ASTRONOMY 110: ASSIGNMENTS (FALL 2010)
Week 01: A Grand Tour of the Universe (19 - 20 August)
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Reading: This week, and every other week, review the on-line notes for the week's lectures.
You may also read chapter 1 (Our Place in the Universe) of our recommended
textbook: The Cosmic Perspective (TCP), by Bennett, Donahue, Schneider, & Voit.
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Homework & Quiz: Review lecture 1 in the
self-review library.
When you are ready, take your first weekly quiz (covering lecture 1), by switching from review to
weekly quiz mode. Note that weekly quizzes must be taken before 11pm on the Saturday on which
they are due, in order to be counted.
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Lab: Lab sections will not meet this week. You need to obtain a copy
of the ASTR110G Sections 01-03 lab manual. You can either purchase it for $28
at Kinko's, purchase it on Thursday August 19 or Tuesday August 24 in class
for $15, or download and print it yourself from the online PDF copy. Do not purchase the lab manual for Sections
04-10 by mistake — our manual has a picture of a doggie and says "with
Professor Nicole Vogt'' on the cover, while the other one has a picture
of the Sun and costs $35.
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Resources: Here are a few web links which will help you to think about
scientific notation (powers of ten), unit conversions (meters to kilometers,
or seconds to years), how to determine velocity from distance and time, and
the shapes of planetary orbits.
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Special Event: Perseid meteor shower, through August 26 — keep an
eye out for meteors at night.
Week 02: An Astronomical Toolbox (23 - 27 August)
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Reading: Read chapter 2 (Discovering the Universe for Yourself) of TCP.
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Homework & Quiz: Review lectures 2-3 in the
self-review library,
and take your second weekly quiz.
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Lab: An introduction to the self-review library and a lab introduction
will be held during the weekly lab session, in Jacobs Hall 129 (JA129).
The lab sessions will generally be held in either BX102 or in JA129; check
this sheet for the location each week.
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Special Event: Perseid meteor shower, through August 26 — keep an
eye out for meteors at night.
Week 03: Understanding the Moon (30 August - 3 September)
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Reading: Read S1 (Celestial Timekeeping and Navigation) of TCP.
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Homework & Quiz: Review lectures 4-5 in the
self-review library,
and take your third weekly quiz.
Print out the back,
middle, and
front panels for a lunar
phase wheel, cut out the middle and front panels, and secure the three circles
together in order with a push pin for a study aid.
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Lab: Review the lab manual entry for Lab #3 (The Surface of the Moon).
You will perform this exercise during your weekly lab session, in BX102.
Campus observatory sessions begin Monday evening, and continue throughout
the semester on Monday and Thursday evenings from 9:00pm to 9:50pm.
Week 04: Observing the Sky (6 - 10 September)
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Reading: Read chapter 4 (Universe of Matter and Energy) and chapter 8
(Welcome to the Solar System) of TCP.
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Homework & Quiz: Review lectures 6-7 in the
self-review library,
and take your fourth weekly quiz.
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Lab: Review the lab manual entry for Lab #2 (The Origin of the Seasons).
You will perform this exercise during your weekly lab session, in BX102.
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Resources: Here are a few references about moons, to get you thinking about satellites
and orbits.
Week 05: The Solar System I (13 - 17 September)
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Reading: Read 7 (Telescopes: Portals of Discovery) of TCP.
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Homework & Quiz: Review lectures 8-9 in the
self-review library,
and take your fifth weekly quiz.
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Lab: Review Lab #4 (Kepler's Laws and Gravitation).
You will perform this exercise during your weekly lab session, in JA129.
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Resources: Here are a few references concerning the electromagnetic
spectrum (high energy X-rays, visible light, low energy microwave and radio waves)
emitted by objects like the Sun, and the legacy of Madame Marie Curie.
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Special Event: There will be an astronomy department
open house
on Friday night at 9:00pm, at the
campus observatory.
Friends and families are welcome, especially curious children!
Week 06: The Solar System II (20 - 24 September)
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Midterm: A review sheet,
with sample questions, and answers.
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Reading: Read chapter 9 (Formation of the Solar System).
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Homework & Quiz: Review lectures 10-11 in the
self-review library,
and take your sixth weekly quiz.
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Lab: Review Lab #5 (Measuring Distances Using Parallax).
You will perform this exercise during your next two weekly lab sessions, starting in BX102.
Be sure that your lab group is prepared, with a roll of strong tape, 4 coins, 2 pencils
or pens, a calculator, a tall object (such as a soft drink can or a can of soup),
and (optionally) an old towel.
A 20-minute video tutorial
is now available for viewing.
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Resources: Here are a few references that will help you to visualize the
layout of the solar system, and parallax observations.
Week 07: The Planets (27 September - 1 October)
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Reading: Read pages 253-270 of chapter 10 (Planetary Geology: Earth
and the Other Terrestrial Worlds), pages 293-298 of chapter 11 (Planetary
Atmospheres: Earth and the Other Terrestrial Worlds), and pages 330-342 of
chapter 12 (Jovian Planet Systems) of TCP.
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Homework & Quiz: Review lectures 12-13 in the
self-review library,
and take your seventh weekly quiz.
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Lab: Review Lab #5 (Measuring Distances Using Parallax).
You will complete this exercise during your weekly lab session, starting in BX102.
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Resources: Here are a few references that will help you to explore the planets,
and the age of the solar system.
Week 08: Midterm Examination (4 - 8 October)
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Midterm: Midterm examination on Tuesday, October 5.
You may bring a lunar phase wheel to the midterm, if you have prepared one in advance.
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Reading: Review readings from chapters 1-2, S1, 4, and 6-9 for midterm examination.
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Homework & Quiz: Review lectures 1-13 in the
self-review library,
and take your eighth weekly quiz. Take the quiz before the midterm exam, as part of your
studying process.
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Lab: Review Lab #6 (Comets and Asteroids).
You will complete this exercise during this weekly lab session, in BX102.
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Resources: Here is a nice application of Kepler's laws of planetary orbits,
applied to the Jovian moons.
Week 09: Waves and Energy (11 - 15 October)
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Reading: Read chapter 6 (Light: The Cosmic Messenger) and chapter 16 (Properties of Stars) of TCP
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Homework & Quiz: Review lectures 14-15 in the
self-review library,
and take your ninth weekly quiz.
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Lab: Review Lab #7 (The Geology of the Terrestrial Planets).
You will complete this exercise during this weekly lab session, in BX102.
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Resources: Here is a references that will help you to understand
atomic structure and the elements.
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Special Event: There will be an astronomy department
open house
on Friday night at 8:00pm, at the
campus observatory.
Friends and families are welcome, especially curious children!
Week 10: Atoms (18 - 22 October)
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Reading: Read chapter 17 (Star Stuff) of TCP.
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Homework & Quiz: Review lectures 16-17 in the
self-review library,
and take your tenth weekly quiz.
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Lab: Review Lab #8 (Optics).
You will complete this exercise during this weekly lab session, in BX102.
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Resources: Here are some good explanations of spectral lines and atomic structure.
Week 11: Stars (25 - 29 October)
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Reading: Read chapter 18 (The Bizarre Stellar Graveyard) of TCP.
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Homework & Quiz: Review lectures 18-19 in the
self-review library,
and take your eleventh weekly quiz.
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Lab: Review Lab #9 (Understanding Spectroscopy).
You will complete this exercise during this weekly lab session, in BX102.
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Resources: Here is information to help you explore the way that atomic
spectra differ from element to element, and Doppler shift.
Week 12: Stellar Burning (1 - 5 November)
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Reading: Read chapter 19 (Our Galaxy) of TCP.
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Homework & Quiz: Review lectures 20-21 in the
self-review library,
and take your twelfth weekly quiz.
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Lab: Review Lab #10 (The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram).
You will perform this exercise during your next two weekly lab sessions, in JA129.
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Resources: Here is information to help you explore the positions of
stars of various luminosities on the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram, and to learn about the
Hipparcos survey of nearby stars in our Galaxy.
Week 13: Stellar Death (8 - 12 November)
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Reading: Read chapter 20 (Galaxies: From Here to the Horizon) and pages
650-661 of chapter 21 (Galaxy Evolution) of TCP.
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Homework & Quiz: Review lectures 22-23 in the
self-review library,
and take your thirteenth weekly quiz.
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Lab: Review Lab #10 (The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram).
You will complete this exercise during your weekly lab sessions, in JA129.
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Resources: Here is information concerning white dwarfs, black holes, and
neutron stars.
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Special Event: Astronomy department
open house
on Friday night at 7:00pm, at the
campus observatory.
- Special Event:
Attend the November 8 talk by
Stephen Fadden of the Institute of American Indian Arts, on Native American
Ethnoastronomy and Star Stories. This talk is part of the Fall 2010 College of Arts and
Sciences Colloquium Series.
Week 14: Galaxies (15 - 19 November)
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Reading: Read pages 701-710 of chapter 23 (The Beginning of Time),
and review chapters 6, 16-21 for final examination.
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Homework & Quiz: Review lectures 24-25 in the
self-review library,
and take your fourteenth weekly quiz.
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Lab: Review Lab #11 (Hubble's Law and the Age of the Universe).
You will complete this exercise during your weekly lab sessions, in BX102.
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Resources: Here is information concerning galaxies and cosmology.
You may also want to sneak a peak at the marvelous galaxy images in
our final lecture,
before lab.
Thanksgiving Holiday Break (22 - 26 November)
- Lecture and laboratory sessions will not meet during the Thanksgiving
Holiday Break. The campus observatory will be closed as well. Enjoy your
time off, and try to look up if you find dark skies!
Week 15: The Fate of the Universe (29 November - 3 December)
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Reading: Review readings from chapters 6, 16-21 and 23 of TCP, for final examination.
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Homework & Quiz: Review lectures 14-26 in the
self-review library,
and take your fifteenth weekly quiz.
| Office Hours |
|---|
| Day | Time | Instructor | Location |
|---|
| Mondays | 1:30 | pm | – | 4:00 | pm | Meredith | Astronomy | #110 |
| Tuesdays | 11:35 | am | – | 12:50 | pm | Nicole | Astronomy | #203 |
| Wednesdays | 10:15 | am | – | 11:30 | am | Mark | Astronomy | #109 |
| Thursdays | 11:35 | am | – | 12:50 | pm | Nicole | Astronomy | #203 |
| Fridays | 10:15 | am | – | 11:30 | am | Mark | Astronomy | #109 |
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Lab: A review session for the final exam will be conducted in each
laboratory session this week.
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Extra Credit: All extra credit assignments are due in class by Tuesday November 30.
Week 16: The Big Picture (6 - 10 December)
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Final: Final examination on Thursday, 8:00 - 10:00am
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Reading: Review readings from chapters 6, 16-21 and 23 of TCP, for final examination.
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Homework & Quiz: Review lectures 1-26 in the
self-review library,
and take your sixteenth weekly quiz, if you have not already done so.
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Special Event: Astronomy department
open house
on Friday night at 7:00pm, at the
campus observatory.
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Special Event: Geminids meteor shower, December 1 through 18 — keep an
eye out for meteors at night, especially on Tuesday December 14.