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ASTR 101.01 – Spring 2008
Prof. Spagna
Preliminary Course schedule
Updated: 2008 February 1
|
Class # |
Date |
Reading |
Topic |
Assignments due |
|
1 |
2-12 |
Chapter 1 |
Course administration; a sense of place, a sense of scale |
|
|
2 |
2-14 |
Chapter 2 |
Patterns |
|
|
3 |
2-18 |
|
Laboratory #1 – the celestial sphere |
|
|
4 |
2-19 |
Chapter 3 |
What is science? What is astronomy? A little history. |
|
|
5 |
2-21 |
Chapter 4 |
A little physics: forces, motion, conservation “laws” and gravity |
Homework #1 |
|
6 |
2-25 |
|
Laboratory #2 – exploring the sky with binoculars |
|
|
7 |
2-26 |
Chapter 5 |
Understanding light and telescopes |
Laboratory #1 |
|
8 |
2-28 |
|
Exam #1 – Chapters 1-5 |
|
|
9 |
3-3 |
|
Laboratory #3 – lenses and telescopes |
|
|
10 |
3-4 |
Chapter 6 |
An overview of the solar system |
Laboratory #2 |
|
11 |
3-6 |
Chapter 7 |
Terrestrial planets |
Homework #2 |
|
12 |
3-10 |
|
Laboratory #4 - spectroscopy |
|
|
13 |
3-11 |
Chapter 8 |
Jovian Planets; moons and rings |
Laboratory #3 |
|
14 |
3-13 |
Chapter 9 |
Solar system leftovers: asteroids, comets, etc. |
|
|
15 |
3-17 |
|
Exam #2 – Chapters 6-9 – note: evening exam! |
|
|
16 |
3-18 |
Chapter 10 |
The Sun as a star |
Laboratory #4 |
|
17 |
3-20 |
Chapter 11 |
Stars as suns |
Homework #3 |
|
|
3-24 |
|
Spring Break! |
|
|
|
3-25 |
|
Spring Break! |
|
|
|
3-27 |
|
Spring Break! |
|
|
18 |
3-31 |
|
No lab |
|
|
19 |
4-1 |
Chapter 12 |
Stellar evolution |
|
|
20 |
4-3 |
Chapter 13 |
Stellar remnants: white dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes |
Homework #4 |
|
21 |
4-7 |
|
Laboratory #5 – exploring the sky with a telescope |
|
|
22 |
4-8 |
|
Exam #3 – Chapters 10-13 |
|
|
23 |
4-10 |
Chapter 14 |
No place like home: the Milky Way Galaxy |
|
|
24 |
4-14 |
|
Laboratory #6 – spectral classification |
|
|
25 |
4-15 |
|
Population I, Population II, the “missing mass” problem |
Laboratory #5 |
|
26 |
4-17 |
Chapter 15 |
“Normal “ galaxies |
Homework #5 |
|
27 |
4-21 |
|
Make-up laboratory, if needed |
|
|
28 |
4-22 |
|
Active galaxies |
Laboratory #6 |
|
29 |
4-24 |
Chapter 16 |
Quo Vadis? The future fate of the Universe |
|
|
30 |
4-28 |
|
Laboratory #7 – Hubble’s “law” and the age of the Universe |
|
|
31 |
4-29 |
Chapter 17 |
Genesis and the Big Bang |
|
|
32 |
5-1 |
|
“fundamental” particles and cosmology |
Homework #6 |
|
33 |
5-5 |
|
Make-up laboratory, if needed |
|
|
34 |
5-6 |
|
Exam #4 – Chapters 14-17 |
|
|
35 |
5-8 |
Chapter 18 |
Life in the Universe |
Laboratory #7 |
|
36 |
5-12 |
|
Make-up laboratory, if needed |
|
|
37 |
5-13 |
|
Are we alone? |
|
|
38 |
5-14 |
|
Review, overview, final thoughts |
Homework #7 |
|
|
5-23 |
|
Final Exam – 8:30-11:30 am |
|