us with more knowledge than ever before.
  14. Discuss Herschel Space Telescope to be launched in Jul 08.
Key Words: You may use these for Review or SEARCH items:

 Lab # 2 Telescopes

Lab # 3 The Spectroscope

Friday, September 21st through Monday, September 24th
Opportunity to EXCEL # 1 

Exam 1 - The Sky, Telescopes, What Astronomy is based on ...

This exam will be 50 questions, Multiple Choice. You will be given one hour to complete it. This will be closed book. You may take this exam from any internet accessible computer. You should be able to find a free hour during this period to take the exam. There will be a link in the Announcements of Blackboard to connect you to the exam. Questions are related to the objectives in our syllabus. They are in a larger pool of questions so no two people will get exactly the same exam. Good luck.

This exam will be conducted on the Internet. You will be able to take it from anywhere you have access to the WWW, even the beach! Do NOT try to start the exam without allotting enough time to take it completely. There are  50 questions. If you take one minute per question, it will take the better part of an hour to complete. Some people can complete it in less time. You cannot do part of it and come back later. The exam is closed book, closed notes, closed search engines, etc. You are on your honor to take this independently. I will put your exam there during the exam period and remove it when time is up. I'll start it at 8:00 AM Friday and turn it off at 8:00 PM Monday evening. This is our first exam. Take the exam, selecting the Best answer. Some of the misleads may not be totally wrong, but may not be the BEST answer. You can go back and change your answers. When you are satisfied with your test, SUBMIT the exam. It will grade and give you immediate feedback. You will not be able to retake the exam. Plan enough time for the exam.  Good luck.


 
 

 

Note: On some internet systems the ISP will turn you off at a preset time. Also, if you double click an entry, the computer thinks you entered an answer (first click) and the second click must be submitting the exam. Ouch! Contact me imnmediately if anything goes wrong. In some cases I can reset the exam.