Astro 110 - Fall 2008

Course Instructor: U.J. Sofia

Office: 370

Phone: 5219

email: sofiauj@whitman.edu

Office hours: T 9:00 & 2:00, W 11:00, plus whenever my door is open

Class meets: 11:00 – 12:20 M, T & R

The course: A qualitative and quantitative introduction to Astronomy. We’ll study things from the solar system to the “edge” of the Universe, interspersing exercises with the lectures. We will discuss what we (think) we know about the Universe as it stands today, how we think it got to this point, and where it might be going. You should come out of this course with a better understanding of how scientists evaluate and interpret their observations either to form new theories or to questions those that exist.

Grades: You will be graded out of 550 total points (a few extra credit opportunities will exist along the way). These points are distributed as follows:

1) Three exams worth 100 points each - these are not comprehensive! (300 points)

2) A comprehensive final (150 points)

3) Labs (100 points)

You must take an exam early if you have an excused absence (school sponsored event). If you miss an exam for a last minute reason (illness) you must tell me before the exam and have a note from the Dean of Students office.

Most of the material that you are graded on is in the book, but some of it will only be available through the lectures.

Topic Chapter

Sep. 2 T Introduction

4 R History 1,2

8 M No class – makeup evening lab later in the semester

9 T No class – makeup evening lab later in the semester

11 R No class – makeup evening lab later in the semester

15 M Motions of celestial objects 1,2

16 T Early models of the Universe 1,2

18 R A heliocentric model 1,2

22 M Telescopes 5

23 T Beyond the visible… 5

25 R Newton's laws 3

29 M Gravity 3

30 T Earth/Moon 6

Oct. 2 R Exam 1

6 M Tides 6

7 T Eclipses 6

9 R Solar system overview 7

16 R More solar system overview 7

20 M Terrestrial planets 8

21 T Jovian planets 9,10

23 R Asteroids/meteors/comets 10

27 M Spectroscopy 4

28 T Stellar absorption 4

30 R Exam 2

Nov. 3 M Sun 11

4 T Stellar distances, brightness 12

6 R Stellar masses and sizes 12

10 M Early stellar evolution 14

11 T Late low-mass stellar evolution 14

13 R Late high-mass stellar evolution 15

17 M Milky Way components 16

18 T Milky Way content/motions 16

20 R Exam 3

Dec. 1 M Lab session

2 T Lab session

4 R Current cosmology 18

8 M The Universe's past 18

9 T The Universe's future 18

11 R Evaluations and wrap-up

17 W Final Exam 2-4 pm