Astronomy 51: Introduction to Astronomy
tentative Syllabus | Labs | Textbook
webpage | APOD
| Union
College Observatory
There will be two midterm exams: Sept 26 and Oct 22 (in class)
Final exam date: Mon, Nov 19, 11:30-1:30pm in our usual classroom
Announcements:
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This is a lab course (with Gen Ed credit) for which you must be present at,
and perform all the labs for your section, including turning in the lab homework/report.
The lab will be conducted by either Professor Marr, Professor Vineyard, or Professor Wilkin.
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Finals Week:
Review session friday 11/16 at 4:30pm in usual classroom
Observatory Open House the same night, 6pm-8pm.
Extra ofice hours: available most of the time every afternoon, email me
to set up a time
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Week 10:
Mon 11/12: Cosmology
Fri 11/9: Cosmology
Wed 11/7: CLASS MEETS IN S&E N304!!!!!
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Week 9:
Mon 11/5: Galaxies and Galaxy Clusters; Moon near Venus in morning sky
Fri 11/2 Continue Galaxies, Chapter 16 (Read 16.1 and 16.2)
Wed 10/31 Class trip to Schenectady Museum and Suits-Buche Planetarium
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Week 8:
Mon 10/29: Finish Ch 15; quiz 5; begin Ch 16
Thurs 10/25: Comet 17P/Holmes seen in lab from Union College Observatory.
Photos
taken that night from Union's 20 inch telescope shown here:
and here:
Wed 10/24: Finish Ch 14 (black holes); Begin Ch 15 (the Milky Way, sections 15.1-2)
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Week 7:
Mon 10/22: Second exam (in class). Covers(2.8-9, Ch 11,12,13)
Wed 10/17: class demos, discussion of ch 13, begin ch 14
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Week 6:
Mon 10/15: finished Ch 13
Fri 10/12: quiz 4 (take home); Begin ch 13
Wed 10/10: Measuring the properties of stars, cont.
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Week 5:
Mon 10/8: Measuring the properties of stars, continued.
Fri 10/5: Quiz 3 on the Sun, continue chapter 12.
Wed 10/3: The Sun (11.3 probing the interior); The Stars (12.1-12.2)
Recommended hw from ch 11:
QR 1-13; 17-20; TQ: 3; P: 1, 2, 4, 5; TY: 1-5
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Week 4:
Mon 10/1: The Sun, solar activity, solar cycle, solar wind (11.4, 11.5)
Fri 9/28: The Sun (Sections 11.1, 11.2)
Wed 9/26: Exam 1.
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Week 3:
Chapter 2: Gravity and motion. For wednesday 9/19, read 2.1-2.4
For friday 9/21, read 2.5-2.9.
This is the most mathematical chapter we cover, so for now concentrate on understanding
the concepts. You do not need to memorize the formulas, but you should know what variables
they describe and what they are useful for.
Recommended hw for ch 2: QR 1-8; TQ: 1-3; P: 1-9
Note: the first exam is next week, so don't fall behind.
Make sure you do the reading
and give the recommended hw questions a try.
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Week 2:
We covered the rest of chapter 3. The formation and types of spectra are key topics to understand.
Also check section 3.7 to understand what parts of the electromagnetic spectrum can be observed
from the gound and which require observations from space.
We finished chapter 4. You may skim the part about observing at non-visible wavelengths,
but make sure you understand the concepts of atmospheric seeing (atmospheric blurring),
twinking of the stars,
the goal of interferometry, and the idea of a CCD detector.
For lack of time, some of these topics were not discussed in class.
Recommended hw ch 3: QR 1-6, 8,9; TQ: 1,2,3,6,7; P: 1,2,3,4,5,6; TY: 1-5
Recommended hw ch 4: QR 1-7; TQ: 1-5; P: 1, 3; TY: 1-5
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Week 1:
Monday 9/10: Read ch 3 sections 1 and 2.
Also read the lab manual (part I) which was distributed today and covers labs 1 and 2.
The document is also available on the labs web page.
In Ch 3, Questions for Review 1-4, Thought questions 6, 7, Problems 1, 2, Test yourself 1, 2, 4.
Friday 9/7 homework: Read section 4.1 on telescopes.
Also from Chapter 4, Questions for Review 1-8, Problems 2,7, 10.
Wednesday 9/5 homework: Read the Preview and Appendix.
Recommended questions from the
end of the Preview are Questions for Review 1-4, Thought Questions 1,2, and Problems 1,2.
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What's up in the sky now? Check here.
Do not look at the sun with your spectroscope!!!!
It does not provide protection.
If you want to know the sun's spectrum, you can
simply look at blue sky,
well away from the sun, or look at the moon at night,
which reflects the sun's spectrum.
Is the spectrum of blue sky continous?
Note on labs 2-3: We will be outside at a place
that's pretty windy, so dress warm!
Bring whatever you think is enough, then
grab an EXTRA sweater, you may need it!!!
Don't forget to bring your star and
planet locator for labs 2 and 3.
Check out the spectacular Astronomy Picture of the
Day!
Current
Moon Phase