Astronomy 698 Fall 2011

DATE	TOPICS	FILES, NOTES, and ASSIGNMENTS
May 2	FINAL EXAM
Apr. 27	The Sun (4): Magnetic solar activity, helioseismology, flares	Lecture 35: [slides] [article] EXTRA CREDIT ASSIGNMENTS (repeat) Complete the instructor and teaching assistant course evaluations for 0.5 points each (on Blackboard) Complete the post astronomy assessment for 1 point (on Blackboard)
Apr. 25	The Sun (3): Corona, chromosphere, photosphere, convection	Lecture 34: [slides] [article] EXTRA CREDIT ASSIGNMENTS Complete the instructor and teaching assistant course evaluations for 0.5 points each (on Blackboard) Complete the post astronomy assessment for 1 point (on Blackboard)
Apr. 25	Study guide for final exam: [pdf]
Apr. 25	LAB : Review for Final Exam	Turn in last week's homework lab exercises, if any, for "The Sun"
Apr. 25	The Sun (2): Nuclear fusion, equilibrium	Lecture 33: [slides] [article] LECTURE TUTORIAL: Our Solar System - Sun Size
Apr. 22	No Class - Spring Holiday
Apr. 20	Review of Exam 2
Apr. 18	LAB : The Sun	Turn in last week's homework lab exercises, if any, for "Building a comet"
Apr. 18	The Sun (1):	Lecture 32: [slides] [article]
Apr. 15	EXAM 2	Covering material from Lectures 14 - 28, and the accompanying lecture tutorials. [Exam with solutions]
Apr. 13	Review session for exam (in class)	Study guide for exam: [pdf]
Apr. 11	LAB : Building a comet	Turn in last week's homework lab exercises, if any, for "Heat loss from Io"
Apr. 11	Uranus + Neptune and Jovian Moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto, Titan	Lecture 31: [slides] [article] DUE: Homework Set 6
Apr. 8	Jovian Atmospheres (2): Jupiter, Saturn, Saturn's rings	Lecture 30: [slides] [article] [Study guide] for exam 2
Apr. 6	Earth and Jovian Atmospheres (1): Earth, Jupiter	Lecture 29: [slides] [article] ASSIGNMENT Homework Set 6 is on Blackboard. DUE: APRIL 11, before class
Apr. 4	LAB : Heat Loss from Io	Turn in last week's homework lab exercises, if any, for "Surface water features on Mars"
Apr. 4	Planetary Atmospheres (3): Moon, Mercury, Venus	Lecture 28: [slides] [article]
Apr. 1	Planetary Atmospheres (2): Magnetosphere, weather, Coriolis effect	Lecture 27: [slides] [article] Quiz on the structure of the solar system. [Quiz with solutions]
Mar. 30	Planetary Atmospheres (1): Greenhouse effect, layers	Lecture 26: [slides] [article] LECTURE TUTORIAL: Our Solar System - Earth's Changing Surface
Mar. 28	LAB : Surface water flow features on Mars	Turn in last week's homework lab exercises, if any, for "Surface of the Moon"
Mar. 28	Terrestrial Geology (2): Mars, Venus, Earth	Lecture 25: [slides] [article] ANNOUNCEMENT QUIZ on Friday, April 1, on basic solar system properties Don't forget your 2nd observatory trip
Mar. 18	Terrestrial Geology (1): Heating and cooling processes, Moon, Mercury	Lecture 24: [slides] [article] ASSIGNMENT Read the lab "Surface water flow features on Mars" for March 28
Mar. 16	Introduction to Geology: Core, mantle crust, seismology, heating processes	Lecture 23: [slides] [article] In-class extra credit questions
Mar. 14	LAB : The Surface of the Moon	Turn in last week's homework lab exercises, if any, for "Estimating Earth's Density"
Mar. 14	Formation of the Solar System: Nebular Theory, planetesimals, radiometric dating	Lecture 22: [slides] [article] LECTURE TUTORIAL: Temperature and formation of our solar system
Mar. 11	Characteristics of the Solar System: Asteroids, comets, orbital directions	Lecture 21: [slides] [article] QUIZ on light and radiation. [Quiz with solutions] ASSIGNMENT Read the lab "Surface of the Moon"
Mar. 9	Our Solar System: Terrestrial and Jovian Planets	Lecture 20: [slides] [article]
Mar. 7	LAB : Estimating Earth's Density	Turn in last week's homework lab exercises, if any, for "Kepler's Laws"
Mar. 7	Telescopes (2): Examples of ground and space telescopes	Lecture 19: [slides] [article] LECTURE TUTORIAL: Nature of Light in Astronomy - Telescopes Due Today: Question Set 5 (Blackboard) ASSIGNMENT Quiz this Friday in class on light/radiation
Mar. 4	Telescopes (1): Principles, refracting and reflecting	Lecture 18: [slides] [article] LECTURE TUTORIAL: Nature of Light in Astronomy - Doppler Shift ASSIGNMENT Read the lab "Estimating Earth's Density" for Monday
Mar. 2	Doppler Shift: Absorption lines shifted	Lecture 17: [slides] [article] LECTURE TUTORIAL: Nature of Light in Astronomy - Types of Spectra ASSIGNMENT Homework: Question Set 5, due Mar. 7 (Blackboard)
Feb. 28	LAB : Kepler's Laws. NOTE: Go to Jacobs 129 today for lab!	Turn in last week's homework lab exercises, if any, for "Orbit of Mercury"
Feb. 28	Spectroscopy: Absorption and emission spectra	Lecture 16: [slides] [article] ASSIGNMENT Read the lab "Kepler's Laws"
Feb. 25	EXAM 1	Covering material from Lectures 1 - 13. [Exam with solutions]
Feb. 23	Review session for exam. BX 102, 7pm	Study guide for exam: [pdf]
Feb. 23	Radiation and Matter	Lecture 15: [slides] [article] LECTURE TUTORIAL: Nature of Light in Astronomy - Electromagnetic Spectrum of Light
Feb. 21	LAB : Orbit of Mercury	Turn in last week's homework lab exercises, if any, for "Origin of Seasons"
Feb. 21	UNIT 2 - Basic Astronomical Prinicples Light and Radiation:	Lecture 14: [slides] [article] due today: Question Set 4 (Blackboard)
Feb. 18	Pseudoscience: Astrology	Lecture 13: [slides] [article] ANNOUNCEMENT: Come to the solar physics colloquium today at 1pm in our classroom! LECTURE TUTORIAL: Fundamentals of Astronomy - Kepler's Third Law ASSIGNMENT Read the lab "The Orbit of Mercury" for Monday
Feb. 16	History of Astronomy (2): Galileo, scientific method	Lecture 12: [slides] [article] ANNOUNCEMENT: Exam 1, Friday Feb. 25, Unit 1 ASSIGNMENT Homework: Question Set 4, due Feb. 21 (Blackboard)
Feb. 14	LAB : Origin of the Seasons	Turn in last week's homework lab exercises for "Phases of the Moon"
Feb. 14	History of Astronomy (1): Ptolemy, Copernicus, Kepler.	Lecture 11: [slides] [article]
Feb. 11	Eclipses: Lunar and solar	Lecture 10: [slides] [article] Quiz on Lunar phases. Quiz with solutions: [pdf] Due today: Question Set 3 (Blackboard) LECTURE TUTORIAL: Our Solar System - The Causes of Moon Phases (start working on this) LECTURE TUTORIAL: Our Solar System - Predicting Moon Phases (start working on this) ASSIGNMENT Read the lab "Origin of the Seasons"
Feb. 9	The Moon: Phases, observations	Lecture 9: [slides] [article] ASSIGNMENT Study for short quiz on phases of the Moon (Friday Feb. 11)
Feb. 7	LAB : Phases of the Moon	Labs now held in Science Hall 117 DUE: Scale Model of the Solar System exercises
Feb. 7	Seasons (3): The reasons for seasons	Lecture 8: [slides] [article] Lecture Tutorial: "Our Solar System - Path of the Sun" ASSIGNMENT Homework: Question Set 3, due Feb. 11 (Blackboard) Read the lab "Phases of the Moon"
Feb. 4	No Class - Cold day
Feb. 2	No Class - Snow day
Jan. 31	LAB : Scale Model of the Solar System	Meet at Aggie Stadium (North Gate) at 2:30pm or 4:30pm DUE: Density Lab exercises
Jan. 31	Seasons (2): The ecliptic and the Sun	Lecture 7: [slides] [article] Lecture Tutorial: "The Night Sky - The Ecliptic" DUE Today: Question set 2 (blackboard)
Jan. 28	Seasons (1): Solar and sidereal days	Lecture 6: [slides] [article] Lecture Tutorial: "The Night Sky - Seasonal Stars" Lecture Tutorial: "The Night Sky - Solar vs. Sidereal Day" ASSIGNMENT Read the lab "Scale Model of the Solar System" for Monday
Jan. 26	The Zodiac	Lecture 5: [slides] [article] Lecture Tutorial: "The Night Sky - Motion" ASSIGNMENT Homework: Question Set 2, due Jan. 31 (Blackboard)
Jan. 24	LAB : Density	Turn in last week's homework lab "Tools for Success in ASTR 105"
Jan. 24	Understanding the Night Sky (2): Celestial sphere, horizon, zenith	Lecture 4: [slides] [article] Lecture Tutorial: "The Night Sky - Position" DUE Today: Question set 1 (blackboard)
Jan. 21	Understanding the Night Sky (1): What we see without a telescope, celestial sphere, constellations, Earth's movement	Lecture 3: [slides] [article] ASSIGNMENT Read the lab "Density"
Jan. 19	Unit 1 - Observations around us Overview of the Universe: Units, distance scales	LECTURE 2: [slides] [article] DUE TODay: INTRODUCTORY ASTRONOMY SURVEY (blackboard) Here are the Unit 1 [learning outcomes] ASSIGNMENT: Homework: Question Set 1, due Jan. 24 (Blackboard)
Jan. 17	HOLIDAY - No labs today. Complete "Tools for Success in AST 105" for homework
Jan. 14	Introduction to the course	LECTURE 1: [slides] [article] If you do not purchase the lab manual at Kinkos, you can download it in its entirety [here] ASSIGNMENTS: Read the entire [Syllabus] by next class Obtain your textbook Here is the [voting card] for downloading and printing out IN COLOR by next class Complete the introductory astronomy survey on Blackboard by Wednesday, Jan. 19, midnight (not graded, but 1 extra credit point for completion will be awarded LAB 1 (DUE JAN. 24): [pdf] ("Tools for Success ..." take home lab)