Calendar

Syllabus

Sessions

Resources

Terminology

Syllabus

Textbooks will not be used in this class. Instead, you will receive a handout each week, and we will be constructing a few simple devices to help us understand why things look the way they do. Each meeting starts with the presentation of a concept followed by a hands-on activity. We'll finish most evenings with an outdoor observing session, weather permitting. Discussion is certainly encouraged, so bring your questions, ideas and suggestions.

Session 1:
Introductions and Course Overview
Celestial sphere, celestial coordinate systems
Fall Constellations
Making and using a planisphere (sky map)

Session 2:
Tour of the Solar System: the Sun, the planets and our Moon
Moon phases, rise and set times
Learn about upcoming total lunar eclipse
Telescope Observing (weather permitting)

Session 3:
Stars: naming conventions, magnitudes
Limiting magnitude due to light pollution
Star colors - spectra
Make and use a spectroscope to study light

Session 4:
Using the internet as an astronomy reference tool
Observing man-made satellites
Circumpolar constellations, significance of Polaris as a reference point
Make and use a star clock
Telescope Observing (weather permitting)

Session 5:
Meteors, meteor showers, comets
Objects beyond our Solar System: nebulae, star clusters, galaxies
Observe Leonid Meteor Shower in progress (weather permitting)
Telescope Observing (weather permitting)