Astronomy 115 SYLLABUS Fall 2008 Section 4

Please note: The topic contents and order are subject to change. All classes and the final are held on Tuesdays.

Class Seeds text

# Hr Date Class Topic Chapter covered Homework

1 1 Aug 26 Introductions, the Size of the Universe Ch. 1, Appendix

1 2 Scale of the Solar System & Universe, Constellations Ch. 1, App., 2-1

1 3 Sky Motion, Magnitudes Ch. 2-1, 2-2

2 1 Sept 2 Seasons on Earth, Phases of the Moon Ch. 3-1, 3-2 Quiz 1,

2 2 Solar & Lunar Eclipses Ch. 3-2 HW 1 due

2 3 Aristotle, Ptolemy, Eratosthenes, Copernicus Ch. 4-1, 4-2

3 1 Sept 9 Brahe, Kepler and Galileo Ch. 4-3 – 4-5 HW 2 due

3 2 Newton, Forces, Gravity Ch. 4-6

3 3 Orbits and Escape Velocity Ch. 4-6

4 1 Sept 16 Light, Electromagnetic Spectrum, Atoms Ch. 5-1 Quiz 2,

4 2 Atoms and Starlight Ch. 6-1, 6-2 HW 3 due

4 3 Stellar Spectra, Types, Exam Review (bring questions!) Ch. 6-3

5 1 Sept 23 Midterm #1, covering Ch. 1 – 4, sec 5-1, ch. 6

5 2 Telescopes Ch. 5-2 – 5-4

5 3 The Sun’s Atmosphere and Magnetic Cycle Ch. 7-1, 7-2

6 1 Sept 30 Solar Weather and Aurorae on Earth Ch. 7-2 HW 4 due

6 2 Solar Fusion Ch. 7-3

6 3 Distances to Stars, Brightnesses Ch. 8-1, 8-2

7 1 Oct 7 Star Classification, H-R Diagram Ch. 8-3, 8-5 Quiz 3,

7 2 Binary Stars, Masses of Stars Ch. 8-4, 8-5 HW 5 due

7 3 The Birth of Stars, Main-Sequence Stars, Fusion Ch. 9-1, 9-2

8 1 Oct 14 Stellar Structure, the Orion Nebula Ch. 9-3 – 9-5 Quiz 4,

8 2 Stellar Death – Planetary Nebulae and Star Clusters Ch. 10-1, 10-2 HW 6 due

8 3 – Supernovae Ch. 10-3

9 1 Oct 21 Dead Stars – White Dwarfs and Binary Stars Ch. 10-3, 10-4

9 2 – Neutron ‘Stars’ Ch. 11-1, 11-2

9 3 – Black Holes, Exam Review (bring questions!) Ch. 11-2

10 1 Oct 28 Midterm #2, covering Ch. 1 – 11, emphasis on Ch. 5, 7 – 11

10 2 Our Galaxy – the Milky Way Galaxy Ch. 12

10 3 Galaxy Shapes and Classifications Ch. 13-1, 13-2

11 1 Nov 4 Galaxy Evolutions Ch. 13-3 HW 7 due

11 2 Cosmology, the Big Bang Ch. 15-1, 15-2

11 3 The Accelerating Universe Ch. 15-3

12 1 Nov 11 Solar System Origins Ch. 16-1 – 16-3 Quiz 5,

12 2 Extrasolar Planets Ch. 16-4 HW 8 due

12 3 Earth and the Moon Ch. 17-1 – 17-3

13 1 Nov 18 Mercury, Venus and Mars Ch. 17-4 – 17-6 Quiz 6,

13 1 Jupiter and the Galilean moons Ch. 18-1, 18-2 HW 9 due

13 3 Saturn and the Shepherd moons Ch. 18-3

Nov 24-28 Thanksgiving Break, no class

14 1 Dec 2 Uranus, Neptune and Dwarf Planets (Pluto, Eris, etc.) Ch. 18-4 – 18-6

14 2 Asteroids and Comets Ch. 19-1 – 19-3

14 3 Cataclysmic Events Ch. 19-3

15 1 Dec 9 Extremophile Life Ch. 20-1, 20-2 HW 10 due

15 2 Search for Extraterrestrial Life Ch. 20-3

15 3 Final exam review (Bring questions!)

Tues Dec 16 FINAL from 6:10 PM – 8:40 PM, covering Ch. 1 – 13, 15 – 20,

emphasis on Ch. 12, 13, 15 – 20

Note: The Last Day to DROP without a W is Tuesday, September 23.

The CR/NC deadline is Tuesday, October 21.

The Last Day to DROP with a W is Friday, November 21.