Astronomy 115-02: Introduction to Astronomy
Spring 2012
Instructor: Dr. Melissa Enoch
Email: [email protected]
Office: SCI 356
Mailbox: TH 334
Class Times:
MWF 2:10 - 3:00pm, SCI 201
Office Hours:
Mon 1-2pm, Wed 3-4 pm, Fri 12:30-2 pm, or by appointment, SCI 356
Note on office hours, questions, and emails: Please make use of office hours! They are
designed to be an informal setting where you can ask questions that you may not want to bring up
in class. That said, I also encourage you to ask questions during class - I may not always explain
things in the best way, so if something doesn’t make sense, please raise your hand and ask me
about it!
When emailing me, please include “Astro 115” somewhere in the subject line.
Website: http://online.sfsu.edu/~menoch/
The course web page will be used for posting important announcements, lectures, assignments,
solutions, and useful links or resources. Please check the website frequently!
Required materials:
Lecture Tutorials for Introductory Astronomy, 2nd edition, Prather et al.
The Cosmic Perspective, 6th edition, Bennett et al.
Access to MasteringAstronomy
Note on books & materials: MasteringAstronomy is the online homework system that we will
be using. You can either 1) get it included with a new copy of Cosmic Perspective with
MasteringAstronomy, 2) get a used or rented copy of Cosmic Perspective and purchase
MasteringAstronomy separately, or 3) purchase the eText of Cosmic Perspective with
MasteringAstronomy. There will be at least one copy of the textbook on reserve in the Library.
In addition, you will need a reliable internet connection, a simple calculator, and notebook paper
for class.
Course description and goals:
Astronomy 115 is a basic introduction to astronomy. We will study the basic ideas, physics,
observations, and controversies that make astronomy one of the most popular scientific fields.
My main goals for this course are that you (1) understand the scientific process and how it is used
in astronomy, (2) gain a basic understanding of the “big ideas” in astronomy at the level that will
allow you to critically read popular articles and appreciate new discoveries, (3) can give a simple
outline of how a planet, star, or galaxy forms and evolves, and (4) gain an appreciation of the scale
of the universe and our own place within it.
Although there will be traditional lectures in this class, about half of our class time will be spent
on non-lecture activities. Group work with your peers on Lecture Tutorials and other activities are
designed to give you a deeper understanding of important concepts than you will get from a
standard lecture, and reading current astronomy articles will let you practice evaluating scientific
results.
Course requirements: Astronomy 115 has no prior course requirements. It is designed with
the expectation that you have an understanding of basic science and high school algebra.
Understanding how the universe works does require some math and a fair bit of physics; we will
cover most of what you need in class, but you should be okay with basic mathematical equations.
Important Dates
Last day to drop without a ‘W‘
Last day to change grading option
Last day to withdraw
Midterm
Spring recess
Last class
Final
Feb 3
March 16
April 20
March 16 (in class)
March 19-23
May 9
May 14, 1:30-4pm
Grading:
Participation & class activities 15%
Homework 25%
Observing projects 15%
Mini research paper 10%
Midterm 10%
Final 25%
A = 90-100% B = 80-89% C = 65-79% D = 50-64% F < 49%
Letter grades are based on a percentage system, not graded on a curve (although I do reserve the
right to rescale exams in your favor). You are not competing with your fellow classmates and are
encouraged to collaborate (except, of course, on exams). Plus and minus grades are in the top or
bottom 1% of the grade bracket. If you have any concerns about your grade during the semester,
please come talk with me.
Exams (35%):
There will be two exams in this class. While the midterm does not count for a large percentage of
your grade, it is designed to make sure that everyone is on track, and will give you an idea of what
the final will be like. The final exam will cover the entire course, weighted slightly more toward
the second half of the class. While you will not need to use complicated equations, you may bring
one 3x5 notecard of your own notes to exams. I will hold a separate review session for the final
during the last week of class.
Participation & class activities (15%) :
In addition to the in-class activities below, a portion of your class participation grade will be
determined by general participation in class, such as asking and answering questions.
Participation is a substantial fraction of your grade, so it is important that you attend class!
Reading astronomy articles: The goal of this class is not to prepare you to be an astronomer
(although if it inspires you to be one I can’t complain!); rather, one of the goals is to give you
enough background to understand basic astronomy concepts. The best assessment of this goal is
your ability to read popular scientific articles. Approximately every other Friday, we will read and
discuss short articles that address interesting recent astronomical discoveries.
Group activities: In-class projects and collaborative exercises will be a large part of each day’s
class time. These encourage you to be actively involved in your own learning; hashing out the
right (or a right) answer together will give you a deeper understanding of the important concepts
in this course. This work will sometimes be turned in and sometimes not, but will generally count
toward your participation.
Ungraded quizzes or minute papers: Approximately once a week we will be have a short
quizzes or writing assignments that will help let you know whether or not you are on track, and let
me know if a particular concept was not clear during lecture.
Homework, paper & projects (50%):
Observing projects (15%): To get you acquainted with the night sky and the practice of
astronomy, I will be assigning a series of observing projects or labs. I will hand out a list of
projects on the first day of class, and they will be due during the last week of class. While they
will require some time commitment, these projects are meant to be fun and you can work together
on your observations.
Mini research paper (10%): There are many aspects of astronomy that we won’t have time to cover in
class, including astronomy in ancient cultures and the interplay of modern astronomy with public policy,
To allow you to explore some of these topics, you will be asked to complete one short research
paper (2-3 pages). This will require you to form an informed opinion about a question relevant to
modern or historical astronomy, and should take several hours of online or library research,
reading popular astronomy or news articles. I will hand out a list of topics at least three weeks
before papers are due.
Homework (25%): There will be eight homework assignments, typically assigned on Wednesday
and due the following Friday. Due dates are given in the course schedule
Extra credit: A fourth observing project may be completed for extra credit. It will be worth up
to 3% of you of your final grade.
Late Policy: Assignments are due by 5pm on the designated due date. Homework and mini
research papers will be accepted up to 5 days late with a penalty of 20% per day. No work will be
accepted after 5 days. Observing projects will not be accepted late.
Collaboration & academic honesty: Science often requires us to work together. In doing
homework and working on observing projects it is okay and even encouraged that your work
together. It is very important that each person turns in his or her own work. Copying will not be
awarded any credit. Collaboration is not allowed on exams. If you have any questions about the
fine line between collaborating and cheating, please come and see me.
The Physics and Astronomy department guidelines on cheating and plagiarism can be found at:
http://www.physics.sfsu.edu/policy/plagiarism.pdf
Students with disabilities:
Students with disabilities who need reasonable accommodations are encouraged to contact the
instructor. The Disability Programs and Resource Center (DPRC) is available to facilitate the
reasonable accommodations process. The DPRC is located in the Student Service Building and
can be reached by telephone (voice/TTY 415-338-2472) or by email ([email protected]).
MasteringAstronomy instructions:
1. Go to www.MasteringAstronomy.com
2. Under Register, click the “Students” button. If you purchased an access card bundled with your
textbook, enter the code in the card. If you bought a used book or a book that did not come with an
access card, you can purchase access directly from the registration page. If you would like the
eText, you can also purchase it from this page.
3. To join the course, you will need to enter your SFSU Student ID number and the course ID:
ASTR11502ENOCH
If you have technical issues with the online homework system, see the MasteringAstronomy
support page. They maintain FAQ pages, how-to videos, a searchable help database, and can
provide assistance via phone, email, and online chat.
Course Outline (subject to change)
Week/Date
Topic
Due dates
Reading
1. 1/23-1/27
Introduction; Scales of the universe;
The night sky
2. 1/30-2/3
Motions of the sky; Seasons; Sun’s
path; Celestial Navigation
HW 1 due 2/1
Ch. 2.2
3. 2/6-2/10
Moon phases; eclipses; Ancient
astronomy; Kepler’s laws
HW 2 due 2/10
Ch. 2.3, 2.4, 3.1-3.3
4. 2/13-2/17
Nature of science; Forces & energy;
Gravity; Orbits & Tides
5. 2/20-2/24
Light & Matter; Spectra
6. 2/27-3/2
Telescopes; The Solar System
7. 3/5-3/9
Our Sun; Stars
8. 3/12-3/16
Stars; Midterm exam 3/16
9. 3/19-3/23
SPRING BREAK
10. 3/26-3/30
Formation of stars & planets
HW 5 due 3/30
Ch. 16, 8.1-8.3
11. 4/2-4/6
Extrasolar planets; Stellar evolution
Paper due 4/4
Ch. 13.1-13.3, 17
12. 4/9-4/13
White dwarfs, neutron stars & black
holes
HW 6 due 4/13
Ch. 18.1-18.3
13. 4/16-4/20
Our Galaxy; galaxies
14. 4/23-4/27
Galaxies; galaxy evolution
15. 4/30-5/4
Cosmology; the Big Bang; fate of the
universe
16. 5/7-5/9
Students choose; review
May 14
FINAL EXAM 1:30-4 pm
Ch. 1; 2.1
Ch. 3.4, 4
HW 3 due 2/1
Ch. 5
Ch 6, 7.1, 7.2
HW 4 due 3/9
Ch. 14.1, 14.2, 15.1
Ch. 15.2, 15.3
Ch. 19, 20.1, 20.2
HW 7 due 4/27
Ch. 20.3, 21.1, 21.2
Ch. 22, 23.1, 23.2, 23.4
HW 8 due 5/7;
Projects due 5/9