Lab Time: Tuesday 1:30 pm - 3:20 pm, BX 102
Instructor: Ryan T. Hamilton
E-mail address: rthamilt@nmsu.edu (the BEST way to reach me)
Office: 108 Astronomy
Office Hours: Tuesday, 3:30 - 4:30 pm, or by appointment
Mailbox: Next to the Astronomy Office
Phone: 575-646-6328
The labs are used as tools to aid in the
understanding of the concepts explored in the lecture. These concepts are
expanded upon by applying them in a practical manner in the classroom and at
the campus observatory.
You are expected to fulfill the following four general requirements:
- ATTEND ALL LAB MEETINGS: There will be NO make up labs. If you
know ahead of time that you will miss class, you can possibly make
arrangements with me to attend a different lab section that week. But, if you
miss class, you cannot make up your lab later.
- COMPLETE LAB PROJECTS: All labs are due the next time your lab
meets, usually the next week. Each person must also turn in their own summary
(see below), but only one lab packet is required for each group. You are
required to visit the campus observatory twice during the semester, on your own
time on a nice clear night (details below).
- PREPARE FOR LAB: To be adequately prepared, you need to read over
the lab before coming to class. BRING A REAL SCIENTIFIC CALCULATOR!
Cell phones are fun and can do lots of things, but rarely can they be used
for what we need to do in the labs.
- PARTICIPATE: You are encouraged to ask questions at any point
during the lab. Participating in class is not only a good way to help you
learn, but it also helps others in the class.
- Read the labs before coming to class. If you are not coming to lab
prepared, weekly quizzes will be used as "motivation" to get you to read them
ahead of time.
- You will work in groups of 2-4, depending on the size of the class. Each group will turn in only ONE lab, but EVERYONE will turn in their own
summary. Note that I might change the summary questions occasionally, and I
will let you know during the lab if they have been changed. If you find
yourself stumped over a particular question, ask for help! Blank answers will
be angrily marked by my red grading pen of doom. Honest tries will be given a
fair chance at some partial credit. Both the labs and the summaries will
be due the following week, at the start of the lab period.
- Please write legibly in the lab that is to be turned in, since generally,
if I cannot read it, I can not and will not grade it. The lab summaries MUST be typed, without exception. If you do not have access to a computer,
NMSU has facilities available to you in many places. I WILL NOT ACCEPT EMAIL
SUBMISSIONS, as my email inbox is already out of control. Please proofread,
use complete sentences, and spell check, as points may be taken off for sloppy
errors and carelessness. This is college, and the ability to write a coherent
sentence is important.
- It is an absolute rule that to receive full credit for a lab summary
that you must use your own words on your own. This means that copying, close
paraphrasing, or collaboration with others in the writing of the summary FROM ANY SOURCE will result in a ZERO for the lab AND summary.
This means that copying directly from the lab manual will not be accepted under
any circumstances. If you must reference or quote something, include your
source in some fashion - inline, parenthetical, or footnote references, it does
not matter. Just use whatever best fits your style or what you know. If in
doubt, please ask me because I am very strict on this point. If you find that
you can't put the topic into your own words, please come and see me as it might
mean that the main point of the lab has not been fully grasped. Repeat
offenses of this policy will result in disciplinary action.
- 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.
- Please come to class ON TIME. Use some common sense, like not leaving
your cell phone ringer turned on, or texting all during class. Please let me
know ahead of time if you need to be available to the outside world during
class, it just makes things easier. Since we're close to lunchtime, if you
must bring food make sure it is something that is not overly messy and does not
get in the way of you or your group, or doesn't stink up the place. Don't get
greasy fingerprints on the lab equipment, and clean up after yourself! The
janitorial staff have enough to do already with the general mess that gets made
during the course of a regular day.
- Attendance is mandatory. You will be asked to sign an attendance sheet
at the beginning of class. If you ditch lab early, or show up too late to make
any meaningful contribution to your group, this will be reflected in your lab
grades as point deductions at my discretion.
- For observations at the campus observatory, do NOT wait until the last
minute! You are required to go to the observatory twice during the semester,
once before midterms and once after. The sheets must be turned in at the
beginning of lab by Tuesday, March 10th and Tuesday, April 28th. You are
required to see four different objects each time. The observatory is open
Mondays and Thursdays, weather permitting, from 9-10pm. Times may change
during the semester due to daylight savings time, so check the website listed
below for the latest information.
You are required to go to the
observatory and see 3 objects through the telescopes or binoculars, and
see one constellation that will be pointed out by one of the graduate
assistants at the observatory. Draw a picture, give a brief description of
what you saw (shape, color, etc.), and then look up an additional fact about
the object. Each of the 4 sheets must be stamped by one of the graduate
assistants at the observatory to prove that you actually were there. Google is
a great place to start for your additional fact, but be sure to reference
where you got your fact from. Failure to do so will result in less than full
credit for each sheet missing a reference.
OBSERVATORY PHONE NUMBER AND
WEBSITE:
575-646-6278
http://astronomy.nmsu.edu/astro/observatory
Remember, I am here to help you, so feel free to ask me questions during the
lab, during my office hours, or just about anytime. I am usually around in the
afternoons, and you can find my schedule on my personal website to see where I
will be.
Astronomy 110G-M06 Lab Syllabus
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Ryan Hamilton
2009-01-15