Calendar of Events for Astronomy 1 Fall 1999 (Day sections)

The lectures and homework are in a password-protected site for registered student use only! Get the password from Dr. Strobel.

1. Week 1 (Aug 16--20): Orientation, size scales, time scales, astronomy as a science, celestial sphere, reference markers, solar motion. Astronomy Notes Ch. 1 & 2 & start of 3.
   
   • Lecture outline. Get lectures and homework password from Dr. Strobel.
   • A handout is available that gives another view of how the part of the celestial equator you see depends on your location on the Earth. Select this link to view it. Use it in conjunction with the figures in the textbook.

2. Week 2 (Aug 23--27): Time, seasons, lunar motions, phases. Astronomy Notes Ch. 3. AC DV 70a ``Time Management'' 3-wk mini-course begins in the Learning Center.
   • Lecture outline.
   • Homework #1 due at the beginning of class on Friday. You can use the web-based discussion group to help each other out. Remember to select the "discussion forum" button before logging on! Post messages under the "Homework questions" thread/link and use the ``reply'' button to keep messages in that thread. If you have not used the discussion forums at BC, then look at the how-to guide.
   • Quiz #2 given on Friday in-class.

3. Week 3 (Aug 30--Sept 3): Eclipses, planet motions, early history of astronomy. Astronomy Notes Ch. 3 & 4.
   

   Lecture outline

   • Homework #2 due at the beginning of class on Friday. You can use the web-based discussion group to help each other out. Remember to select the "discussion forum" button before logging on! Post messages under the "Homework questions" thread/link and use the ``reply'' button to keep messages in that thread. If you have not used the discussion forums at BC, then look at the how-to guide.
   • Quiz #3 given on Friday in-class.

4. Week 4 (Sept 6--10): Sept 6: Holiday. Renaissance history of modern astronomy, Kepler and laws of orbital motion. Astronomy Notes Ch. 4. Sept 10: Last day to withdraw without a ``W''.

   Lecture outline.

   No homework or quiz this week. Start studying the chapter 5 material now. The typical student needs to read it through 2 or 3 times carefully.

5. Week 5 (Sept 13--17): Newton, gravity and orbital motion. Astronomy Notes Ch. 5. AC DV 70d ``Test Taking'' 3-wk mini-course begins in the Learning Center.

   Lecture outline.

   • Homework #3 due at the beginning of class on Friday. You can use the web-based discussion group to help each other out. Remember to select the "discussion forum" button before logging on! Post messages under the "Homework questions" thread/link and use the ``reply'' button to keep messages in that thread. If you have not used the discussion forums at BC, then look at the how-to guide.
   • Quiz #4 given on Friday in-class.

6. Week 6 (Sept 20--24): Electromagnetic radiation + spectra. Astronomy Notes Ch. 6.

   Lecture outline.

   Exam 1 on Friday.

   Select the link to the exam date to bring up the exam review sheet.

   Will include some material from chapter 6.

7. Week 7 (Sept 27--Oct 1): Gnomon Skywatch (Ch. 5 Student Guide) data or Essay Prospectus (Ch. 6 Student Guide) due Monday. Spectroscopy lab in planetarium, light production and atoms and telescopes. Astronomy Notes Ch. 6 & Ch. 7.

   Lecture outline.

   • Homework#4 due at the beginning of class on Friday.
   • Quiz #5 given on Friday in-class.
   • Exam#1 make up assignment due on Friday at the beginning of class.

8. Week 8 (Oct 4--8): Telescopes, general planet properties, atmospheres, magnetic fields, planet interiors, Earth-Venus-Mars comparison. Astronomy Notes Ch. 7 & 8. AC DV 70c ``Textbook Reading'' 3-wk mini-course begins in the Learning Center.

   Lecture outline.

   Which telescope should you buy? Check out Alan Dyer's article ``Buying the Best Telescope''.

   • Homework#5 due at the beginning of class on Friday.
   • Quiz #6 given on Friday in-class.

9. Week 9 (Oct 11--15): Tracking Sun Motion Skywatch (Ch. 5 Student Guide) report or Term paper (Ch. 6 Student Guide) due Monday. Earth-Venus-Mars comparison, solar system ``fluff''. Astronomy Notes Ch. 8 and 9.

   Lecture outline.

   • Homework#6 due at the beginning of class on Friday.
   • Quiz #7 given on Friday in-class.

10. Week 10 (Oct 18--22): Finish solar system fluff. Astronomy Notes Ch. 9.

    Lecture outline.

    Exam 2 on Friday.

    Select the link to the exam date to bring up the exam review sheet.

11. Week 11 (Oct 25--29): Finding star distances, brightnesses, velocities, masses, diameters, composition; types of stars, HR diagram, the structure of the Sun and other stars, fusion. Astronomy Notes Ch. 10 & Ch. 11. AC DV 70b ``Note Taking'' 3-wk mini-course begins in the Learning Center.

    Lecture outline.

    • Homework#7 due at the beginning of class on Friday.
    • Quiz#8 given on Friday in-class.
    • Exam#2 make-up assignment due on Friday at the beginning of class.

12. Week 12 (Nov 1--5): Finish stellar structure, stellar evolution. Astronomy Notes Ch. 11 end and Ch. 12.

    Lecture outline.

    • Homework#8 due at the beginning of class on Friday.
    • Quiz#9 given on Friday in-class.

13. Week 13 (Nov 8--12): Black holes + General Relativity, interstellar medium and the Milky Way Galaxy. Astronomy Notes Ch. 12 & 13. Thursday is a holiday.

    Lecture outline.

    • Homework#9 due at the beginning of class on Friday.
    • Quiz#10 given on Friday in-class.

14. Week 14 (Nov 15--19): Mapping the Galaxy in 21 cm, the Milky Way Galaxy, making spiral arms, center of the Galaxy. Astronomy Notes Ch. 13. AC DV 70e ``Memory'' and AC DV 70f ``Vocabulary'' 3-wk mini-courses begin in the Learning Center. Nov 19: Last day to withdraw with a ``W''.

    Lecture outline

    Exam 3 on Friday.

    Select the link to the exam date to bring up the exam review sheet.

15. Week 15 (Nov 22--26): Types of galaxies, distances to galaxies, and the Hubble Law, active galaxies, quasars. Astronomy Notes Ch 14. Thursday and Friday are holidays.

    Lecture outline.

    No homework assignment or quiz because of the holiday. Enjoy the break!

16. Week 16 (Nov 29--Dec 3): Olbers' Paradox, 4-D space-time, microwave background, Big Bang, universe end, dark matter. Astronomy Notes Ch. 15. Second optional skywatch (Ch. 7 Student Guide) due Monday.

    Lecture outline.

    • Homework #10 due at the beginning of class on Friday.
    • Quiz#11 given on Friday in-class.
    • Exam#3 make-up assignment due on Friday at the beginning of class.

17. Week 17 (Dec 6--10): Life zones, habitable planets, Drake Equation, SETI. Astronomy Notes Ch. 16.

    9 AM class: Final is on Thursday, December 16 at 8 AM in SE 48.

    10 AM class: Final is on Monday, December 13 at 8 AM in SE 48.

    Select the link to the exam date to bring up the final exam review sheet.

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last updated 30 July 1999