ASTR 26300 Descriptive Astronomy: The Solar System Fall 2009 Syllabus Lecturer: Prof. Jaehyon Rhee (Jay) Office: Physics Building, Room 196 Office Hours: Thursday 12:30-2:00 pm or by appointment Email & Phone: jrhee@physics.purdue.edu & 496-9596 Head TA: Mr. Andy Irrgang Office: Physics Building, Room 293 Email & Phone: irrgang@purdue.edu & 496-8261 Course Webpage: http://www.physics.purdue.edu/astr263/ Lectures: MW 4:30-5:20 pm, Class of 1950 Lecture Hall (CL50), Room 224 Labs: Log in to mypurdue (https://mypurdue.purdue.edu) for your first lab time and location. The labs start from the first week of the semester. Textbook: Bennett, Donahue, Schneider, & Voit, Cosmic Perspective Media Update with Mastering Astronomy, 5th Edition, Addison-Wesley (ISBN: 0-321-55138-9) Alternatively, ISBN: 0-321-50567-0, which is also 5th Edition, is acceptable. For this class, you will need the textbook only. The resources (software and an access code for MasteringAstronomy) which come with the textbook will not be needed. We will cover the first half of the book. The remainder will be covered in ASTR 26400. Lab Manual: Shipsey, Coy, & MacCall, Introductory Astronomy Lab Manual, 6th Edition, McGraw-Hill (ISBN: 0-07-353949-X) General Information: The term astronomy literally means law of the stars because it is derived from the Greek word αστρονομία (astronomia) made of two words άστρον (astron, star) and νόμος (nomos, law). In reality, astronomy means the scientific study of celestial objects (such as planets, asteroids, comets, stars, and galaxies) and matter (like interstellar medium, intergalactic medium, dark matter, and dark energy) outside the earth's atmosphere and of their dynamical, physical, and chemical properties. Although astronomy is regarded as one of the oldest sciences, most of the important developments have occurred over the past several decades with the advent of high quality telescopes and instruments; new topics to teach and learn are still coming!
ASTR 26300 is one of two descriptive, nonmathematical courses in astronomy intended for non-physics majors. There is no prerequisite for ASTR 26300. No scientific or mathematical background is assumed, beyond the entrance requirements to the University. However, astronomy is a science, so you will be expected to develop your critical thinking skills in order to understand and apply the scientific methods developed by astronomers and also to interpret the scientific results derived from the methods. During this course, I hope that you will obtain a broad and deep background in astronomy so that you will be able to understand and enjoy exciting astronomical discoveries which you may hear from the media. Topics of ASTR 26300 include our place in the universe, descriptions of the sky, the historical development of astronomy, the motion of the sun and the moon, solar and lunar eclipses, the seasons and the calendar, the sun and the planetary system, and comets, meteoroids, and asteroids. Observing sessions are required. (ASTR 26400 in the spring semester will explore our understanding of the structure and evolution of stars and galaxies, and current scientific theories concerning the history of the Universe.) Course Schedule: Pay attention to the course schedule that is attached to this syllabus. It shows the schedules of lectures, reading assignments, CHIP homework, and exams. Reading Assignment: You should read the assigned chapters before coming to each lecture. If you are not prepared for even one lecture, you will quickly fall behind. In order to budget your time for reading, you are encouraged to read the article How to Succeed in Your Astronomy Course shown on pages xxiv to xxv of your textbook. Lecture Notes: Lecture notes will be posted on the course webpage before each lecture (and also after a lecture if revisions were required). Multiple slides can be printed on a single sheet. You may want to print out the notes before the lecture and annotate them during the lecture. Lecture: Lectures will be used to introduce and supplement the material covered in the textbook and to help clarify important and/or difficult concepts the text introduces. The lectures will be heavily based on the materials of the textbook and will closely follow the order of the text. An effort will be made to cover all of the material, but we may have to skip several sections due to time constraints. Lectures will also be your chance to ask questions and to discuss things that you find interesting or hard to understand. Please do not hesitate to, or be shy about, asking questions. In the case that all questions cannot be answered in lectures due to time constraints, please utilize my office hours or email me. Although no attendance will be taken during lectures, I am confident that regular attendance at lectures will be rewarded by better exam and homework grades.
CHIP Homework: There will be 14 CHIP homework assignments composed of multiple-choice problems. Completing homework assignments on a regular basis allows you to check if you really follow along with the topics you are learning. Also, the homework problems will serve as practice exam problems. There will be no separate help center for homework assignments, because the problems should not be difficult if you have read the corresponding chapters carefully. Please see the course schedule to know the deadlines. Details on grading policies can be found at the bottom of each problem. Exams: There will be three midterm in-class exams (Sep. 23, Oct. 28, and Dec. 2) and one twohour final exam (its date will be announced later). All midterm exams must be taken at the scheduled lecture times. Because the grade from your lowest midterm exam will be dropped, neither make-up nor early exams will be given for any reason. The final exam must also be taken at the scheduled date and time; missing the final exam cannot be excused for any reason and will result in no points. The exams are multiple-choice or T/F tests and closed-book. Remember to bring your ID, a #2 pencil, and an eraser. No crib sheets will be allowed. Cheaters will be given an F in the course (not the test) and will be reported to the Dean of Students. Those with adaptive learner status should email or speak with Prof. Rhee. Adaptive learners can either take the exam at the scheduled location and time, or they can take the exam in a location to be determined. Night Lab: When you registered for this class, you also registered for a night lab section. You must attend it each week, and don t forget to bring your lab manual. The lab consists of outdoor observing sessions (weather permitting) and indoor hands-on exercises that you will complete and hand in before leaving each session. Attendance at the labs is mandatory. You must obtain a passing grade in the lab in order to pass the course (50% of the possible points). Your lab TA will provide you with more details during your first lab session, which takes place during the first week of the semester. Common Courtesy Guidelines: For the benefit of your fellow students and your instructors, you are expected to practice common courtesy with regard to all course interactions. This includes the following: Show up for class on time. Turn off your cell phones and other devices. Do not leave class early, and do not prepare to leave before class is dismissed. Do not socialize in class, although appropriate discussions are encouraged. Be kind and respectful to your teacher and fellow students. Campus Emergency Notice: In the event of a major campus emergency (such as a pandemic emergency), course requirements, deadlines, and grading percentages are subject to changes that may be necessitated by a revised semester calendar or other circumstances beyond the lecturer's
control. Information about changes to the course will be posted in the Announcements section on the course webpage at http://www.physics.purdue.edu/astr263/. Grading: Highest (The ranges are subject to change) 100 pts Letter Grade Range in pts Range in % Second Highest A+ 705-750 94-100 100 pts A 645-704 86-94 Lowest A 600-644 80-86 0 pts B+ 577-599 77-80 Final Exam 200 pts B 547-576 73-77 CHIP Homework 100 pts B 525-546 70-73 Night Lab 250 pts C+ 502-524 67-70 C 472-501 63-67 TOTAL 750 pts C 450-471 60-63 D+ 427-449 57-60 D 397-426 53-57 D 375-396 50-53 0-374 0-50 F OR if lab score is less than 50% of possible score At the end of the semester, your total CHIP homework scores and total lab scores will be scaled to 100 points and 250 points, respectively. During the semester, you should regularly check whether your exam, homework, and lab grades have been correctly entered into your Student Gradebook in CHIP. It is your responsibility to bring any problems with your assigned grades to the attention of your lecturer and TA immediately. Cheating: Just don't do it. It is not fair to other students or to you. Cheating will NOT be tolerated for any reason. Homework - Working with other students on your homework is not considered cheating, and, in fact, is encouraged. However, direct copying of another's homework is considered cheating. If a student is found to be cheating on the homework, s/he will receive a zero for that part of his/her grade, and possibly an F for the entire course in more serious cases. Exam - A student who is caught cheating on an exam will receive an F for the course and be reported to the Dean of Students. In more serious cases, the student will be suspended or expelled from the university. The same applies to all other parties involved in cheating. Lab - Because of the collaborative nature of labs, the lab TAs will explain what is required of you in terms of submitting your own work during the lab sections.
Astr 26300 Course Schedule (Subject to change) Fall 2009 Descriptive Astronomy: The Solar System Prof. J. Rhee CHIP CHIP Week Date Lecture Contents Homework Deadline Week 1 08/24/09 Lecture 1 Introduction & Ch. 1 08/26/09 Lecture 2 Ch. 1 Week 2 08/31/09 Lecture 3 (Irrgang) Ch. 2 09/02/09 Lecture 4 (Irrgang) Ch. 2 CHIP HW #1 09/04/09 Week 3 09/07/09 Labor Day No Class 09/09/09 Lecture 5 Ch. 3 CHIP HW #2 09/11/09 Week 4 09/14/09 Lecture 6 Ch. 3 09/16/09 Lecture 7 Ch. 3 & Ch. 4 CHIP HW #3 09/18/09 Week 5 09/21/09 Lecture 8 Ch. 4 09/23/09 Midterm Exam 1 No Lecture CHIP HW #4 09/25/09 Week 6 09/28/09 Lecture 9 Ch. 4 09/30/09 Lecture 10 Ch. 5 CHIP HW #5 10/02/09 Week 7 10/05/09 Lecture 11 Ch. 5 10/07/09 Lecture 12 Ch. 6 CHIP HW #6 10/09/09 Week 8 10/12/09 October Break No Class 10/14/09 Lecture 13 Ch. 6 CHIP HW #7 10/16/09 Week 9 10/19/09 Lecture 14 Ch. 7 10/21/09 Lecture 15 Ch. 7 & Ch. 8 CHIP HW #8 10/23/09 Week 10 10/26/07 Lecture 16 (sub) Ch. 8 10/28/09 Midterm Exam 2 No Lecture CHIP HW #9 10/30/09 Week 11 11/02/09 Lecture 17 Ch. 9 11/04/09 Lecture 18 Ch. 9 CHIP HW #10 11/06/09 Week 12 11/09/09 Lecture 19 Ch. 10 11/11/09 Lecture 20 Ch. 10 CHIP HW #11 11/13/09 Week 13 11/16/09 Lecture 21 Ch. 11 11/18/09 Lecture 22 Ch. 11 CHIP HW #12 11/20/09 Week 14 11/23/09 Lecture 23 Ch. 12 11/25/09 Thanksgiving No Class Week 15 11/30/09 Lecture 24 Ch. 12 12/02/09 Midterm Exam 3 No Lecture CHIP HW #13 12/04/09 Week 16 12/07/09 Lecture 25 Ch. 14 12/09/09 Lecture 26 Ch. 14 CHIP HW #14 12/11/09 Week 17 12/14/09 Final Exam Week to 12/19/09