ASTR 110G M01, M02, M03
Introduction to Astronomy

Syllabus and Statement of Policy
Fall 2009

| Course Home Page | Lecture/Lab Schedules |

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Lecture Section
MWF @ 10:30-11:20 am
Biology Annex 102 (BX 102)
Attendance at lecture is mandatory.

Dr. Chris Churchill
Office: Rm 206 Astronomy Bldg (#55)
Office hours: T & Th 12:00-1:00
Phone: 646-1913
Email: "cwc"

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Lab Sections
Biology Annex 102 (BX 102)

Lab (web page) .. TA ...................... Day...................... Time ................... Location ............. Office ................. Office Hrs ........... Phone ............... Email .................

M01 M.J. Clark Monday 12:30-2:30 PM BX 102 Rm 220 W 1:30-2:30 Th 12:00-1:00 646-8180 "thegeek"

M02 Nikki Nielsen Monday 2:30-4:30 PM BX 102 Rm 209 W 2:00-3:00 Th 10:30-11:30 646-7724 "nnielsen"

M03 Nikki Nielsen Tuesday 1:30-3:30 PM BX 102 Rm 209 W 2:00-3:00 Th 10:30-11:30 646-7724 "nnielsen"

All email addresses are the username given above "@nmsu.edu".

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COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is designed to be a general introduction to the scientific method of understanding the universe and our place within it. Face it. This class, by the very nature of its content, will introduce an astronomical perspective to your life. Human beings have looked to stars from the beginning, and have always found (or wanted to find) some meaningful connection between their daily lives and the universe. Out of a time span of roughly a hundred thousand years, it has been only in the last 80 years (that is 0.08%) that we have begun to really grasp the unfathomable expanse of time and space: several hundred billion galaxies spread out over billions of light years of space. Each galaxy is an "oasis" in an otherwise desolate cosmos-- each an ecosystem in which hundreds of billions of stars are born, live out their lives, grow old, and die (sometimes quite catastrophically). To survive the crush from the gravity of its own weight, each star mutates hydrogen and helium, the simplest elements, into carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and iron, the elements of life. The life cycles of the stars is our story, for our Sun is one of these stars, born from a previous generation of stars-- a link in a chain for a next generation to come in our galaxy, the Milky Way-- and the chemical elements in our bodies were forged in the cores of the older generation of stars before being blasted out into space to seed our solar system. Something like 90% of all stars have planetary systems... and life as we know it? This is our current picture of our place in and connection with the universe. It bares little resemblance to what our ancestors believed. How will our ancestors view themselves?

In this context, we will study the details of the objects in the universe and how they evolve. Most important are the concepts of gravity and energy generation. Each star is a delicate balancing act between the two. Though the details may be many and often times numerous, what is desired is that you, the student, walk away with the big picture of the lives of stars, the structure of galaxies, the ecosystem of the universe, and its history and fate as we presently understand it.

COURSE POLICIES

Credit and Grading
This is a four (4.0) credit course. The Lab component is one (1.0) unit and the Lecture component is three (3.0) units. Attendance to the lectures and to all labs is mandatory and will be charted. In summary (as outlined in detail below), the following will be counted for credit: attendance points ; four required midterm exams (of which your three highest scores will be counted- your lowest score is dropped) ; a cumulative final exam ; your lab scores.

Grading will be weighted as follows:

• Attendance = 10%
• Labs = 25%
• 1st midterm exam = 15%
• 2nd midterm exam = 15%
• 3rd midterm exam = 15%
• Cumulative final exam = 20%

There will be four (4) midterms. Your lowest midterm score will be dropped, so only three of the midterms are included in your grade. You must take ALL four midterms and the final exam in order to pass the class. However, here is an incentive to rock on the midterms: If you earn a 90% or greater on each of all four midterms, then you will not be required to take the final exam (this is the only condition by which you can not take the final exam and still pass the class). Yes, you read that. If you are eligible, and you choose to opt out of the final exam, then you must provide the professor a written and signed note no later than the last day of regular classes stating your intention to opt out of the final exam. In this case, your final exam score that will be recorded in the grade book will be the average of your midterm scores. If you do not notify me of the opt out, and you do not take the final exam (whether you are eligible to opt out or not), you will receive and "F" in the course.

Prerequisites/Math Skills
There are no prerequisites for this course. In Lecture, there will be very little quantitative analysis; however, there will be qualitative analysis that does require simple multiplication and division. You will be exposed to charts, graphs, and simple mathematical formulae and will be expected to be able to interpret them- stuff like, if I double the temperature of this star, then its luminosity increases by a factor of 16. In the Lab, you will want to have a calculator that can perform scientific notation. And if you can "take" a logarithm, you are way ahead of the game. If not, fear not, in practice it involves pushing a single button labeled "Log". Astronomy covers a lot of ground, from atoms that are a half of a billionth of a meter in size, to clusters of galaxies which are millions of light years in size (and one light year is some 100,000 billion meters). Your first Lab will be a review of scientific notation. The Labs will be your opportunity to experience applying basic math to unlocking the riddles of the cosmos.

Lectures
The lectures are designed to introduce and explain scientific concepts, to stimulate interest in the reading material, to expand on the reading material, and, in some cases, to introduce topics not covered in the textbook. You are encouraged to ask questions during the lectures!

Text Book and Recommended Reading
The textbook for this course is Foundations of Astronomy (9th edition, Brooks/Cole) by Michael Seeds. The book is not required, but it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. If you purchase the book, I suggest using the on-line material at http://ace.brookscole.com/sf9/. A copy will be put on two hour in-house reserve at the Zuhl Library. The book has been written for non-science majors and is not heavily mathematical. A reading schedule has been made available that matches the lectures. Your best strategy will be to do the recommended reading the night before the material is presented in class.

Course Home Page
A home page will be continually updated for this course, and its address is the following: http://astronomy.nmsu.edu/cwc/Teaching/ASTR110/.

Attendance
Attendance will be recorded every class meeting and attendance points will comprise 10% of your total points toward your grade. Tardiness, and "bugging out" of class early will be spot checked. Talk to the professor if you have a daily or weekly scheduling constraint. You can lose a whole grade level if you have poor attendance.

Labs and Campus Observatory
At some level, the lab projects will be equivalent to doing homework assignments. The lab section is your opportunity to apply what you have heard in lecture. Doing is knowing, so this is where you will most often really begin to obtain a deeper appreciation for astronomy. Take advantage of the one-on-one time and exploit the chance to improve your exam scores by learning in lab.

LAB MANUAL: You are responsible for obtaining your personal copy of the Lab Manual, which will be used as a work book. You can print out the lab manual in full (PDF format) at http://astronomy.nmsu.edu/astro/labmanual.pdf

LAB SCHEDULE: The Lab schedule is available on line. In the emergency case that you miss a lab, you need to attend another lab. A schedule of all ASTR 110 labs is available at http://astronomy.nmsu.edu/astro/Fall09Sched.pdf

LAB ASSIGNMENTS: There will be weekly lab assignments, most of which you will complete in the lab class. Each week a new assignment will be handed out that will be due the following week. You will also be required to go to the campus observatory to make some observations of the sky, and you will hand in reports on these observations. In the case of holidays, adjustments will be taken into account. Detailed policies for grading, etc, will be explained by your lab teacher. Your lab scores will be incorporated into your overall grade for this course, and comprise 25% of your total points.

LAB POLICY ON COLLABORATION (PLAGIARISM): You may collaborate with other classmates for studying the questions and developing understanding for the solutions to the lab problems. You will work in groups of three or four for each lab assignment. You will be collectively graded on these reports (that is, you and your lab partners will receive the same grade). However, each individual student is required to write a summary report of each lab, and this is graded per the individual. Lab summaries MUST BE TYPED and handed in on a separate 8.5x11 paper with no tears or perforations. It is an absolute rule that to receive full credit for a lab summary that you must write the answer in your own words on your own. It is a very easy science to cross correlate assignments and check for copying and close paraphrasing- and we have become most efficient at it. And, we are efficient at spotting cutting and pasting from Internet sources, which is strictly not allowed. These policies on lab summaries will not be compromised. Individuals who are judged to be copying (or having been copied from!), either fully or partially will be contacted directly- the situation will be discussed and documented with signatures. For the first infraction, the student(s) will receive no credit. A second offense may (and probably will) result in disciplinary action through official university channels. Listen up: Don't copy others' work; don't let others copy your work (without or without your consent).

LAB LATE POLICY: Unless you have made mutually agreed upon (confirmed) PRIOR arrangements (at least 24 hours in advance), assignments are late if not handed in by the end of class on the due date. Late work is accepted up to one class period past the due date, but it is worth only 50% of the total points (half credit). Work handed in later than the next class period is not accepted. Work can be handed in only in one installment. That is, it is not allowed that part of a lab project is "on time" for full credit, and another part is "late" for half credit.

CAMPUS OBSERVATORY: There are two "observing projects" that will require you attend the Campus Observatory. The observatory will have two "open nights" per week: 9-10 pm Monday and Thursday, weather permitting. On some weeks, there will be additional open nights based upon the scheduling of sporting events (these events turn on the lights near the telescopes, making observing impossible). As these nights become known, they will be communicated to the class.

ADVICE ON CAMPUS OBSERVATORY: Bad weather is the astronomer's enemy. Bad weather will be your enemy this semester. There are a limited number of nights that you can attend campus observatory for your sky observations (on which you will be graded). There are more than 250 students taking ASTR 110 that will need to access the telescopes for lab assignments during this semester! Thus, if you have not completed your current observatory assignment and there is a open night at the observatory and the sky is clear.... GO.... do not wait until next open night or you could get burned by bad weather and hurt your grade. The earlier you attend campus observatory the better chance you have of getting full credit for this component of the lab. If you wait until later, you may get weathered out. And if the weather is crappy for several of the open nights, every student who procrastinated will be running for the observatory. Mark these words... the lines can get mega long and you can spend hours just waiting to look in the telescope if you wait to go to observatory. Go to observatory as soon as possible. Listen up: if you miss all opportunities to attend campus observatory prior to the due date of an observing project, you will receive a zero score on the project. No exceptions and no dropped scores for observing projects.

Exams
There will be four midterm exams covering the material discussed in class and the assigned readings. Emphasis will be on the main concepts rather than rote memorization of details. "Trick questions" will be avoided, and the main concepts will be clearly emphasized in class lectures and in the book. Your lowest score of the four will be dropped; only your three highest scores will be counted toward your grade. You must take all four exams to pass this course, even if you require a make-up exam. You have been informed. There will a required cumulative final exam. However, if you obtain an 90% or greater on all four exams, you may "opt out" of taking the final exam, in which case the average of your midterm exams will be used to compute your final exam score. You must provide written notification to the professor no later than the last day of regularly scheduled classes if you choose this option. Failing to hand in a completed final exam without providing a written note that you chose the "opt out", will result in an "F" on the final exam if you do not take it.

EXAM DAY POLICY: (1) No hats or objects that obstruct your face; (2) All books and papers zipped shut in your back pack; (3) All exams written in pencil only; Bring a No. 2 pencil with excellent eraser.

MAKE-UP EXAM POLICY: No make-up exams will be given except in cases of: (1) a medical emergency documented by an official physician's note; (2) official University business documented by an official from the University; or (3) death in your family with official documentation. The format of the makeup exam will be at the discretion of the instructor. YOU MUST CONTACT ME BY EMAIL OR PHONE MESSAGE NO LATER THAN THE DAY OF THE EXAM FOR THESE POLICY TO HOLD. NO CONTACT UNTIL AFTER MIDNIGHT OF THE EXAM DAY WILL RESULT IN A FAIL IN THE COURSE. Exceptions will be based upon documented demonstration of a total inability to make contact ONLY.

Drop Policy
IMPORTANT-- READ THIS: Wednesday, October 14 is the last day to drop the course with a "W" grade. You are responsible for taking the correct administrative steps for dropping the course. You will not "automatically" be dropped if you simply stop attending the class or the Labs. In fact, this is now University Policy- the instructor cannot drop a student; the student must instigate a drop. If your name appears on the BANNER roster at the end of the semester, you will receive a letter grade, which could result in an "F". You have been informed.

Office Hours
Office hours are posted at the top of this document. You are encouraged to attend office hours when you are seeking additional help with the course material. If you cannot make the appointed times, please make an appointment. The professor and teaching assistant are both very open to scheduling time to meet with you... just pick up the phone or send an email. SEE BELOW REGARDING COMMUNICATING...

Attending office hours is optional. They are scheduled to provide an additional resource for you. Office hours are a guaranteed way to talk to either the professor or the teaching assistant. If you have any questions about an assignment, or about what was talked about in class, you can come ask us in a one-on-one situation. If you feel that you are falling behind, or that what was covered did not make sense, please come talk to us and we would be happy to go over it with you. This is also your chance to come ask us general astronomy questions, that might not be covered in the class.

Communication and Damage Control
Direct and honest communication with your professor and teaching assistant will always serve your interest best. If you have personal issues that affect your performance and/or attendance, the responsible thing is to communicate these as soon as possible. For example, missing class for three weeks and then showing up (or emailing) to discuss your grade is NOT effective communication. Calling or emailing that you will be missing class is effective communication. You of course do not need to disclose you personal issues in detail. If you want the best damage control for a situation going bad, communicate up front. We are here to assist you in successfully achieving your educational goals. We will gladly work out a program to help you complete the course, provided you do not request it in the "11th hour".

COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR PROFESSOR AND/OR LAB INSTRUCTORS: All messages, whether voice, written, or email, need to have your full name, and your section number. Do not include your BANNER ID. If sending an email, put your full name and section number in the subject line of the email. If leaving a voice message, be sure to leave contact information (clearly and slowly stated). If leaving a message via the secretary, be sure to include all the above information. Communication with your instructors should never be treated like a tweet or text message to a friend. Be formal, be clear, be respectful, be mature.

ADVICE FOR DAMAGE CONTROL. Though we work hard to keep clear and accurate records, from which your grade will be determined, we are not perfect and mistakes can and do sometimes occur. We strongly encourage you to photocopy your lab work prior to handing it in so that you have a backup copy. We also strongly encourage you to KEEP ALL WORK (LABS AND EXAMS) HANDED BACK TO YOU WITH GRADES MARKED ON THEM for backup proof in the case that we make a mistake in our record keeping. In cases where there are disputes over lost work or grades entries in our records that do not corroborate your expectations or memory, we will work hard to resolve the issue to the best of our integrity. However, we cannot promise that the issue will always be resolved in your favor. If you have backup proof, the issue will always be resolved quickly and unambiguously.

Academic Integrity Policy
All New Mexico State University policies regarding ethics and honorable behavior apply to this course (and they are taken very seriously). For details, please see the NMSU Student Code of Conduct at http://www.nmsu.edu/~vpsa/SCOC/misconduct.html. Plagiarism will be dealt with harshly. PLAGIARISM includes, but is not necessarily limited to, "submitting examinations, themes, reports, drawings, laboratory notes, undocumented quotations, computer-processed materials, or other material as one's own work when such work has been prepared by another person or copied from another person." Both intentional and unintentional plagiarism is considered academic misconduct. The NMSU Student Code of Conduct will be applied as policy in this course.

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