Cococubed.com AST 112 Stars, Galaxies, and Cosmology Spring 2011
Home Teaching materials ... Solar Systems Astronomy ... Stars, Galaxies,Cosmology ... Astronomy Laboratory I ... Astronomy Laboratory II ... Geometry of Art and Nature ... Calculus ... Numerical ... Life in the Universe ... Algebra Astronomy research Astronomy codes Astronomy talks Astronomy images Outreach Bicycle adventures Artwork Contact: F.X.Timmes, my vitae	Spacetime Coordinates: Online MWF from 9:40am to 10:20am between 20Jan and 03May. You are not required to be available during this time slot. Instructor: Professor Frank Timmes is avaliable MW during class times via the course blackboard site, via the live lectures delivered via Adobe Connect, email fxt.teaching@gmail.com, skype (username chatterbox4444), or telephone 480 965 4274. You are on your own on Fridays and should use theis time to study the material. Text: The Cosmic Perspective, 6th edition by Bennet et al. Choose one option: 1. All Electronic: MasteringAstronomy with Pearson eText Student Access Kit, ISBN 9780321696823, ~$82. 2. Hardcopy + Web: Hardcopy text with MasteringAstronomy Access Kit ISBN 9780321620903, ~$138. 3. If you already have the text, then you'll only need the MasteringAstronomy Access Kit ISBN 9780321682529, ~$45. You may purchase these items from ASU's bookstore or directly from the publisher at http://www.masteringastronomy.com/site/register/new-students.html Online Course: This is an online introductory course on stars, galaxies, and cosmology. It is your responsibility to complete the reading (hardcopy or eText), online homework, and online exams, and particpate/listen to the online lectures. It is assumed you have suitable hardware, software, internet connectivity, and know how to administer your machine. My goal for this course is to communicate the excitement of modern astronomy. Some algebra will be used because obtaining quantitative results is an essential part of science. However, it is more important for you to be able to give clear explanations of physical phenomena. This course could be one of your most rewarding courses, if you learn the material. We will cover Chapters 1-5 and 14-23 in The Cosmic Perspective, 6th edition. We will move quickly and each new topic will build upon concepts covered previously. If you fall behind, you will find it difficult to catch up. Stay ahead of the game. Blackboard: Point your browser to myasucourses.asu.edu and navigate to the AST 112 blackboard site. This blackboard area could be your springboard to anything you need or want for the course, including MasteringAstronomy, which hosts all the homework and exams (and reading for the eText). MasteringAstronomy: The MasteringAstronomy course ID is MATIMMESSPRING2011. To open your MasteringAstronomy account, follow the directions given in this getting online with MasteringAstronomy pdf document. If you are still having problems getting online, call the help number provided in the document. Online Lectures: Live, interactive lectures will be given via Adobe Connect on Mondays. You are not required to be available during this time slot, as the lectures will be recorded for viewing at your convenience. To join a lecture, click on one of the lecture links below, choose to enter as a "guess", type your name, and click the "enter room" button. The first time you attempt to join an Adobe Connect meeting, it will automagically configure your machine. Here is a set-up guide in pdf format for Adobe Connect, and here is a video tutorial on what to expect in a Adobe Connect meeting. You do not need a camera or a mirophone to participate, as you can type your questions and comments into a chat window. If you want to ask questions verbally, then your computer must have a microphone and I strongly reccomend the use of headphones to prevent feedback and other sounds. Online Homework: There are 13 homework assignments, one per week, to be completed at MasteringAstronomy. Each homework is worth 100 points and on average will take about 40 minutes. On average there is 1 quantitative (algebra) problem per week. Homework assignments count 50% towards your final grade. That is, each homework is 3.85% of your grade. Blow off homework and you will not pass this course. You may collaborate on homework assignments in groups up to 4 people, but no larger. Late homework will not be accepted, except for verified medical reasons or ASU sponsored activities. Claiming your computer or internet went down is not a valid reason for late homework. On first page of any homework assignment in MasteringAstronomy you should see the line "To learn more, read your instructor's Grading Policy". Click on the "Grading Policy" link to see the details. Online Exams: There are 3 exams, roughly one every 5 weeks, to be completed on MasteringAstronomy. Each exam is open book, but must be completed by yourself (see Cheating below). Each exam will be open for a period of 48 hours, so you may start the exam when it is convenient for you. However, once you start, you'll have 90 minutes to finish the exam. The exams have the same style and content level as the homework. These 3 exams count 50% toward your final grade. That is, each exam is 16.67% of your grade. Make-up exams will be allowed only for verified medical reasons or ASU sponsored activities. Claiming your computer or internet went down is not a valid reason for a make-up exam. There is no final exam for this course. On first page of any exam in MasteringAstronomy you should see the line "To learn more, read your instructor's Grading Policy". Click on the "Grading Policy" link to see the details. Extra Credit: There are no extra credit or honors projects for this course. Grading: Final grades are based on the number of points you earn on the homework and exams. You can your percentage of the total points avaliable to date on MasteringAstronomy. Final grades for the course are generally based on a curve; that is, relative to your colleagues. However, I allow for absolute scores - 90% or better will get an A, 80% a B, 70% a C. In general, I allow for "+" but not "-" grades. Cheating: Just don't. Please familiarize yourself with ASU's Student Academic Integrity Policy and Student Code of Conduct. Evidence of cheating on the online exams - sacrificial lambs, drones, dummy accounts, statistical or ip address evidence of collaboration - will result in you failing the entire course, as well as being referred to the appropriate Dean. Don't cheat. Schedule This following schedule is a guide that is subject to changes that depend in part on the class' progress. Week Date Day What Week 1 19Jan Wed This week's objectives are: 1. Find our blackboard site 2. Purchase your textbook or eText and your MasteringAstronomy registration number 3. Get your MasteringAstronomy.pdf account activated. The course ID is MATIMMESSPRING2011 4. Explore the Introduction to MasteringAstronomy assignment 5. Get your Adobe Connect software rolling for the live lecture on Monday Ask questions about this week's reading, lecture, or homework here 21Jan Fri Read Chapter 1 - Our place in the Universe Listen to one of the Stardate radio & podcasts for the current month. Watch movie of 100 From Earth to the Universe Images Week 2 This week's objectives are: 1. Our modern view of the universe 2. The scale of the Universe 3. Spaceship Earth 4. The Human Adventure of Astronomy Ask questions about this week's reading, lecture, or homework here 24Jan Mon Online lecture via Adobe Connect Chapter 1 lecture material in html or pdf Read Chapter 2 - Discovering our Universe 26Jan Wed Play with the Ptolemaic Model Simulator Play with the Seasons and Ecliptic Simulator 28Jan Fri Homework 01 on Chapter 01 due at MasteringAstronomy Week 3 This week's objectives are: 1. Patterns in the night sky 2. Reason for the Seasons 3. The Moon, Our constant companion 4. The ancient mystery of the planets Ask questions about this week's reading, lecture, or homework here 31Jan Mon Online lecture with Adobe Connect Chapter 2 lecture material in html or pdf Read Chapter 3 - Science of Astronomy 02Feb Wed Play with the Rotating Sky Explorer Explorer Play with the Motions of the Sun Simulator American Museum of Natural History YouTube video 04Feb Fri Homework 02 on Chapter 02 due at MasteringAstronomy Week 4 This week's objectives are: 1. Ancient roots of science 2. Greek science 3. Copernican revolution 4. The nature of science Ask questions about this week's reading, lecture, or homework here 07Feb Mon Online lecture with Adobe Connect Chapter 3 lecture material in html or pdf Read Chapter 4 - Understanding Motion, Energy, and Gravity 09Feb Wed Play with the Planetary Orbit Simulator Play with the Lunar Phases Simulator Explore the Astronomy Picture of the Day 11Feb Fri Homework 03 on Chapter 03 due at MasteringAstronomy Week 5 This week's objectives are: 1. Motion in Everyday life 2. Newton's Laws of motion 3. Conservation laws in astronomy 4. Orbits and Tides Ask questions about this week's reading, lecture, or homework here 14Feb Mon Online lecture with Adobe Connect Chapter 4 lecture material in html or pdf Read Chapter 5 - Light and Matter 16Feb Wed Play with the Blackbody Simulator Visit the Arizona Science Center in-person Watch the quirky Blackbody Radiation video 18Feb Fri Homework 04 on Chapter 04 due at MasteringAstronomy Week 6 This week's objectives are: 1. Light in everyday life 2. Properties of light 3. Properties of matter 4. Learning from light Ask questions about this week's reading, lecture, or homework here 21Feb Mon Online lecture with Adobe Connect Chapter 5 lecture material in html or pdf Read Chapter 14 - Our Star 23Feb Wed Explore the geometric optics of a Lens Track the light through the Faulkes Telescope Adaptive Optics animation 25Feb Fri Homework 05 on Chapter 05 due at MasteringAstronomy Exam #1 on Chapters 1-5 opens Wed 23Feb at 1:00am and closes Fri 25Feb at 11:59pm on MasteringAstronomy. Histogram of Exam #1 scores is here. Histogram of total scores to date is here. Week 7 This week's objectives are: 1. A closer look at the Sun 2. The Cosmic Crucible 3. The Sun-Earth Connection Ask questions about this week's reading, lecture, or homework here 28Feb Mon Online lecture with Adobe Connect Chapter 14 lecture material in html or pdf Read Chapter 15 - Surveying the Stars 02Mar Wed Play with the HR Diagram Explorer Play with the Eclipsing Binary Simulator Simulator 04Mar Fri Homework 06 on Chapter 14 due at MasteringAstronomy Week 8 This week's objectives are: 1. Properties of Stars 2. Patterns Among Stars 3. Star Clusters Ask questions about this week's reading, lecture, or homework here 07Mar Mon Online lecture with Adobe Connect Chapter 15 lecture material in html or pdf Read Chapter 16 - Star Birth 09Mar Wed Peruse the Wikipedia entry on the Sun Look at some Unusual Auroras from Nationa Geographic Enjoy this YouTube video on the The Structure of the Sun 11Mar Fri Homework 07 on Chapter 15 due at MasteringAstronomy Week 9 14Mar Mon No Class Spring Break 16Mar Wed No Class Spring Break 18Mar Fri No Class Spring Break Week 10 This week's objectives are: 1. Stellar Nurseries 2. Stages of Star Birth 3. Masses of Newborn Stars 4. Ask questions about this week's reading, lecture, or homework here 21Mar Mon Online lecture with Adobe Connect Chapter 16 lecture material in html or pdf Read Chapter 17 - Star Stuff 23Mar Wed Enjoy this NASA video on star formation Peruse the Wikipedia entry on the Interstellar Medium 25Mar Fri Homework 08 on Chapter 16 due at MasteringAstronomy Week 11 This week's objectives are: 1. Lives in the Balance 2. Life as a Low Mass Star 3. Life as a High Mass star 4. The Roles of Mass and Mass Exchange Ask questions about this week's reading, lecture, or homework here 28Mar Mon Online lecture with Adobe Connect Chapter 17 lecture material in html or pdf Read Chapter 18 - The Bizzare Stellar Graveyard 30Mar Wed Build your own Star Watch these videos of stellar evolution Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 01Apr Fri Homework 09 on Chapter 17 due at MasteringAstronomy Week 12 This week's objectives are: 1. White Dwarfs 2. Neutron Stars 3. Black Holes 4. Gamma-Ray Bursts Ask questions about this week's reading, lecture, or homework here 04Apr Mon Online lecture with Adobe Connect Chapter 18 lecture material in html or pdf Read Chapter 19 - Our Galaxy 06Apr Wed Watch these videos of stellar evolution Part 4 Part 5 Explore Astronomy magazine online NASA's modern cosmology explained 08Apr Fri Homework 10 on Chapter 18 due at MasteringAstronomy Exam #2 on Chapters 14-18 opens Wed 06Apr at 1:00am and closes Fri 08Apr at 11:59pm on MasteringAstronomy Histogram of Exam #2 scores is here. Histogram of total scores to date is here. Week 13 This week's objectives are: 1. The Milky Way Revealed 2. Galactic Recycling 3. The History of the Milky Way 4. The Mysterious Galactic Center Ask questions about this week's reading, lecture, or homework here 11Apr Mon Online lecture with Adobe Connect Chapter 19 lecture material in html or pdf Read Chapters 20 and 21 - Galaxies and Galaxy Evolution 13Apr Wed Play with the Distance Ladder Simulations Video discussing Big Bang Nucleosynthesis Whimsical Video of the Universe in 60 seconds 15Apr Fri Homework 11 on Chapter 19 due at MasteringAstronomy Week 14 This week's objectives are: 1. Islands of Stars 2. Measuring Galactic Distances 3. Hubble's Law 4. The Lives of Galaxies Ask questions about this week's reading, lecture, or homework here 18Apr Mon Online lecture with Adobe Connect Chapter 20 lecture material in html or pdf Read Chapter 22 - Dark Stuff and the Fate of the Universe 20Apr Wed Play match the Chandra Image Explore Google Sky Portal to the Universe 22Apr Fri Online lecture with Adobe Connect Chapter 21 lecture material in html or pdf Homework 12 on Chapters 20 and 21 due at MasteringAstronomy Week 15 This week's objectives are: 1. Evidence for Dark Matter 2. Structure Formation 3. The Fate of the Universe 4. The Big Bang Ask questions about this week's reading, lecture, or homework here 25Apr Mon Online lecture with Adobe Connect Chapter 22 lecture material in html or pdf Read Chapter 23 - The Beginning of Time 27Apr Wed Interactive Tour of the Milky Way Build your own Universe Hubble Space Telescope's Revelations video 29Apr Fri Online lecture with Adobe Connect Chapter 23 lecture material in html or pdf Homework 13 on Chapter 22 due at MasteringAstronomy Week 16 02May Mon Exam #3 on Chapters 19-23 opens Mon 02May at 1:00am and closes Thu 05May at 11:59pm on MasteringAstronomy Histogram of Exam #3 scores is here. Histogram of the final scores and grades is here.