Astronomy 101                 Solar System Laboratory                  Fall 2006

Goal - To apply and better visualize what we have learned in the Astronomy 100 Lecture so that we can more fully appreciate the workings and beauty of our sky and get a sense for our place in the universe, as well as to build a foundation for the next step in our study of astronomy.

Instructor: A.V. Ketterer; Mailbox 1N 225
e-mail: CSISolarSystem@att.net
Room  4N 215   Tuesday                  Section 3321 10:10 AM - 12:05 PM                Section 3310 2:30 PM - 4:25 PM
Text: Astronomy Solar System Laboratory, 4th Edition, Irving K. Robbins, Wiley
Reference: Astronomy Text: The Solar System, 4th Edition, Michael A. Seeds, Thomsons-Brooks/Cole
                                              Foundations of Astronomy by Michael A. Seeds, Thomson-Brooks/Cole

<>Materials: The Sky Finder, pencils, ruler, ... passed out in the lab

Note: The links below under Topics and the Math Examples link are PowerPoint Presentations.  If you don't have PowerPoint for Windows click on PPT Viewer to  download a free PowerPoint viewer from Microsoft.                  

Lab
              Date
       
                     Topics
          Text References 
   Handouts
#  Tuesday
    The Solar System
1 9/5
 The Night Sky - Learning Stars and Constellations with a Star Finder
 Chapter 2-2, Appendix B
 Star Finder Instructions		   Star Finder
2
 9/12
 Mathematics for the Planetary Laboratory
 Appendix A
 Math Examples 
3
 9/19
 Exploring the Sun, Earth and Moon with the Trippensee Planetarium
 Chapter 2-2 to 2-4 Zodiac
Solar Eclipse

4		 9/26
  The Celestial Globe  Globe Image
 Chapter 2-2 to 2-3
 Celestial
Globe

Celestial Globe
Road Map

10/3
 Classes follow a Monday schedule.
 

5
 10/10
 Orbiting the Sun- Modeling the Solar System
Chapter 4; pages 72 & 73
Orbit
Construction
6
 10/17
 Properties of Lenses and Telescopes
Chapter 6 - 2

7 10/24
 MID TERM Labs 1- 6
Labs 1-6 will not be accepted after 10/24!
Labs 1 - 6

Review
8
 10/31
 The Lunar Surface
 Chapter 7-2 & 7-3

9
 11/7
 Atomic Spectra
 Chapters 21-1 and 25-4

10
 11/14
 Mass of Jupiter
Pages 64, 72, 73, 82-90

11
 11/21
 Introduction to Digital Imaging
 Page 113

 12
 11/28
 Asteroid Hunting
 Chapter  25-2 and 25-4

13
 12/5
 Meteorites and Planetary Material
 Chapters 21-1, page 598

14
 12/12
 Final Exam:  Open Labs, Notes & Books
Labs 7, 9 - 13


Labs are to be completed for homework and are due the next Lab session.

There will be a quiz based on the Preliminary Lab Exercises at the start of each lab!
Bring materials handed out during first class, colored pencils, protractor, ... to each class!
Grades: Labs, 2 exams and preliminary lab quizzes.
             Midterm + Final ~ 70% of your grade! Labs ~ 25%  and preliminary lab quizzes ~5%
Note:    3 or more absences will result in a WU grade, failure due to excessive absences.

Midterm and Final are individual efforts with open labs, open notes and book.

References
- The SKY, itself, look up!
- Astronomy  magazine  (which you receive as part of the lab)
- The Internet, e.g.  http://www.nasa.gov ;  http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.cfm