DESCRIPTIVE ASTRONOMY 101
FALL 2009
Mesa College
An introductory survey course to develop an appreciation of contemporary astronomy. Topics include the solar system, stars and stellar evolution, the Milky Way galaxy, and cosmology. Supplemented by films and/or field trips. (FT) Transfer Credit: CSU and/or private coll/univ.; UC.
3 hours, 3 units
Instructor: Prof. John R. Sievers
Text: Required - VOYAGES Through the Universe 3rd ed by Fraknoi et.al.
Required - Descriptive Astronomy Lecture Guide
for Voyages Through the Universe 5th ed. by John R. Sievers
Optional - CD ROM[not used in course]
Office: I‑203
TTh 7:30 – 8:00 am
MW 10:30 am - 11:00 am
MW 12:35pm – 2:15 pm
If these hours are unavailable to you, a meeting time can be arranged.
Telephone: (619) 388-2623
e-mail: sievers.j@att.net
Leave a note: K-202
"We go about our daily lives understanding almost nothing of the world. We give little thought to the machinery that generates the sunlight that makes life possible, to the gravity that glues us to an Earth that would otherwise send us spinning off into space, or to the atoms of which we are made and on whose stability we fundamentally depend. Except for children, few of us spend much time wondering why nature is the way it is; where the cosmos came from, or whether it is always here; if time will one day flow backward and effects precede causes; or whether there are ultimate limits to what humans can know."
Carl Sagan
One of the purposes of this class is to make us children again so that we may ask questions we once asked and learn about ourselves by becoming more aware of the environment that surrounds us.
STUDY AIDS AVAILABLE:
The following study aids are available to the 101 student:
1. old examinations (learning center ground floor reserve 5)
& at web site http://classroom.sdmesa.net/jsievers
2. tutoring (K-200 building)
3. Internet access in Learning Center
textbook web site at www.saunderscollege.com/astro/fraknoi/
004. Numerous web sites noted after each chapter in the book.
CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR AND STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT:
Students are expected to respect and obey standards of student conduct while in class and on campus. The student Code of Conduct, disciplinary procedure , and student due process (Policy 3100, 3100.1, and 3100.2) can be found in the current college catalog in the section Academic Information and Regulations pages 39-51, and at the office of the Dean of Student Affairs(H-500). Charges of misconduct and disciplinary sanctions may be imposed upon students who violate these standards of conduct or provisions of college regulations. As your instructor, I have the following expectations of your behavior in this class:
1. Promote a courteous learning atmosphere by exhibiting mutual respect and consideration of the feelings, ideas, and contributions of others.
2 Recognize everyone’s opportunity to contribute information in a relevant and meaningful manner by not monopolizing discussions, interrupting, interjecting irrelevant, illogical or inappropriate questions or comments.
1. All cell phones, pages, etc. are to be turned off during class time.
2. This class will be conducted in accordance with the college student code of conduct and basic standards of academic honesty. Cheating, plagiarism or other forms of academic dishonesty are not acceptable and will not be tolerated. Violations of standards of academic honesty will be reported to the school dean for appropriate action.
EXAMINATIONS:
There will be five examinations given during the semester. Students arriving late to an exam (after the 1st student has turned in their exam) should not expect to be allowed to take that exam. All examinations carry equal weight. The lowest grade of the five will be dropped. There are NO make-up examinations. It is encouraged that you form study groups with some of your fellow students. The grading scale for the course will be the following:
A 352 ‑ 400 points EXAM SCHEDULE
B 315 ‑ 352 EXAM 1 Sept. 14 (M); Sept. 15 (T) [Chap. P - 5]
C 260 ‑ 315 EXAM 2 Oct. 5 (M); Oct. 6 (T) [Chap. 6 - 11]
D 200 ‑ 260 EXAM 3 Oct. 26 (M); Oct. 27 (T) [Chap. 12 - 17]
F below 200 EXAM 4 Nov. 18 (W); Nov. 19 (Th) [Chap. 18 - 23]
After the 4th exam all students are to schedule an office visit. The purpose of this meeting is to check all of your test scores and discuss your current grade in the class.
M-W classes T-Th classes
EXAM 5 Dec. 16 (W) Dec. 17 (Th) final [over last chapters]
EXTRA CREDIT:
A total of 15 points can be made through extra credit. Extra credit is earned by attempting serious answers to all questions in the Lecture Guide (no exceptions). The Lecture Guide must be turned in on the day of the examination (a few minutes before the exam begins) for a student to receive extra credit.
GENERAL STRATEGIES FOR STUDYING
* Don’t miss class. Listening to lectures and participating in discussions is much more effective than reading someone else’s notes. Active participation will help you retain what your learning.
* Budget your time effectively. An hour or two each day is more effective, and far less painful, than studying all night before exams.
* If a concept gives you trouble, do additional reading beyond what has been assigned. And if you still have trouble, ask for help: you surely can find friends, colleagues, or teachers who will be glad to help you learn.
* Working together with friends can be valuable in helping you to solve difficult problems. However, be sure that you learn with your friends and do not become dependent on them.
* When studying your text: Don’t highlight -- underline! Using a pen or pencil to underline material requires greater care than highlighting, and therefore helps to keep you alert as you study.
PREPARING FOR EXAMINATIONS
* Study your notes from lectures and discussions. Pay attention to what your instructor expects you top know for an examination.
* Reread the relevant sections in the textbook, paying special attention to notes you have made in the margins.
* Study individually before joining a study group with friends. Study groups are effective only if every individual comes prepared to contribute.
* Don’t stay up too late the night before the examination. Don’t eat a big meal within an hour of the examination(thinking is more difficult when blood is being diverted to the digestive system).
* Try to relax before and during the examination. If you have studied effectively, you are capable of doing well. Staying relaxed will help you think clearly.
ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS:
· It is the student’s responsibility to drop all classes in which he/she is no longer attending.
· It is the instructor’s discretion to withdraw a student after the add/drop deadline due to excessive absences.
· Students who remain enrolled in a class beyond the published withdrawal deadline, as stated in the class schedule, will receive an evaluative letter grade in this class.
Students, who remain enrolled in a class beyond the published withdrawal deadline, as stated in the class schedule, will receive an evaluative letter grade in this class.
You are expected to attend all meetings and roll will be taken at each meeting. You may be dropped from the course if un-excused absences are in excess of 12% of the total class hours (up to drop date---see above). If you are absent it is up to you to ask your fellow students what you missed. Arriving late to class can be counted as an absence.
CLASS DISCUSSION:
Questions will be welcome during class, especially if some topic is especially vague. Please ask questions if you do now understand a particular topic.
INSTRUCTOR ABSENCE:
If the instructor must be absent from the class, students are to continue studying the material in their textbook and do the learning objectives indicated in the course syllabus.
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES WHO MAY NEED
ACADEMIC ACCOMMODATIONS SHOULD
DISCUSS OPTIONS WITH THEIR PROFESSOR
DURING THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF CLASS.
SCHEDULE
______________________________________________________________________________
Week of: August 24
______________________________________________________________________________
Prologue
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe and explain what the scientific method is and how it is used in the science of astronomy.
2. Explain the difference between an absolute truth and a scientific truth.
3. Beginning with our Earth, name the major structures in the universe and list them in order of size and distance from Earth.
Chapter 1
Learning Objectives:
1. Define the location of the celestial poles, celestial equator, ecliptic, etc.
2. State Aristotle's arguments for a spherical earth and his model of the Solar System.
3. Describe the technique Eratosthenes used to measure the circumference of Earth.
4. Describe what is known as precession and how Hipparchus discovered this effect.
5. Describe the heliocentric model of the universe as proposed by Copernicus and compare it to the geocentric model of the universe as developed by Ptolemy.
6. Describe the important telescopic observations of Galileo.
Chapter 2
Learning Objectives:
1. State Tycho's importance to astronomy.
2. Describe Kepler's three of planetary motion laws.
3. Discuss Newton's laws of motion and law of universal gravitation.
4. Be able to discuss concepts such as momentum and apparent weightlessness.
5. Describe how Neptune was discovered.
______________________________________________________________________________
Week of: August 31
______________________________________________________________________________
Chap. 2 continued
Chapter 3
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the systems used to locate objects on the Earth and in the sky.
2. Explain how the Foucault Pendulum is used to prove the rotation of the earth.
3. Explain the cause of the seasons.
4. Describe the difference between the solar and sidereal day.
5. Describe and name the various phases of the moon.
6. Describe the rotation and revolution of the moon.
7. Explain the cause of the two high tides that occur each day on the Earth.
8. Describe and explain the circumstances resulting in the occurrences of various types of solar and lunar eclipses.
Chapter 4
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the various models of light.
2. Describe the Inverse‑square law of electromagnetic radiation.
3. List the major regions of the electromagnetic spectrum in order of wavelength and energy.
4. Express the interrelationship between the speed of light, wavelength, and frequency.
5. Define a black body and describe Planck's law, Wein's law, and the Stefan‑Boltzman law.
6. Describe the laws of reflection and refraction.
7. Name and describe the three basic types of spectra.
8. Describe the fundamental principles involved in astronomical spectroscopy including concepts of energy, atomic structure, and the formation of spectral lines.
9. Understand describe the Doppler Effect.
______________________________________________________________________________
Week of: September 7 (7th is a holiday)
______________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 5
Learning Objectives:
1. Define the terms objective, focus, and focal length, and the general properties of lenses and mirrors.
2. Identify the various types of telescopes used by astronomers and list the advantages and disadvantages of each.
3. Describe the various instruments astronomers attach to telescopes to analyze light.
4. Describe how the atmosphere influences astronomical observations and why most research telescopes are of the reflector type and located on the tops of mountains.
5. Describe the basic operation of a radio telescope.
6. Describe the method used to determine the distance to the nearer planets using radar astronomy.
Chapter 6
Learning Objectives:
1. In a general way describe the various objects found in the Solar System and give their basic characteristics.
1. Discuss the processes involved in crater formation and how craters counts are used to determine the ages of planetary surfaces.
2. Describe how knowledge of radioactive 1/2 lives allow astronomers to determine age.
4. Describe the basic theory for the formation of the Solar System.
______________________________________________________________________________
Week of: September 14 Exam #1 1st class meeting of this week
______________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 7
Learning Objectives:
1. State the general properties of the Earth and describe its internal structure.
2. Describe how scientists determine the internal structure of the Earth.
3. Describe the nature of the Earth's magnetic field and Van Allen Belts.
4. Define igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks.
5. Explain the theory of plate tectonics and continental drift.
6. Describe the current properties of the Earth's atmosphere and how and why it was different in the past.
7. Describe the phenomena known as the "Green House" Effect.
8. Describe the effects of asteroid impacts on the Earth.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Week of: September 21
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 8
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the basic structure and composition of the Moon.
2. Describe the various types of lunar land forms.
3. Describe the lunar environment, including temperature variations, gravity, and atmosphere, if any.
4. Describe the major geological findings concerning the lunar surface and its interior.
5. Discuss the various theories for the formation of the Moon.
6. Describe the orbital and rotational characteristics of Mercury.
7. Explain how the Doppler Effect is used to determine the rotational characteristics of Mercury.
8. Describe the surface and atmospheric characteristics of Mercury.
9. List the major findings of space astronomy in regards to Mercury and give an explanation as to why Mercury is mostly iron core.
Chapter 9
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the orbital, rotational, and other general characteristics of Venus and Mars.
2. Describe the characteristics of Venus' atmosphere.
3. Explain the "greenhouse effect" of Venus' atmosphere and how in influences the surface temperatures of Venus.
4. Enumerate what is known about the physical surface of Venus explain how that information is obtained.
5. Describe the Earth based observations of the Martian surface features.
6. Describe the properties of the Martian atmosphere.
7. Describe the Martian surface features as observed by the Mariner and Viking spacecraft.
8. Describe the Martian polar caps.
9. Describe the evidence for water on Mars in the distant past.
10. Describe the results of the major Viking Lander life experiments.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Week of: September 28
______________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 10
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the general properties of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
2. Describe the Red Spot.
3. Describe the banded structure of Jupiter's and Saturn's atmosphere.
4. Describe the magnetic field associated with Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
5. Describe the radiated energy of Jupiter and Saturn.
6. Describe the modern model of Jupiter and Saturn's interior and atmosphere.
Chapter 11
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the general properties of the satellites.
2. Name the Galilean satellites and describe their characteristics.
3. Describe the characteristics of Saturn's largest satellite, Titan.
Describe the characteristics of Neptune's satellite. Triton.
4. Describe the most important discoveries of the Voyager and Pioneer missions to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
5. List and relate the historical events which led to the discovery and naming of Pluto.
6. Describe the discovery of the moon around Pluto and its importance to our knowledge of Pluto.
7. Describe the rings of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
8. Discuss the possible causes of ring systems about planets.
Chapter 12
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the properties, characteristics, classifications, and locations of the asteroids.
2. Describe the two Martian satellites.
3. Name and describe the five basic parts of a comet.
4. Describe how the solar wind interacts with the tail of a comet.
5. Describe the nature and significance of the Oort cloud.
6. Once a comet enters the inner Solar System, what are some of its possible fates?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Week of: October 5 Exam #2 exam will be 1st class meeting of the week
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 13
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the characteristics of a meteor and meteor shower and what is meant by the radiant point.
2. Describe the characteristics of cometary orbits and their relationship with meteor showers.
3. Describe the basic classifications and compositions of meteorites.
4. Describe the basic characteristics of the planets.
5. Discuss the basic theory of the formation of the solar system.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Week of: October 12
______________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 14
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the chemical composition, size, shape, and rotation of the sun.
2. Name and describe the major regions of the sun and their temperature variations.
3. Describe the nature of the solar wind.
4. Describe photospheric granulation, sunspots, and the sunspot cycle.
5. Describe the solar plages, prominences and flares.
6. Describe the nature of coronal holes.
7. Describe the phenomena known as the Maunder Minimum.
Chapter 15
Learning Objectives
1. Describe an early idea for the energy source that made the Sun shine.
2. Give the modern explanation for the Sun's energy source.
3. Familiarize yourself with the terms elementary particles and binding energy.
4. Describe the basic energy source of main sequence stars.
5. Describe the basic equilibrium conditions involved in stellar models.
6. Describe the three modes of heat transport in a star.
7. In regards to the Sun, discuss solar seismology and the neutrino experiment.
Chapter 16
Learning Objectives:
1. Define the terms apparent magnitude, absolute magnitude, luminosity, and color index.
2. List the spectral classes of stars in order of temperature and describe their characteristics.
3. List the stellar properties that can be determined from stellar spectrograms.
4. Define proper motion and how it is measured.
______________________________________________________________________________
Week of: October 19
______________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 17
Learning Objectives:
1. Compare and contrast the properties of the brightest stars versus the average stars around the sun.
2. List the major types of binary stellar‑systems and how they are discovered.
3. Describe the stellar mass‑luminosity relation.
4. Describe the range of masses found in stars.
5. Contrast the relative masses, diameters, temperatures, and luminosities of stars in different regions of an H‑R diagram.
Chapter 18
Learning Objectives:
1. Define and state the value of the astronomical unit.
2. Define the terms parallax and parsec.
3. Draw a diagram showing how stellar (trigonometric) parallax is measured and how it is used to determine the distance to a star.
4. Describe Cepheid variables.
5. Draw the period‑luminosity relation and explain how it is used in distance
6. Be able to describe how the study of a star's spectra can lead to the determination of its distance.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Week of: October 26 Exam #3 is on 1st class meeting
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 19
Learning Objectives
1. Describe what astronomers mean when they speak of the interstellar medium.
2. Describe the conditions prevailing in HI and HII regions.
3. Describe the production of 21-cm emission and how astronomers "see" HI regions.
4. List and describe the different types of nebulae.
1. Describe where astronomers find interstellar molecules.
6. Describe the effects of dust on light passing through it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Week of: November 2
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 20
Learning Objectives:
1. Discuss where astronomers find star formation occurring in our Galaxy.
2. Describe the process of star birth.
3. Describe the attempts made by astronomers to detect planets in orbit about other star systems.
Chapter 21
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe, on the HR Diagram, the evolution from the main sequence to the giant phase.
2. List and describe the properties of globular clusters.
3. List and describe the properties of galactic clusters.
4. List and describe the properties of associations.
5. Explain how observations of star clusters are used to check out the theory of stellar life cycles (stellar evolution).
6. Describe what is involved for a star to turn off the main sequence.
7. Describe the difference in the appearance of the HR Diagram for a young group of stars compared to an old group of stars.
8. List the different types of nuclear reactions which are known to occur in stellar interiors at various stages in a stars life.
9. List and describe the steps in the formation of planetary nebulae.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Week of: November 9 Friday is a holiday
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Continue Chap. 21
Chapter 22
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the Chandrasekhar limit.
2. List properties and describe the steps in the formation of white dwarf objects and finally to a black dwarf.
3. List and describe the conditions leading to the formation of supernovae.
4. Tell what has been learned from the study of 1987A.
5. Describe the discovery, characteristics, and properties of pulsars and neutron stars.
6. Describe discovery and the steps in the formation of pulsars and neutron stars.
7. Describe novae and their causes.
8. Differentiate between Type I and II supernovae.
Chapter 23
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the principle of equivalence.
2. State the major predictions of general relativity and list their observational verifications.
3. Describe black holes and the major region about them.
4. Detail how black holes are discovered.
5. Describe gravity waves and how scientists are trying to detect them.
______________________________________________________________________________
Week of: November 16 Exam #4 is on 2nd class meeting
______________________________________________________________________________
Continue Chap. 23
Chapter 24
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the role of the observations of Herschel and Shapley in determining the size of the Milky Way and the sun's position within it.
2. Make a diagram of the Milky Way Galaxy and name the major regions, including the spiral arms.
3. By making observations of the 21‑cm line of neutral hydrogen, what can astronomers determine about the Galaxy?
4. Describe how the mass of the Milky Way is determined.
5. Discuss the evidence indicating a missing-mass problem.
6. Describe the behavior of the center of the galactic nucleus and what might be located there.
7. Differentiate Population I stars from Population II.
8. In very general terms, describe the formation of the Galaxy.
______________________________________________________________________________
Week of: November 23 Holiday week
______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Week of: November 30
______________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 25
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the three basic types of galaxies.
2. Name and describe the classification scheme used in distinguishing different types of galaxies.
3. Describe the methods for determining galactic masses.
4. In regards to galaxies, what does the mass to light ratio tell astronomers about a galaxy?
5. Describe the methods for determining galactic distances.
6. Describe the observations of Vesto Slipher and Edwin Hubble.
7. Understand and explain the significance of the Hubble law of recession and the Hubble
8. Explain how the Hubble law is used to determine the distance to a galaxy and be able to use that law in a simple problem.
Chapter 26
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the unique observational characteristics of quasars.
2. List and describe the types of characteristics of radio, Seyfert, and peculiar galaxies (active galaxies).
3. Explain the theory as to the nature of the energy source of quasars.
4. Describe the phenomena known as gravitational lensing.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Week of: December 7
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 27
Learning Objectives:
1. Describe how galaxies in clusters might change over time.
2. List and describe the properties and distribution of clusters of galaxies and superclusters.
3. Describe the "Local Group" of galaxies.
4. State the Cosmological Principle.
5. Discuss the presence dark matter in the objects discussed in this chapter.
Chapter 28
Learning Objectives:
1. Explain how astronomers estimate the age of the universe.
2. Describe the big bang theories of the origin of the universe.
3. Describe what the big bang cosmology predicts regarding the evolution of the universe.
4. Describe the geometric and physical differences between open and closed universes.
5. Describe the 3 K background radiation.
6. Describe the Inflationary Model of the universe.
7. What questions does this model explain that the old standard model did not?
8. Describe the fundamental forces found in nature and what is known as the Grand Unified Theory.
9. Discuss the COBE results, including what we learned from the results.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Week of: December 14 Final exam on last class meeting Last day of semester is the 19th.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
continue Chap. 28