General Astronomy - I
Winter term 2013 Syllabus
Course Information
Section: - PH 261U (CRN 43046), SCI 315U (CRN 43324)
Classroom: SB1 107
Class meeting times: 10:00-11:50 Tuesday and Thursday
Instructor
Learning Assistants
Jack Straton
Office: 378 SRTC (formerly SBII)
Office phone: 503-725-5844
Office hours: 2:00 - 3:00 Tuesday
Brody Boeger <[email protected]>
Roderick Hill <[email protected]>
Grader:
and by arrangement
Email: [email protected]
NOT D2L!
Allan Dunham <[email protected]>
Required book
Chaisson & McMillan Astronomy Today (7th Edition) (Addison-Wesely 2011, ISBN
90321691431).
Required articles
Available through library electronic reserve <http://psu-eres.lib.pdx.edu/eres/> or links
on D2L <https://d2l.pdx.edu/>. If an assignment is not showing up properly, please
email me.
guest43046 pw: ntsureme
guest43324 pw: rashanes
The CLEA simulations are installed on BHB226, NH096, and FML115 PC's (check the
others and let me know) and also at I:Students/Instructors/straton/
(https://myfiles.pdx.edu/resources/Students/Instructors/straton/).
Course policies:
Attendance is mandatory: Since this class relies heavily on collaborative and group learning,
attendance is mandatory. Attendance will be taken in all sessions. If you miss more than
2 sessions your grade will be lowered. (A week of the flu will use up your entire buffer, so
consider getting a shot.) Because late arrivals disrupt class, please try to arrive in class 5-10
minutes early (based on the clock in the room) so that when the inevitable "something" goes
wrong you will be on time rather than late. In compensation, I will play music during this
time prior to class. Two late arrivals will equal an absence.
Nevertheless, don't kill off your fellow students with flu: We are, however, concerned about
contagion and will ask you to stay home for two days after you no longer have a fever to
prevent spreading your rot to the rest of us. Let me know that this is the cause for your
absence for more than two days and I'll credit you for those days.
Read chapter before class: Each class will be structured based on questions you have about
what you read before class. If you do not read beforehand, you will be left out of the
decision-making process.
Late work policy:
All assigned work will be collected at the beginning of class on the day that it is due. It is
your responsibility to track due dates. If you are going to be absent on an assignment due
date, make sure you arrange to get the assignment to me BEFORE the start of class.
Survival tip: If you are struggling with a timeline in any class, alert the professor as
soon as this become apparent. I will try to work with you to help you succeed.
It is normal to be late in turning in an item or two per year. If you are consistently late,
I will be happy to help you revise your priorities with firmer boundaries such as late work
receiving a reduced score or not be accepted at all. Please let me know -- by word or deed -if such is required.
Survival tip: Expect the printers in the labs to fail just before class starts.
Computer Hygiene: Expect whichever computer you are presently working on to crash
and take all of your work with it. So:
* Save frequently
* When you finish working at home, put a copy of your work on a flash drive and
take it to school to copy onto your folder on the PSU server. (Ask how to do so.)
* When you finish working at school, put a copy of your work on a flash drive and
take it to home to copy onto your computer there. Thus you will never have
fewer than two different storage places for your latest draft, and three places most of
the time.
* When you are at school, work on files stored in your folder on the PSU server rather
than whichever computer you happen to be working on.
* Backup your home computer. (Ask how to do so.)
Hard Copies Please: Occasionally students email me work electronically for reasons of their
own (even though I always want hard copies). If you need to do so for some reason, please
"Save [a copy] As" .rtf ["rich text format" or "interchange format"] rather than the normal file
type of your word processor (.doc, .docx, etc.). Please also bring a hard copy to the next
class session.
No Plagiarism: We expect that the work you do for this course will be your own work. You
violate this ethic if you use the ideas of other authors or copy their phrases without
acknowledging the source, present a slightly rearranged wording of source materials without
acknowledging the source, reproduce extensive sections of source materials as if they were
paraphrased even if you acknowledge the source, or submit substantially the same work as
that submitted by another student (except in the case of some group assignments).
Plagiarism will result at least in a zero grade for the assignment and may result in dismissal
from the university.
Survival tip: Read the Computer Hygiene instructions again.
Assignments and Grading
Your term grade will be based on daily attendance, participation in group and class activities,
completion of assigned readings, and the quality of your work. We have agreed on the
following weight:
Activity
Portion of
grade
Attendance
Participation
10%
10%
Quizzes
Homework
Simulations and image mining
Final exam
20%
20%
20%
20%
How Assessed
Rosters in class.
Quality and growth of
contribution with input from
student, project group, and
instructor.
Graded
Satisfactorily completed
Significant input from peers
Graded
Successful completion of all activities will earn a passing grade in this course. Final grades will
be determined by the quality of completed work. Superior grades can be earned with superior
work.
Evaluation of a student's performance is determined by the following grades:
A - Excellent
B - Superior
C - Average
D - Inferior
F- Failure
Assignments: Assignments will be distributed throughout the term in a timely manner and in
detailed form and will also be available on D2L. If you have any questions regarding
assignments it is your responsibility to meet with your instructor to clarify your questions.
Class Structure and Timing of Readings
I would like to try a method of teaching called Just in Time teaching that requires me to respond
in class to questions you have about the material we are covering, instead of droning on for 110
minutes about what I think your brains should be stuffed with. Thus classes will normally start
with 10-20 minutes of group brainstorming about the key issues that you need me to cover.
That puts the responsibility on each of you to finish the reading before class. (You will have to
read the material sometime. This just shifts each reading to the time that most benefits your
learning.)
Since you all will be teachers as well as learners in this classroom, you should engage each other
by
(a) asking the questioner for more specifics about which part of the issue is unclear, and
(b) giving speculative answers. I hope to build a collaborative learning environment where
"incorrect" suggestions are valued as stepping stones to full understanding rather than something
to be slapped down.
Tentative Schedule updated January 7, 2013
Week #
Class Tuesday
Class Thursday
1
Jan 8
Jan 10
Form Discussion groups (large) and
Digital Pictures
smaller Simulation groups
Discuss readings due: Paul Feyerabend, How
To Defend Society Against Science; Chapter
Syllabus
1. Charting the Heavens: The Foundations of
Grand Tour
Astronomy
---------------------------------------------------Spinal Tap - Spontaneous Combustion.mpg
Begin reading Paulo Freire, "Banking Concept
Monty Python + the Holy Grail - A Witch
of Education"; Chapter 2. The Copernican
13_32 4_54.mpg
Revolution: The Birth of Modern Science for
--------------------------------------------------------- Tuesday
Begin reading Paul Feyerabend, How To
Defend Society Against Science; Chapter 1.
Begin solving "Problems, p. 29" due
Charting the Heavens: The Foundations of
next Thursday for Chapter 1: 2, 5, 9, A, B, C,
Astronomy for this Thursday.
D. (Please look below the calendar for the
text of these latter four.)
.
Please show all intermediate steps so
that you can be given partial credit.
This is one place where you should
not try to save paper. You may
work with someone else, but don't
just regurgitate her thinking. You
need to train your mind by
exercising it, just as for your
muscles. If you generally do not
repeat your friends' sentences word
for word, you should likewise show
some creativity in how you phrase
physical and mathematical ideas.
2
3
Jan 15
Jan 17
Discuss readings due: Paulo Freire, "Banking
Concept of Education"; Chapter 2. The
Copernican Revolution: The Birth of Modern
Science
--------------------------------------------------------Begin reading Chapter 3. Radiation:
Information from the Cosmos for next
Tuesday.
Discuss problems due for Chapter 1: 2, 5, 9,
A, B, C, D.
Jan 22
Discuss reading due: Chapter 3. Radiation:
Information from the Cosmos
--------------------------------------------------------Begin reading Chapters 4. Spectroscopy: The
Inner Workings of Atoms & 5. Telescopes:
The Tools of Astronomy for next Tuesday.
Due: Small-group Simulation -- Astrometry of
Asteroids
---------------------------------------------------Begin solving problems due next Thursday for
Chapter 2: 5, 7, 8, 9, E, F, G.
Jan 24
Discuss problems due for Chapter 2: 5, 7, 8, 9,
E, F, G.
Due: Small-group Simulation -- Jupiter's
Moons and the Speed of Light
Extra credit available to Macintosh users who
can successfully use an application like
WineBottler to create a free-standing mac
version of these.
---------------------------------------------------Begin solving problems due next Thursday for
Chapter 3: 2, 4, 6, 7, 8.
4
Jan 29
Jan 31
Discuss reading due: Chapters 4.
Spectroscopy: The Inner Workings of Atoms
& 5. Telescopes: The Tools of Astronomy
--------------------------------------------------------Begin reading Chapters 6. The Solar System:
An Introduction to Comparative Planetology
and 7. Earth: Our Home in Space for next
Tuesday.
Discuss problems due for Chapter 3: 2, 4, 6, 7,
8.
Due: Large group image from a planet or moon
via data mining. (If you are doing one of the
gas giants, you can email this to me in three
weeks, Mars in two weeks.)
---------------------------------------------------Begin solving problems due next Thursday for
Chapters 4: 1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 10; and Chapter 5:
3, 4, 10.
Feb 7
5
Feb 5
6
Discuss reading due: 6. The Solar System: An Quiz 1 on Chapters 1-3 and the first
Introduction to Comparative Planetology and
three simulations.
7. Earth: Our Home in Space
--------------------------------------------------------- Discuss problems due for Chapters 4: 1, 2, 3,
Begin reading Chapters 8. The Moon and
6, 8, 9, 10; and Chapter 5: 3, 4, 10.
Mercury: Scorched and Battered Worlds and 9.
Venus: Earth’s Sister Planet for next Tuesday
---------------------------------------------------Begin solving problems due next Thursday for
Chapters 6: 2, 3, 10; and Chapter 7: 3, 4, 6, 7.
Feb 12
Feb 14
Discuss reading due: Chapters 8. The Moon
and Mercury: Scorched and Battered Worlds
and 9. Venus: Earth’s Sister Planet
--------------------------------------------------------Begin reading Chapter 10. Mars: A Near Miss
for Life? for next Tuesday.
7
Feb 19
Discuss reading due: Chapter 10. Mars: A Near
Miss for Life?
--------------------------------------------------------Begin reading Chapter 11. Jupiter: Giant of the
Solar System for next Tuesday.
Discuss problems due for Chapters 6: 2, 3, 10;
and Chapter 7: 3, 4, 6, 7.
Due: Small-group Simulation -- Transits of
Venus And Mercury (If for some reason the
image files do not show up, you can direct the
alert window to C:\Program Files
(x86)\CLEA\Transit Lab\Images in the
BHB226, NH096, and FML115 labs (or
I:\Students\Instructors\straton\TransitLab\Imag
es if running from there.) I am hoping OIT
finally loaded the third set of image files are
present for now for Venus and those for
Mercury).
---------------------------------------------------Begin solving problems due next Thursday for
Chapters 8: 2, 8; and Chapter 9: 7, 9; H, I.
Feb 21
Discuss problems due for Chapters 8: 2, 8; and
Chapter 9: 7, 9; H, I.
---------------------------------------------------Begin writing a short (roughly 2 page) story
due next Thursday, based on your
understanding gained in Chapter 10 (and
previous), related to getting to Mars, or
preparing for a walk outside the dome, or a
new sport that mars would be ideal for, or
relationship issues on the trip there on within a
small colony, or baking a soufflé there, or
8
Feb 26
Discuss reading due: Chapter 11. Jupiter: Giant
of the Solar System
riding a bike, or .... On your first draft, don't
worry about grammar or consistency or logic.
Just let your subconscious play with what it
has learned. You then tighten it up in a
second draft. Bring both drafts to class.
Feb 28
Quiz 2 on Chapters 4-8 + sim.
Discuss short story on Chapter 10, Mars.
--------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------Begin reading Chapter 12. Saturn: Spectacular Begin solving problems due next Thursday for
Rings and Mysterious Moons for next Tuesday Chapter 11: 1, 3, 5, 9, J, K, L.
9
10
March 5
March 7
Discuss reading due: Chapter 12. Saturn:
Spectacular Rings and Mysterious Moons
--------------------------------------------------------Begin reading Chapter 13. Uranus and
Neptune: The Outer Worlds of the Solar
System for next Tuesday
Discuss problems due for Chapter 11: 1, 3, 5,
9, J, K, L.
March 12
Discuss reading due: Chapter 13. Uranus and
Neptune: The Outer Worlds of the Solar
System
Due: Small-group Simulation -Jupiters_Moons_Dabrowski
---------------------------------------------------Begin self-testing your understanding of
Chapter 12 using the multiple choice
questions on pp. 310-11.
March 14
Discuss self-test for Chapter 12.
Due: Take home Final.
---------------------------------------------------Due: Last day to turn in any homework and If you wish, self-test your understanding of
simulations.
Chapter 13 using the multiple choice
--------------------------------------------------------- questions on pp. 330.
For Extra credit read
Chapter 14. Solar System Debris: Keys to Our
Origin
or
Chapter 15. The Formation of Planetary
Systems: The Solar System and Beyond
by next Friday. (If you are continuing next
term, you may read the other one for extra
credit for Spring grades.)
Final Exam
Tues., March 19
1015-1205
On Chapters 1-12 and all
simulations.
Assuming we do a take-home final
there will be no meeting this day.
If you read the Extra Credit chapter
(14 or 15), then by Friday sign the
sheet on Jack's door, 378 SRTC.
Additional Homework questions not in the book:
For Ch1: A. A
friend tells you that the reason astronomers put telescopes in space is to get closer
to the planets and stars, You know better. How do you explain the real reason to your friend?
B. Explain how the word theory differs in meaning when used in common everyday language
and when used by a scientist.
C. (a) If it takes about 8 minutes for light to travel from the Sun to Earth, and Pluto is 40 times
as far from us, how long does it take light to reach Earth from Pluto? (b) Radio waves travel at
the speed of light, What does this fact imply about the problems you would have if you tried to
conduct a two-way conversation between Earth and a spacecraft orbiting Pluto?
D. If you understand proportionality, then you understand most of the math you need to follow
this text. Make a list of five different proportionalities from your daily
For Ch2 :E.
What is the advantage of launching satellites from space ports located near the
equator? Why are satellites never launched in a westerly direction?
F. Assume that a planet just like Earth is orbiting the bright star Vega at a distance of 1 AU. The
mass of Vega is twice that of the Sun. How long in Earth years will it take to complete one
orbit around Vega?
G. Two balls, one of gold with a mass of 100 kg and one of wood with a mass of 1 kg, are
suspended 1 meter apart.
What is the attractive force, in Newtons, of
a. the gold ball acting on the wooden ball?
b. the wooden ball acting on the gold ball?
For Ch9 :H.
I.
The force of gravity holds objects tightly to the surfaces of the terrestrial planets. Yet
atmospheric molecules are constantly escaping into space. Explain how these molecules
are able to overcome gravity's grip. How does the mass of a molecule affect its ability to
break free?
Water pressure in Earth's oceans increases by 1 bar for every 10 meters of depth.
Compute how deep you would have to go to experience pressure equal to the atmospheric
surface pressure on Venus. What physiological changes have you felt in swimming to
the bottom of a deep, 5 m diving pool?
For Ch11: J.
Why do the individual cloud layers in the atmospheres of the giant planets have
different chemical compositions?
K. Jupiter is an oblate planet with an average radius of 69,900 km, compared to Earth's average
radius of 6,370 km.
a. Remembering that volume is proportional to the cube of the radius, how many Earth volumes
could fit inside Jupiter?
b. Jupiter is 318 times as massive as Earth. Show that Jupiter's average density is about 1/4 that
of Earth's.
L. Discuss evidence supporting the idea that Europa might an ocean under its icy crust.
Key dates:
Feb. 7 Quiz 1 on Chapters 1-3.
Feb. 28 Quiz 2 Chapters 4-8.
March 12 Last day to turn in any homework and simulations.
March 14, Take home Final due.