Astronomy 3010
Syllabus Fall 2008 Tues, Thurs 12:30-1:15
REVISED Nov 4
Office
235 Physics; hours 2-3 Tues, Thurs or by appointment;
Office
phone 542-2870, home phone 353-2614
Homepage
http://www.physast.uga.edu/~jss/
Course
Homepage http://hal.physast.uga.edu/~jss/3010/
This
is a ‘How To’ course. How to find your way around the sky, use a
telescope, take and reduce astronomical data, and interpret those data.
When we are learning ‘how to’ we will also learn some background information
about why we are doing what we are doing e.g., coordinate systems, systems of
time, properties of telescopes, properties of detectors, etc. Then there
is the long
list of terminology: CCD, German mount, local apparent solar time, H & K lines,
color-color diagram, etc. Every field has its own language. If you
have trouble understanding how to do a task, how or why software, hardware or a
process works, or what I am saying when I talk ‘astronomy’, please ask
questions.
Students
come to the course with a wide variety of experience. Some have been
astronomy majors for three or more years. Some are non-majors. If
you are new to all of this and it seems to be going over your head please get
help and don’t get behind. If you are a ‘pro’, help the ones who don’t
have your background.
Night
work
– You will need at least 2 nights a week available free from any obligation. If your early evenings are full, think about all that wonderful time after midnight. We share the telescope with the ASTR1110L/2030L class and with the public nights. TUESDAYnights are reserved for ASTR1110L/2030L. You may get on the telescope only after they have finished (about 11PM)! There will be a sign up sheet for all observations. You MUST sign up to observe. Even if there is no one signed up when you come to observe, still write your name in. You are obligated to show up and observe if you are signed up and if it is clear! That means when you sign up you should have accounted for all your next-day tests and other activities.
Group
work
– All observations with the UGA 0.6m telescope will be done in groups of
two or three. Group work is fully collaborative with the group receiving
one grade for the project.
I
encourage all of you to teach each other. However, I expect each of you
to do your own work and hand it in as such. [The exception is group
work.] Of course, any form of outright plagiarism is absolutely
forbidden. If you use material from outside sources, even the web, cite
it!
About
the syllabus, especially deadlines. Below is an outline of the course.
Since several of the things we do require clear weather many of the dates are
approximate. However, there is bad luck with weather, and there is
procrastination. If the weather is terrible I will slide the deadlines
for observations projects back some. The other slack you have is in the
grading system.
We will try to stay fairly close to the following schedule. If we
run long, part of the review day will be used to finish up the material.
Each day will have a link to: 1) some reading materials for the day (except during Spectra when we will be reading Kaler) 2) some questions you might be asked to answer for class participation and 3) occasionally some homework to hand in.
|
Day |
Date |
Topic |
|
Day |
Date |
Topic |
|
1 |
Aug 19 |
Intro |
|
15 |
Oct 7 |
|
|
2 |
21 |
|
16 |
9 |
||
|
3 |
26 |
|
17 |
14 |
Radio Astronomy |
|
|
4 |
28 |
|
18 |
16 |
Radio Astronomy |
|
|
5 |
Sept 2 |
|
19 |
21 |
Radio Astronomy |
|
|
6 |
4 |
|
20 |
23 |
Radio Astronomy |
|
|
7 |
9 |
|
21 |
28 |
Radio Astronomy |
|
|
8 |
11 |
|
22 |
30 |
Radio Astronomy |
|
|
9 |
16 |
|
23 |
Nov 4 |
||
|
10 |
18 |
See above |
|
24 |
6 |
|
|
11 |
23 |
See above |
|
25 |
11 |
|
|
12 |
25 |
See above |
|
26 |
13 |
|
|
13 |
30 |
Review |
|
27 |
18 |
|
|
14 |
Oct 2 |
Midterm Test |
|
28 |
20 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
29 |
Dec 2 |
Overflow |
|
|
|
|
|
30 |
4 |
Final
Test, Tues, December 16th, NOON
REVISED Nov 12
Observations and data reduction
100 points Light curve project Due December 10
Exercises
160 points 1-20 points each submission depending on the difficulty.
These are hand in exercises. Some are due before the class where we discuss them and others are at the computer when we work on them in class [such as the IRAF exercises]
Tests
80 points Midterm In class October 2
100 points Final In class Dec 16 Noon
Class Participation
Not graded - we just did more homework instead.
During the term there will be homework questions
for you try before we discuss them in class. I will post them on the web
so you can do them ahead of time. Questions similar to them will show up
on the tests so be sure you do them and understand what is going on.
Observations are due physically in my box, under
my door or electronically submitted by 23:30 Local Mean Solar Time on the date
noted. This does not apply to tests. All tests, take home and in
class, must be turned in on time.
Total points 420 Grade based on (points earned)/370
94-A, 90-A-, 87-B+, 83-B, 80-B-, 77-C+, 73-C,
70-C-, 60-D.