Course Description:
This is a one-semester course designed to acquaint students with the scientific study of
the heavens. The emphasis is on the evolution, life cycle and characteristics of the stars
and galaxies. Information from recent discoveries by the Hubble telescope and other modern
telescopes will be presented. Other discussion topics include constellation
identification, space travel, life in the universe and cosmology.Attendance:
- Attendance will be taken at each class via a sign-in sheet. It is the
student’s responsibility to make sure they have signed in. In addition, the student
must be present for at least 75% of the class period to be counted present, unless other
arrangements are made with the instructor.
- Regular attendance is required. Failure to attend regularly will result in a lower grade
(attendance accounts for 10% of the overall course grade). Up to three absences over the
course of the semester is considered reasonable, and as such will not have a negative
impact upon the final grade. Absences in excess of three will negatively impact the final
grade, except in cases of documented emergency or illness.
- Short quizzes will be administered at every class meeting (the quizzes account for 15%
of the overall course grade). If a student misses a class, and therefore the quiz, the
student must contact the instructor and arrange a time to make up the quiz before
the next class session.
- There will be three exams throughout the semester. If a student cannot take any of the
exams on the designated date, they must contact the instructor at least 24 hours before
the exam is given and make other arrangements. Make-up exams will be scheduled based upon
the instructor’s availability.
- Failure to take the final exam will result in an automatic F. If for some reason a
student is unable to take the final exam on the scheduled date, they must arrange with the
instructor to take the exam at some mutually convenient time before the regularly
scheduled final exam date. There will be no exceptions other than in the case of written,
authorized medical/work excuses or dire personal emergency
Student Preparation:
Students should read the assigned material before the class which deals with the
material. They should be prepared to ask questions about the topic and answer questions
posed by the instructor. Questions about material beyond the current topic are encouraged,
and will be addressed as time permits.
Testing:
- Short quizzes will be given at the start of some class sessions, based on the material
in the text book reading assignments. These quizzes along with in-class assignments and
occasional homework assignements will account for 15% of the final course grade.
- There will be three exams (including the final exam) spaced throughout the semester. The
format will be a combination of matching items, multiple choice, and true or false
questions based primarily on the material covered in the text reading assignments and
class lectures. Please refer to the Course Schedule for information on the material
covered in each exam.
- The final exam will not be cumulative per se, as it will focus on the material covered
in the last third of the semester. However, certain concepts taught earlier in the
semester that continue to be referred to throughout the semester may be covered on any
test (ex. distance terminology, electromagnetic spectrum, stellar classification, etc.).
Course Assessment:
Attendance:
10%
Quizzes and Assignments: 15%
Exams :
75% (three exams worth 25% each)
There is no curve on the final marks. In borderline cases the instructor's evaluation
of the student's total performance will be used to assign the grade.
Please Note:
Unless a student formally withdraws from the course and notifies the instructor, the
instructor will not remove the student’s name from the roster and will continue to
assign grades which will result in a final grade of FX.
Course Objectives:
Upon successful completion of this course students will:
- Become familiar with the concept of constellations
- Learn the nomenclature of stars and constellations
- Learn the distance units used to measure astronomical distances
- Become familiar with the properties of electromagnetic radiation, its interactions with
matter, and its importance to astronomy
- Understand the principles of spectroscopy and its astronomical applications
- Become familiar with technology used to explore the universe, both Earth-based
instruments and spacecraft
- Learn about the Sun as a star, including its sources of energy and cyclic activity
- Become familiar with the types of stars found near the Sun and how they are displayed on
the H-R diagram
- Become familiar with stellar evolution, from the creation of stars to their ultimate
fates as white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes
- Learn about the physical characteristics and history of our galaxy, the Milky Way
- Become familiar with the types of galaxies and their properties
- Learn about active galaxies and quasars and theories about their sources of energy
- Become familiar with the large-scale structure of the universe, including the
distribution of galaxies and dark matter
- Understand current theories about the origin of the universe, how it evolved to its
present state, and its ultimate fate
- Become familiar with the possibilities of extraterrestrial life outside the solar
system, including promising sites and past and future attempts to detect it
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