This is an introductory course to astronomy, with more emphasis on active thinking than memorizing facts. The main points of this course are (1) a general understanding of astronomy, (2) what can be observed in the sky, (3) what we know about the Solar System.

Lectures: The lectures cover the material in the textbook from a different perspective. Students are expected to attend and make an effort to actively participate.

Discipline: The lecture hall will be locked 5 minutes after class starts. Students talking or causing noise or disturbance in class will be asked to leave.

Homework: There is no homework assigned in this class. However, students will be asked to read the appropriate chapters of textbook.

Home Page: The course comes with a neatly maintained home page. Students need to check it regularly, including the links.

Quizzes: Students will be given short quizzes during every lecture. The questions will be based on that day's lecture. No advance preparation is necessary, except when assigned reading is due. For each and every class students need a scantron # 16485.

Tests:

• Two one-hour tests are given during the semester, on Oct. 1, Wednesday and Oct. 29, Wednesday (during class time).
• Each student must pass another exam that consists of a large number of basic multiple choice questions. The questions and the correct answers are given out in advance. The test is offered 6 times during the semester, and can be repeated until passed. Passing level is 90%, but once a student passed, the score does not count into the grade. A student who does not pass this test will fail the course. The test is offered three times right after each regular test, and in addition on Oct. 8, Wednesday, Nov. 3, Monday, and on Nov. 18, Tuesday, at 6 pm.
• The two hour final exam on Dec. 11, Thursday, 12:00 noon is comprehensive.

Use of textbooks is allowed during the three tests only if there are no handwritten notes in the book. No textbooks during pass/fail tests. All students are required to show a picture ID.

Laboratory: All students must take the laboratory, and attend the section to which they are assigned. Lab is at night, according to a separate schedule for each section. Lab grades are awarded on the basis of the lab reports turned in by the students.

Absences: Missed quizzes, tests and labs cannot be made up. Each student will be given, in the beginning of the semester, three quizzes worth of free credit to compensate for medical emergencies or other excusable absences. In exceptional situations, in case of prologed absences (such as a hospital stay or student-athletes' game times), the part of the missed classes that exceed three quizzes or one lab will be replaced by the grade received for the final exam. In these situations clear, verifiable doctor's notes (or similar documents) will be required. Simple pharmacy receipts or medical bills not explaining directly and clearly the reason for a missed class will not be accepted.

Students with disabilities: All reasonable measures will be taken to accommodate any special needs. Inform the instructor in advance of any such need during lecture, discussion, laboratory or tests. Affected students are responsible for requesting special accomodition in time. However, no extra time can be offered for the in-class quizzes (in case this causes a severe problem, individual remedies might be considered).

Late enrollment: Students who do not attend the first week but enroll later will lose the quiz credit for the missed classes.

Important notes:

(1) Anyone missing three or more labs will fail the course, whatever his/her points would be otherwise!

(2) Anyone failing the "pass and fail" test will fail the course, whatever his/her points would be otherwise!