ASTR 101– Course Syllabus
Second Summer Session 2008

Course
Description

Lecture: This course is an overview of our current understanding of the universe, and can be divided in four parts. We start with an overview of some of the main observational facts on the sky and the most important stages in the history of astronomy, and discuss a few physics concepts that are often used in astronomy, like the force of gravity, light and radiation, and how telescopes work. We then study in more detail the Sun and the Solar System, including our Moon, the other planets and their satellites, smaller objects such as asteroids and comets, and the formation of the Solar System. In the third part we discuss other stars and objects in our Milky Way galaxy, and we conclude in the fourth part with an overview of other galaxies and the evolution of the universe as a whole. Current astronomy news will also be discussed on a regular basis, as well as highlights of the summer sky.

Evaluation

Grading Scheme

Quizzes ...... 40 pts
Test 1 ....... 35 pts
Test 2 ....... 35 pts
Test 3 ....... 35 pts
Final Exam ... 55 pts

Total ....... 200 pts

Observation: Occasionally, there will be opportunities to observe astronomical objects in the evening, through binoculars or a telescope. Details will be announced in class.

Quizzes: Short quizzes will be given at the beginning of most lectures; each quiz will be a 4-point combination of two-point short-answer questions and one-point multiple-choice questions. Quizzes submitted on paper with torn edges will not be graded. Each missed quiz (except for justified absences) is equivalent to a score of 0 and there will be no make-up quizzes, but the lowest daily score (or one 0 from an unjustified absence) will be dropped for each student.

Midterm Tests: There will be three midterms, consisting of 35 multiple-choice questions each. Students will have 35 minutes to complete each midterm, and will not be allowed to leave the room during the first 20 minutes or start the test after that time. A student who misses the test will be able to make it up if the absence is excused.

Final Exam: The final exam will have one part with the same format as the midterms, covering the last fourth of the course, and 20 short-answer questions on general topics in the course. Students will have two hours to complete the final, and will not be allowed to leave the room during the first 30 minutes, or start the test after that time.

Class attendance: Attendance to lectures is not mandatory, but students who miss a lecture will receive a score of 0 on any quiz for that day. To receive credit for a quiz, students need to remain in class until the end of that day's lecture period. In class, I expect students not to do things that distract other students and/or the instructor, such as talking with their neighbors, text messaging, or reading a newspaper during the lecture.

Course
Policies

Justified absences: All justifications must be turned in on paper (not just shown to me).

Honesty: Students who are caught cheating in any way will have their overall average score for the course lowered, by an amount dependent on how serious the cheating was. This includes for example copying or obtaining in any way answers from another person during quizzes or tests, or having another person submit quizzes or tests in one's name.

Note: If a change in the class policies became necessary during the semester, it would be posted on this website and discussed in class before being implemented.

Tips on
Studying
for Tests

In preparation for a test or final exam, I recommend studying:
(1) Assigned sections in the book (see the lecture schedule and the individual lecture pages); you don't need to know the proper names (people, places, stars, and the like) and numbers that I didn't mention in class, but you do need to be familiar with all the concepts in those sections; (2) The lecture notes posted online; they are a good summary, from which you can see which parts of the material I emphasize most, but they are not detailed enough for you to only study those.

Once you are familiar with the material, you can test yourself with posted tests from previous years (a few of the questions will probably appear again this year, and the other ones are good practice anyway), and with the practice questions that are posted for each topic; to access these questions, go to the "resources" page of this website, and click on the links below the various topics. However, do not rely just on practice questions and past tests! Memorizing the material is a bad way to study; if you want to do well, make sure you know what each of the concepts we talked about means, and that you are comfortable with all the explanations, so that you can answer questions about them that you might not have seen before.