Orion over telescope

ASTR 110: Introduction to Astronomy, Fall 2009

Grossmont College, Department of Physics & Astronomy

Instructor: Dr. Philip Blanco.
Phone: (619) 644-7312.
Email: Philip.Blanco@gcccd.edu

Course web page: http://www.grossmont.edu/philipblanco/astr110

Lectures in Building 36, room 346:
Section 2221: Mon/Wed 2:00-3:15pm
Section 2218: Tue/Thu 9:30-10:45am.

Office hours: Mon/Wed 1:00-2:30pm, Tues/Thurs 2-3pm, in Building 38A Room 300B1 (or look for me in Building 36, Room 333A, Physics Department). Note: to avoid time conflicts with other students in other classes, please let me know in person or via email when you intend to arrive. Other meeting times can also be arranged in advance.

Astronomy tutor Mike Brady: Tues/Thurs 1-2:30pm in Building 36, Room 333A (Physics Department).

News:

2009 Nov 20: Mon/Tues Reading Quiz: Chapter 10 (Sun).

Two new MasteringAstronomy assignments have been set - see the MasteringAstronomy site for details.

2009 Nov 14: Mon/Tue Reading Quiz: Sections 6.2-6.4.

Truth about Doomsday in 2012.

2009 Oct 31: Mid-term #2 this WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY. Study Guide.

MasteringAstronomy homeworks on Newton's laws of motion and gravity have been assigned.

2009 Oct 10: Reading Quiz: Sections 4.1, 4.2, 4.4.
A new MasteringAstronomy Homework (Orbits and Kepler's Laws) has been set.

2009 Oct 3: No reading quiz on Oct 5/6.

A new MasteringAstronomy assignment (Geocentric vs. Heliocentric systems) has been set.

Starry Night Homework 2 is due Wed/Thurs.

2009 Sep 25: Mon/Tues Reading Quiz: Sections 2.4, 3.2, 3.3.

2009 Sep 17: Mid-term 1 Study Guide (20 pages). Use as a supplement to handouts, notes, and other materials. You must bring a Grademaster 25420 form, scientific calculator, pencil+eraser, and optionally up to 4 sides (2 pages) of hand-written notes to be handed in for inspection.

Starry Night homework due Wed/Thu Sep 23/24. Only the computers in room 333A have the Starry Night software.

2009 Sep 11: Reading Quiz on sections 2.1-2.2 at first lecture next week. Please bring a Grademaster 25420 form.

A new MasteringAstronomy assignment has been set. See the masteringastronomy website below for details.

2009 Aug 31: Math Review Workshops for extra credit: 4 dates/times in the Tech Mall starting Wed Sep 9.

Quick Links:

Extra Credit Activities - recommend that you print this and take it with you!
Guide to registering and enrolling in the MasteringAstronomy.com course (PDF file)
MasteringAstronomy online testing and tutorials.
Sky Tonight - weekly sky guide, news headlines, and interactive sky chart.
Skywatching - daily chart from Earth & Sky
Astronomy Picture of the Day.
Space Weather, including current images of the Sun, night sky phenomena, and a list of potentially hazardous asteroids (click on any one to see their orbit)

Course Calendar:

Sep 7 Mon: Labor Day Holiday, no lecture
Sep 2 Wed: Planetarium + stargazing at R. H. Fleet Science Center, 6:45-9pm (extra credit).
Sep 21/22 Mon/Tue: MID-TERM #1
Sep 25 Fri: Last day to apply for Pass/ No Pass (CR/NCR) grading option
Nov 4/5 Wed/Thurs: MID-TERM #2.
Nov 12 Thu: Last day to withdraw from course (a "W" grade will be ecorded)
Nov 26 Thu: Thanksgiving holiday (no lecture).
Dec 7/8 Mon/Tues: MID-TERM #3.
Dec 15 Tue: FINAL EXAM (9:30am-11:30am) for Section 2218.
Dec 16 Wed: FINAL EXAM (1:30pm-3:30pm) for Section 2221.

Conflicts? Please inform the instructor within the first 3 weeks of the semester. Note that there is a "no make-ups" policy for this course. No exceptions. Instead, you may drop TWO reading quizzes and ONE mid-term exam without penalty.

Overview:

Since ancient times, humans have asked questions about the changing patterns of the lights in the sky. Why is it dark at night? How far away are the stars? What causes the motion of the planets? How does the Sun shine? How old is the Universe? Are we alone?

The quest to find the answers to these questions has been part of our heritage for millennia. But fortunately for us, now is an exciting time in human history to learn about astronomy! Thanks to new technologies, we can at last begin to answer many of these questions about our place in the Universe, and our ultimate fate.

We shall also learn how the scientific method - a cycle of observation, theory, and prediction - has helped us progress in our understanding of astronomical phenomena through the ages.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this course, students will have the skills to:

Goals of this class:

It is always useful to have some lofty goals! By the end of the semester you should be able to:
  1. Understand what you see in the sky: the apparent motions of the stars, planets, Sun and Moon; and phenomena such as eclipses, comets, and meteors.
  2. keep yourself informed about the latest astrophysical theories and discoveries, and comprehend the "big picture" behind any news item in print or on TV about astronomy and space.
  3. appreciate the importance of the scientific method, and be able to distinguish evidence-based scientific theories from "pseudosciences" such as astrology.
  4. realize that the Universe, while seemingly infinite, is nevertheless "knowable" by the laws of physics we have discovered on Earth.
  5. understand that finding our place in cosmic space and time is a human endeavor, in which we can all play a part.

Required Course Materials:

Please note that the lectures, not the textbook, form the basis of the examinable course material. We shall be using the textbook for reading assignments (weekly reading quizzes), for homework, and to support the lecture material.

Course Assignments and Grading Policy

The approximate grading scale for this class is:
A: > 85%     B: 70-85%     C: 55-70%     D or F: < 55%
Grades near the upper and lower bounds of their respective ranges will be modified by "+" and "-" values, as described in the Grossmont College Catalog. (Note that there is no C-, D+, or D- grade).

Actual grade boundaries may change slightly, and depend on the difficulty of exams and homework assignments - NOT on class performance (i.e. there is no "curve" or set quota for each grade). This means:

  1. Everyone in the class can get an "A".
  2. You are not in competition with your fellow students. In fact, working together in class will be actively encouraged!

Homeworks - online and written (25% of final grade):

Homework assignments will be given at the start of each week, usually for completion by the following week's Wednesday lecture. Most of the homework assignments will be online tutorials or quizzes from masteringastronomy.com, but 3 or 4 may be written end-of-chapter assignments to be handed in for grading, or worksheets to be completed using the "Starry Night" astronomy software on the Physics department computers (in Room 333A).

After you have registered on masteringastronomy.com, set up your personal username, password, and "StudentID" (please use your contact email address), to receive credit at Grossmont for your work on the website, you must join the appropriate "Course ID", which is BLANCOFALL2009MW (for Mon/Wed lecture) or BLANCOFALL2009TT (for Tues/Thurs lecture).

All homework, online and written must be your own work. Written assignments need not be typed, but must be neatly presented in blue or black pen (not pencil!), with pages stapled together. Submissions by email will not be accepted - please print and hand in your work like everyone else.

Each written assignment will receive a score between 0 and 4 points. Late work will be penalized at least 1 point. Assistance with homework can be obtained during office hours provided you can show me that you have made a bona fide effort on your own first! Note: if you do not at least attempt the homeworks on your own, you will be at a severe disadvantage in the mid-terms, and in the final exam!

Mid-term exams (40% of final grade):

Mid-terms will consist of about 40 multiple-choice questions (bring a Grademaster 25420), and occasional short-answer questions - often in the form of a diagram. There will be absolutely no make-ups for a missed mid-term; instead, the best 2 mid-term scores out of the 3 given count towards 40% of your overall grade.

Weekly reading quizzes (15% of total grade):

Beginning in week 3, I shall give a reading assignment from the text book for a short (4-5 question) reading quiz the following Monday/Tuesday. There will be no make-ups for missed reading quizzes. Instead, the lowest two scores will be dropped from the overall grade calculation.

Final Exam (20% of total grade): 

Dec 15 Tue 9:30am-11:30am for Section 2218. Dec 16 Wed 1:30pm-3:30pm for Section 2221.
The final exam will be a comprehensive review of all material covered in lectures, and will consist of multiple-choice and short-answer written or diagram questions. Once the final exam schedule has been published, please contact the instructor as soon as possible to resolve any conflicts with your other exams.

Extra Credit Field Trip Assignments (up to a maximum of 10% of total grade)

During the semester you will receive extra credit for participating in these community events. A separate handout contains more information and requirements for your extra credit reports. First report: up to 3% extra credit. Subsequent reports: 2% with a maximum of 10% total for the course.
First Wednesday of the month: Stargazing at Balboa Park:
...with the San Diego Astronomy Association, 7-9pm. Amateur astronomers set up their telescopes on the Prado near R.H. Fleet Science Center, to show the public the wonders of the night sky. To receive credit, have the astronomer write down their name, and model and size of telescope.
...Sky Tonight Planetarium Show at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, 6:45-7:45pm. ($10.50 admission). To receive credit, please attach your receipt to your report.

Second Friday & Saturday of the Month: Star parties at Mira Costa College, 8-9:30pm
...on the baseball field of their Oceanside campus. See Mira Costa's observing web page www.miracosta.edu/home/rfrench/astro/observing.htm to check for cancellations and for directions. Same proof of participation requirements as above.

Second Friday of the month and Saturdays Oct 24, Nov 14, Dec 19, ~sunset-9pm: Stargazing at Mission Trails
...at Kumeyaay Lake Campground. See www.mtrp.org under "Events" for more information. Wear mosquito repellant! Same proof of participation required as above.
For each event attended, you must write a 1-page report on what you learned, and attach the proof of participation described in the separate handout provided in class and on the course web page. ALL of these events are a lot of fun, and you can receive additional extra credit (up to 10% maximum) for going more than once during the course.

Academic Integrity

Unless otherwise noted, all exams are "closed book'', which means absolutely no recorded information may be brought in from the outside. You will be provided with relevant equations and numerical values for all tests. Mid-terms and the final exam will be designed to test understanding, not memory, so cheating will not help you - and you will probably be caught! Academic dishonesty is a serious action and will not be tolerated, since it compromises the value of hard-earned grades for all students at Grossmont. It includes, but is not limited to, copying another's work, allowing someone to copy your work, talking during an exam or quiz, giving information to another student during an exam or quiz, using unauthorized notes on an exam or quiz, or having another person take a test for you.

Cheating and plagiarism (using as one's own ideas writings, materials, or images of someone else without acknowledgement or permission) can result in any one of a variety of sanctions. Such penalties may range from an adjusted grade on the particular exam, paper, project, or assignment (all of which may lead to a failing grade in the course) to, under certain conditions, suspension or expulsion from a class, program or the college. For further clarification and information on these issues, please consult with your instructor or contact the office of the Associate Dean of Student Affairs.

Classroom Conduct

Laws control the lesser person; right conduct controls the greater one. ~ Chinese Proverb
"Be excellent to each other!" ~ Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure

All students should be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct, which may be found in the Grossmont College catalog. In addition, please observe these rules out of consideration for your fellow students and your instructor, so that we may all enjoy a pleasant and productive learning environment.

Attendance and Enrollment:

Attendance after Week 2 is optional, other than for weekly reading quizzes and exams. However, after 3 consecutive absences, Grossmont's policy allows the instructor to drop a student from class, but do not assume that you are dropped simply because you stop showing up! YOU are responsible for ensuring that you are properly enrolled or dropped before the deadlines given on the calendar above.

Arriving and Leaving:

Please arrive "ready to learn", i.e. with your belongings in order, no food or drink, and no need to use the restroom during lecture.

Students leaving the classroom during lecture time will not be allowed to return! Otherwise this behavior becomes an annoying distraction to your fellow students and the instructor. If you think you may need to use the restroom, it is better to do so beforehand and be a few minutes late for lecture, than to leave and return in the middle of the lecture.

If you have a good reason to leave early, please notify the instructor at the start of lecture, then find a seat where you can leave without disturbing others unnecessarily.

In the Classroom:

Productive and respectful interaction with classmates and instructor is encouraged, while any behavior which disrupts the learning environment will not be tolerated.

This includes talking, chewing, gesturing, passing notes, sleeping, reading non-classroom material, use of headphones, cellphones, or portable electronics. (Either silence your cellphone, or place it where you can cancel the ring-tone within 2 seconds. Cellphones must be turned off during any test).

No recording of audio, images, or video is permitted in the classroom. This is to protect the privacy of your fellow students, and to ensure the integrity and academic freedom of our learning environment. Recording of any classroom activity, even if clandestine, will be treated as disruptive behavior.

Possible sanctions for disruptive behavior include: ejection from the lecture, a 2-lecture suspension, and disciplinary action by the college.

During Exams:

During any test (reading quiz, mid-term exam, or final exam) cellphones and all other electronics (with the exception of your non-programmable calculator) must be turned completely off, and you may be asked to roll up your sleeves and remove hats. Electronic dictionaries are not permitted, but with prior approval you may use a published foreign language to English dictionary. The instructor may use video recording equipment to monitor exams, and software designed to detect plagiarism on homework assignments or multiple-choice tests.

Help is available!

In addition to office hours, please feel free to contact me via email if you are "stuck". Also, Grossmont offers some great resources to help you do well:

Philip Blanco, Astronomy, Grossmont College