Block 1, Tentative Schedule:
 
Jan 29,    Jan 31
Feb 5,    Feb 7
Feb 12,  Feb 14
Feb 19 (Exam # 1)


Tues January 29th

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

Video: Powers of Ten

Reading:    Annual Editions
Textbook: 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:
   
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. Many of the observing sessions will be informal. Basically during these sessions I'll show you the skies and tell stories. We'll have fun. CSC ObservatoryYou'll need to dress warm as this really is Minnesota and we'll be outside for roughly two hours. You must keep an Observing Journal for the semester. This should be kept (although printed out later) on a floppy disc 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 floppy.
Thurs Jan 31st
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)

Video: None
 

Saturday is Groundhog Day

       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

  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:

Tues Feb 5

This is also known as "Super Tuesday" to political candidates. Get out and attend Minnesota caucuses.

 

IDEAS OF CLASSICAL ASTRONOMY I
Aristarchus

  Video: None

 

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:

 

Ash Wednesday!

Thurs Feb 7

Lab#1: You will be assigned a specific laboratory activity that is consistent with the weather and where you are in the objectives. Check with your instructor before you forge ahead. If we go out, remember that it is February in Minnesota and you must dress warmly. Be sure to have warm boots, hat and gloves as it gets cold in the observatory. They say "... in Minnesota, Astronomers suffer!"
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.
Outside: Inside:

 

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

Thurs Feb 7

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
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:

Tues Feb 12

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:

The Story of Valentine's Day

 


Thurs Feb 14

 

            This week is the anniversary of the discovery of Pluto. What did it take for Clyde Tombaugh to discover Pluto? Is Pluto really a planet? How many planets are there?

Lab will be held today,... This week you can see:

Thurs Feb 14
ASTRONOMICAL TOOLS OUTSIDE THE VISIBLE SPECTRUM
- TELESCOPES

 

Textbook:

          1.  Chapter Four: Telescopes - pg 120 - 142. Doing the Telescope Lab 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:
     
Tues Feb 19
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.

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! (Yeah, sure - February in Minnesota)Your instructor will explain your ID and password to you. Your ID (name) is your six digit student ID number. YOu must memorize this. Your password is the last four digits of your Social security Number unless you have changed that with Lotus Notes system. Do not forget this or you will not be able to take the exam.    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.

When you get the page, there will be a login box in the upper left hand part of the page. Click on this and enter your User ID (that six digit student ID number)and Password (last four digits of your SSN or a new password if you have already changed it.) Blackboard will then welcome you with your own personal page. There is a Tool menu on the left side. The last thing here is Personal Information. If you select this, you can update any personal information and change your password. Your User Name will remain the same. That is how we have you enrolled. On the right hand side of the main page is a box that says: My Course. You should find Astronomy there. Click on Astronomy and you will be taken to the course. Since everything else is done through our webquester, the syllabus, etc, there is nothing here. But there is a menu on the left hand side of the page. The fifth box down is Assignments. If you click on Assignments you will see appear on the page a folder marked QUIZZES. There's nothing there yet, but I will put your exam there during the exam period and remove it when time is up. 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.