Course Assignments, Week by Week
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Pre-Class Survey: Complete the short class pre-class survey, to give us some background information on
your goals and your resources as you begin this course. Once you have done
so, your self-review library account will be enabled and you will be able to
begin to study. This is the first thing that you should do for this class; it
requires no preparation.
Your self-review library access code is equal to the last four digits of your
Aggie ID. (If your last name is hyphenated, please enter only the portion
which appears before the hyphen for your "last name".)
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Studying: Review the online notes for lecture 1.
Listen to an audio recording of this
lecture (made during a previous semester), and follow along through the
lecture slides.
You may read Chapter 1 (Science and the Universe) in our online textbook
(Astronomy by Andrew Fraknoi, David Morrison, and Sidney
Wolff) to take a brief tour of the Universe.
The textbook readings are designed to provide background information in
support of the online notes, so focus most on any topics which are unfamiliar
to you.
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Homework & Quiz: Review lecture 1 in the self-review
library, and complete 20 practice quizzes for homework to familiarize
yourself with the materials. When you are ready, take your first weekly quiz
(covering lecture 1), by switching from review to weekly quiz mode.
Your self-review library access code is equal to the last four digits of your
Aggie ID. If your last name is hyphenated, please enter only the portion
which appears before the hyphen for your "last name". This access code will
also work for the pre-class and post-class surveys, and for the lab plotting
tools.
Note that weekly quizzes must be taken before 10 pm on the Saturday on which
they are due, in order to be counted. You may take them up to a week early or
a week late if you have a particularly busy week at some point, but do not
make a habit of this.
Quiz #1 thus could be taken as early as Sunday August 6 (if the
semester had begun), should be taken by 10 pm on Saturday August 19, and
must be taken by 10 pm on Saturday August 26.
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Lab: Obtain a copy of the ASTR110G Section 70 lab manual.
You can either download and print the 200-page online PDF-format manual, or work week-by-week from the online PDF-format chapters.
Read through the first week's work for laboratory exercise #1 (Fundamentals of
Measurement and Error Analysis). You can find all of the necessary online materials
grouped together here. You will design and conduct a simple experiment and
then trade designs with another student, so begin this work early so that you
are ready to share your design by next Wednesday.
Create a free account at Google Drive,
if you do not have one already, and make sure that you have informed your instructors
of the email address you will use for this purpose. Read lab #1 and watch the video
tutorial for this lab if you have any question about how to do this.
Check that you can successfully create and save a copy of a simple plot
in our online plotting package.
Download a copy of the laboratory report template, and share it with
your instructors (with GMail addresses prof01.nmsu.geas and ta01.nmsu.geas).
You will use this template as the basis for your lab report, placing your answers
in the spaces left for them. Do not attempt to work through the exercise by reading
the template without the lab chapter, as this will not be effective.
Check that you can successfully create and save a copy of a simple plot
in our online plotting package.
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Resources: Here are a few web links which will help you to think about
scientific notation (powers of ten), and unit conversions (meters to kilometers,
or seconds to years). We have also included some useful astronomical resources,
to help you to learn about your surroundings.
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Studying: Review the online notes for lectures 2 and 3.
Listen to audio recordings of these
lectures.
Read the following sections in our online textbook to learn about
scientific notation,
units used in science,
ancient astronomy,
keeping time,
orbits in the Solar System,
the architecture of the Galaxy,
the behavior of light,
origin of the solar system, and
the age of the Universe.
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Homework & Quiz: Review lectures 2-3 in the self-review
library, and complete 20 practice quizzes for homework to familiarize
yourself with the materials. When you are ready, take your second weekly quiz
(covering lectures 2 and 3), by switching from review to weekly quiz mode.
Note that weekly quizzes must be taken before 10 pm on the Saturday on which
they are due, in order to be counted. You may take them up to a week early or
a week late if you have a particularly busy week at some point, but do not
make a habit of this. Quiz #2 thus can be taken as early as Sunday
August 13, should be taken by 10 pm on Saturday August 26, and
must be taken by 10 pm on Saturday September 2.
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Lab:
Share your simple experiment design for laboratory exercise #1 by 10 pm on
Wednesday, by entering it into your online Google Drive lab report.
Those who complete this task early will be partnered up with other students
who do so as well, so that they can move forward quickly.
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Resources: If you have questions about the laboratory exercises, the
self-review library, or other aspects of this class, share them with others in
our group discussion boards (within the Canvas learning system).
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Studying: Review the online notes for lectures 4 and 5. The level of complexity of the self-review library questions
increases for lectures 4-26, so be sure to study thoroughly before taking your
weekly quiz.
Listen to audio recordings of these
lectures.
Read Chapter 4 (Earth, Moon, and Sky) in our online textbook.
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 or a brad for a study aid.
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Homework & Quiz: Review lectures 4-5 in the self-review
library, and complete 20 practice quizzes for homework to familiarize
yourself with the materials. When you are ready, take your third weekly quiz
(covering lectures 4 and 5), by switching from review to weekly quiz mode.
Note that weekly quizzes must be taken before 10 pm on the Saturday on which
they are due, in order to be counted. You may take them up to a week early or
week late if you have a particularly busy week at some point, but do not
make a habit of this. Quiz #3 thus can be taken as early as Sunday
August 20, should be taken by 10 pm on Saturday September 2, and
must be taken by 10 pm on Saturday September 9.
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Lab:
Complete the first week's work for laboratory exercise #1
(Fundamentals of Measurement and Error Analysis) by 10 pm
on Wednesday. You can find all of the necessary materials grouped together here, including a video tutorial with extra help.
Complete §1.2 through §1.4 by 10 pm on Wednesday.
This week's work is worth 54% of the total score for laboratory exercise #1.
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Resources: If you have questions about the laboratory exercises, the
self-review library, or other aspects of this class, share them with others in
our group discussion boards (within the Canvas learning system).
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Midterm: The midterm examination will be held at NMSU during Week 08
(October 2-6). Fill out this quick survey to help determine the time of the exam, by
Friday September 8. If you are unable to attend the in-class exam, you will
need to make alternate arrangements next week. (Identify a local proctor, and
submit a signed Proctor
Form.) If you do not fill out the survey by September 8 we will assume
that you intend to work with a proctor or that you do not intend to take the
exam.
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Studying: Review the online notes for lectures 6 and 7.
Listen to audio recordings of these
lectures.
Read Chapter 2 (Observing the Sky) and Section 9.4 (The Origin of the Moon) in our online
textbook.
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Homework & Quiz: Review lectures 6-7 in the self-review
library, and complete 20 practice quizzes for homework to familiarize
yourself with the materials. When you are ready, take your fourth weekly quiz
(covering lectures 6 and 7).
Quiz #4 can be taken as early as Sunday August 27, should be
taken by 10 pm on Saturday September 9, and must be taken by 10 pm on
Saturday September 16.
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Lab:
Complete laboratory exercise #1 (Fundamentals of Measurement and Error Analysis). Finish
your online Google Drive lab report.
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Resources: Here are a few references about moons, to get you thinking about satellites
and orbits.
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Midterm: The midterm examination will be held at NMSU during Week 08.
If you are unable to attend the in-class exam, you must make alternate
arrangements by no later than next week. Identify a local proctor, and
submit a signed Proctor Form
by Monday, September 18.
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Studying: Review the online notes for lectures 8 and 9.
Listen to audio recordings of these
lectures.
Read Chapter 3 (Orbits and Gravity) in our online textbook.
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Homework & Quiz: Review lectures 8-9 in the self-review
library, and complete 20 practice quizzes for homework to familiarize
yourself with the materials. When you are ready, take your fifth weekly quiz
(covering lectures 8 and 9).
Quiz #5 can be taken as early as Sunday September 3, should be
taken by 10 pm on Saturday September 16, and must be taken by 10 pm on
Saturday September 23.
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Lab:
Complete the first week's work for laboratory exercise #3 (Cratering and the Lunar Surface) by 10 pm on Wednesday.
Complete questions 1-3 in §3.2.1, and Tables 3.3 and 3.4 and the two
associated questions in §3.3.
This week's work is worth 35% of the total score for laboratory exercise #3.
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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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Midterm: The midterm examination will be held at NMSU during Week 08.
If you are unable to attend the in-class exam, you must make alternate
arrangements immediately. Identify a local proctor, and submit a signed
Proctor Form by Monday,
September 18.
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Studying: Review the online notes for lectures 10 and 11.
Listen to audio recordings of these
lectures.
Read Chapter 7 (Other Worlds) in our online textbook.
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Homework & Quiz: Review lectures 10-11 in the self-review
library, and complete 20 practice quizzes for homework to familiarize
yourself with the materials. When you are ready, take your sixth weekly quiz
(covering lectures 10 and 11).
Quiz #6 can be taken as early as Sunday September 10, should be
taken by 10 pm on Saturday September 23, and must be taken by 10 pm on
Saturday September 30.
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Lab:
Complete laboratory exercise #3 (Cratering and the Lunar Surface). Finish your lab report,
and double-check that you have shared it with your instructors, by Wednesday at
10 pm.
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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.
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Studying: Review the online notes for lectures 12 and 13.
Listen to audio recordings of these
lectures.
Review Chapter 9 (Cratered Worlds), Chapter 10 (Earthlike Planets), and Chapter 11 (The Giant Planets) in our online
textbook. (There are many topics covered here, so focus on those featured in
the online notes and those of most interest to you.)
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Homework & Quiz: Review lectures 12-13 in the self-review
library, and complete 20 practice quizzes for homework to familiarize
yourself with the materials. When you are ready, take your seventh weekly
quiz (covering lectures 12 and 13).
Quiz #7 can be taken as early as Sunday September 17, should be
taken by 10 pm on Saturday September 30, and must be taken by 10 pm on
Saturday October 7.
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Lab:
Complete the first week's work for laboratory exercise #5 (Parallax Measurements and Determining Distances) by 10 pm on
Wednesday.
Complete the 10 questions and 3 tables in §5.2.
This week's work is worth 46% of the total score for laboratory exercise #5.
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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.
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Midterm: The midterm examination will be held at NMSU this week. If
you are unable to attend the on-campus exam, you must have made alternate
arangements for a local proctor by no later than Week 06.
The midterm exam is based on the same materials covered in the self-review
library (and in the lab exercises), so an excellent way to study for the exam
is to solve self-review problems.
The exam will cover lectures 1 though 13, and laboratory exercises 1, 3, and 5.
You may use your
lunar phase wheel during the exam.
Please bring two pens and a photo i.d. You will not need a calculator.
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Studying: Review the online notes for lectures 1 through 13.
Listen to audio recordings of these
lectures.
Review laboratory exercises 1, 3, and 5.
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Homework & Quiz: Review lectures 1-13 in the self-review
library, and complete at least 20 practice quizzes for homework to
familiarize yourself with the materials. When you are ready, take your eighth
weekly quiz (covering lectures 1 through 13). Take the quiz before the
midterm exam, as part of your studying process.
Quiz #8 can be taken as early as Sunday September 24, should be
taken by 10 pm on Saturday October 7, and must be taken by 10 pm on
Saturday October 14.
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Resources: Here is a nice application of Kepler's laws of planetary orbits,
applied to the Jovian moons.
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Studying:
Review the online notes for lectures 14 and 15.
Listen to audio recordings of these
lectures.
Read Chapter 5 (Radiation and Spectra) in our online
textbook.
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Homework & Quiz: Review lectures 14-15 in the self-review
library, and complete 20 practice quizzes for homework to familiarize
yourself with the materials. When you are ready, take your ninth weekly quiz
(covering lectures 14 and 15).
Quiz #9 can be taken as early as Sunday October 1, should be
taken by 10 pm on Saturday October 14, and must be taken by 10 pm on
Saturday October 21.
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Lab:
Complete laboratory exercise #5 (Parallax
Measurements and Determining Distances). Finish your lab report, and
double-check that you have shared it with your instructors, by Wednesday at 10 pm.
Because of the timing of the lunar month, we will begin working on our next
laboratory exercise at the end of this week.
Begin the first week's work for laboratory exercise #2 (Observing the Sky) on Friday October 13.
Select a clear night and measure the altitude of the North Star as described
in §2.2.6.
Complete this activity as soon after the New Moon as possible, as the waxing
Moon will make the sky brighter and brighter each night (making it harder to
find the North Star).
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Resources: Here are references that will help you to understand
atomic structure and the elements.
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Studying: Review the online notes for lectures 16 and 17.
Listen to audio recordings of these
lectures.
Read Chapter 17 (Analyzing Starlight) and Chapter 18 (The Stars) in our online textbook.
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Homework & Quiz: Review lectures 16-17 in the self-review
library, and complete 20 practice quizzes for homework to familiarize
yourself with the materials. When you are ready, take your tenth weekly quiz
(covering lectures 16 and 17).
Quiz #10 can be taken as early as Sunday October 15, should be
taken by 10 pm on Saturday October 28, and must be taken by 10 pm on
Saturday November 4.
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Lab:
Complete the first week's work for laboratory exercise #2 (Observing the Sky) by 10 pm on Wednesday.
Refer back to the lecture slides for lectures 4 and 5 to review the lunar month and the yearly seasons.
Select a clear night and measure the altitude of the North Star as described
in §2.2.6.
Complete this activity as soon after the New Moon as possible, as the waxing
Moon will make the sky brighter and brighter each night (making it harder to
find the North Star).
Measure the elongation, fractional illumination, and phase of the Moon for
eight evenings in a row, starting on Monday October 16.
(If you cannot see the Moon due to clouds or rain, skip that evening and add
an extra evening at the end of the sequence. You can keep observing until the
Moon is almost full.) Enter your measurements into your Google Drive lab
report each night, so that your instructors can check that they are correct.
On Friday October 20, measure the altitude of the Moon as it transits at
7:38 pm.
Check the Canvas LMS for an updated observation time if you are located
somewhere other than Las Cruces, NM.
If you are worried about the Moon being hidden by clouds on October 20 you
may perform this measurement a day early, on Thursday October 19, at 6:44 pm
(or a day late, on Saturday October 21, at 8:28 pm).
Complete every column of the first half of Table 2.3 (covering at least three
evenings of observations). Plot your elongation angle data, and answer
associated questions 1-6, questions 1-3 in §2.2.5, and questions 1-7 in
§2.2.6.
This week's work is worth 44% of the total score for laboratory exercise #2.
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Resources: Here are some good explanations of spectral lines and atomic structure.
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Studying: Review the online notes for lectures 18 and 19.
Listen to audio recordings of these
lectures.
Read Chapter 19 (Celestial Distances) in our online
textbook.
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Homework & Quiz: Review lectures 18-19 in the self-review
library, and complete 20 practice quizzes for homework to familiarize
yourself with the materials. When you are ready, take your eleventh weekly
quiz (covering lectures 18 and 19).
Quiz #11 can be taken as early as Sunday October 22, should be
taken by 10 pm on Saturday November 4, and must be taken by 10 pm on
Saturday November 11.
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Lab:
Complete laboratory exercise #2 (Observing the Sky). Finish your lab report, and
double-check that you have shared it with your instructors, by Wednesday at 10
pm.
Make sure that the plot of elongation angles includes all of your observations
(is updated from the first week to show your data for all eight nights)
and answer questions 7-9 in §2.2.3 and questions 4-9 in §2.2.5.
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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.
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Studying: Review the online notes for lectures 20 and 21.
Listen to audio recordings of these
lectures.
Read Section 21.1 (Star Formation), Section 21.2 (The H-R Diagram), and Section 22.2 (Star Clusters) in our online textbook.
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Homework & Quiz: Review lectures 20-21 in the self-review
library, and complete 20 practice quizzes for homework to familiarize
yourself with the materials. When you are ready, take your twelfth weekly
quiz (covering lectures 20 and 21).
Quiz #12 can be taken as early as Sunday October 29, should be
taken by 10 pm on Saturday November 11, and must be taken by 10 pm on
Saturday November 18.
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Lab:
Complete the first week's work for laboratory exercise #6 (The
Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram and Stellar Evolution) by 10 pm on Wednesday.
Complete questions 1-3 in §6.3.1, questions 1-4 in §6.4.1, and
questions 1-4 in §6.5.
This week's work is worth 43% of the total score for laboratory exercise #6.
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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.
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Final: The final examination will be held at NMSU during Week 16
(December 4-8). Fill out this quick survey to help determine the time of the exam, by
Friday November 10. If you are unable to attend the in-class exam, you will
need to make alternate arrangements next week. (Identify a local proctor, and
submit a signed Proctor
Form.) If you do not fill out the survey by November 10 we will assume
that you intend to work with a proctor or that you do not intend to take the
exam.
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Studying: Review the online notes for lectures 22 and 23.
Listen to audio recordings of these
lectures.
Read Chapter 23 (The Death of Stars) and Sections 24.5 - 24.6 (Black Holes) in our online
textbook.
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Homework & Quiz: Review lectures 22-23 in the self-review
library, and complete 20 practice quizzes for homework to familiarize
yourself with the materials. When you are ready, take your thirteenth weekly
quiz (covering lectures 22 and 23).
Quiz #13 can be taken as early as Sunday November 5, should be
taken by 10 pm on Saturday November 18, and must be taken by 10 pm on
Saturday November 25.
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Lab:
Complete laboratory exercise #6 (The
Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram and Stellar Evolution). Finish your lab
report, and double-check that you have shared it with your instructors, by
Wednesday at 10 pm.
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Resources: Here is information concerning white dwarfs, black holes, and
neutron stars.
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Final: The final examination will be held at NMSU during Week 16
(December 4-8). If you are unable to attend the in-class exam, you must
make alternate arrangements by no later than this week. Identify a local
proctor, and submit a signed Proctor Form by Monday, November 20.
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Studying: Review the online notes for lectures 24 and 25.
Listen to audio recordings of these
lectures.
Read Chapter 25 (The Milky Way Galaxy), Sections 24.1 - 24.4 (General Relativity), and Sections 29.1 - 29.2 (The Expansion of the Universe) in
our online textbook.
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Homework & Quiz: Review lectures 24-25 in the self-review
library, and complete 20 practice quizzes for homework to familiarize
yourself with the materials. When you are ready, take your fourteenth weekly
quiz (covering lectures 24 and 25).
Quiz #14 can be taken as early as Sunday November 12, should be
taken by 10 pm on Saturday November 25, and must be taken by 10 pm on
Saturday December 2.
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Lab:
Complete the first week's work for laboratory exercise #7 (Hubble's
Law and the Cosmic Distance Scale) by 10 pm on Wednesday.
Complete questions 1-2 in §7.3.1, questions 1-5 in §7.4.1, and
questions 1-7 (on images) and 1-5 (on spectra) in §7.4.
This week's work is worth 41% of the total score for laboratory exercise #7.
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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 (20 - 24 November)
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Final: The final examination will be held at NMSU during Week 16
(December 4-8). If you are unable to attend the in-class exam, you must
make alternate arrangements immediately. Identify a local proctor, and
submit a signed Proctor
Form by Monday, November 20.
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Post-Class Survey: Complete the short class post-class survey, to give us some information on how you
use the resources in this class. Once you have done so, you will be cleared
to take the final exam. Like the pre-class survey, this does not require
preparation.
Please also complete the course and laboratory evaluation forms from within
Canvas.
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Student Evaluations: Complete the course and laboratory section
evaluation forms online within the Canvas LMS, by Friday.
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Studying: Review the online notes for lectures 14 through 26.
Listen to audio recordings of these
lectures.
Read Chapter 26 (Galaxies) in our online textbook.
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Homework & Quiz: Review lectures 14-26 in the self-review
library, and complete 20 practice quizzes for homework to familiarize
yourself with the materials. When you are ready, take your fifteenth weekly
quiz (covering lectures 14 through 26).
Quiz #15 can be taken as early as Sunday November 19, should be
taken by 10 pm on Saturday December 2, and must be taken before the final
exam.
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Lab:
Complete laboratory exercise #7 (Hubble's
Law and the Cosmic Distance Scale). Finish your lab
report, and double-check that you have shared it with your instructors, by
Wednesday at 10 pm.
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Extra Credit:
Extra credit assignments must be submitted as e-mail
messages, PDF-format attachments to e-mail messages, or shared Google Drive
by 10 pm on Tuesday November 28.
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Post-Class Survey: Complete the short class post-class survey (if you have not already done so), to give
us some information on how you use the resources in this class. Once you have
done so, you will be cleared to take the final exam. Like the pre-class
survey, this does not require preparation.
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Final: The final examination will be held at NMSU this week. If you
are unable to attend the in-class exam, you must have made alternate
arangements for a local proctor by no later than Week 14.
The final exam is based on the same materials covered in the self-review
library (and in the lab exercises), so an excellent way to study for the exam
is to solve self-review problems.
The exam will focus on lectures 14 though 26, and laboratory exercises 5
through 7. Please bring two pens, a photo i.d, and a calculator.
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Studying: Review the online notes for lectures 1 through 26.
Listen to audio recordings of these
lectures.
Review laboratory exercises 5-7.
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Homework & Quiz: Review lectures 1-26 in the self-review
library, and complete at least 20 practice quizzes for homework to
familiarize yourself with the materials. When you are ready, take your
sixteenth weekly quiz (covering lectures 1 through 26). Take the quiz before
the final exam, as part of your studying process.
Quiz #16 can be taken as early as Sunday November 26, and must be
taken before the final exam.