AS 104

Observational and Solar System Astronomy

Winter 2019

Professor:

Dr. David W. Donovan

Office:

2517 West Science

Phone:

227-2453

Email:

ddonovan@nmu.edu

WWW:

http://physics.nmu.edu/~ddonovan/classes.html

Office Hours:

M W	11:00 – 11:50 AM
T	10:00 – 11:50 AM
R	2:00 – 3:50 PM

Other times by Appointment

Text:	The Cosmic Perspective : The Stars, Galaxies, and Cosmology (8th Edition)
	By Bennett, Donahue, Schneider, and Voit
Mastering Astronomy
Website:			http://www.pearson.com/mastering
Mastering Astronomy Registration Help		http://physics.nmu.edu/~ddonovan/classes/as103/MA_AS103_Fall_2018.pdf

Learning Outcomes:

A student who obtains a grade of “C” or higher will have successfully completed the following Learning Outcomes:

· Through the successful completion of laboratory exercises, the successful responses to quiz and exam questions, and through the exercises requiring writing, students will demonstrate their abilities in quantitative reasoning and analysis.

· Through the successful completion of quizzes and exams and the completion of observational projects students will recognize and identify basic astronomical concepts that illustrate the proper relationships between the Universe, galaxies, stars, planets, and moons.

· Through the successful completion of quizzes and exams, students will describe and contrast the stages stars pass through as they age over their lifetime.

· Through the successful completion of writing assignments and the classroom group presentation students will demonstrate their ability to present astronomical ideas found in various forms of media (including written publications, internet based productions, video clips, etc.) at a level appropriate for a member of the AS 104 class who has not been exposed to the materials themselves.

Grade Breakdown:
Fridays	Quizzes (Lowest 1 Dropped)	15%
	Labs	20%
There are two each worth 10%	Midterm Exams	20%
There are five	Writing Assignments	10%
There are two	Observing Projects	10%
	Class Presentation	5%
Tuesday, Apr 30, 2019 10 – 11:50 PM	Final Exam	20%

NOTE: You must receive a passing grade in each part (Lecture and Lab) separately in order to pass the course as a whole. If you fail either part, regardless of your grade in the other part you will fail the course!!

THERE IS NO EXTRA CREDIT!! Doing poorly for a portion of the semester will not be corrected by any extra projects. Please do not assume you can replace poor work under any circumstances with any “additional assignments”!!

In the event that the University cancels classes on the day of a quiz or exam, be prepared to take the quiz or exam at the next available class period. Any homework or other assignment due to be turned in on the canceled day, should be turned in at the same time listed on the next day the university is open, whether or not the class is normally held on that day. Please be aware that the university cancels evening classes separately from daytime classes.

Students are expected to be proactive in dealing with issues that require missing class. The professor would prefer that students who are ill, not come to class and potentially spread their illness to other members of the class. The professor understands that on occasion unforeseen legitimate circumstances will arise such as family deaths or other family emergencies that requires a student miss class. In these cases, however, the student should expend every possible effort to keep the professor apprised of the situation (usually by email). Let the professor know when you expect to be back in class. It is unacceptable to wait until the next time you happen to be in class to let the professor know what is going on. If you choose to wait until you are in class again, the professor is within his rights to deny the making up of any missed work or even accepting previously completed work that was not turned in on time. Finally understand that the professor needs to be fair to all members of the class and may ask some questions about the situation. He might require appropriate documentation from additional sources such as a doctor or the dean of students. Students are expected to provide reasonable information.

The exams and quizzes in this course will usually occur on Fridays and their dates are noted on the syllabus. One of the quizzes given this semester will be dropped. There are no make-up quizzes or exams unless a proper reason is provided. You should discuss the situation with the professor and he will decide if the reason is appropriate. You are required to have a scientific calculator (not a notebook computer, graphing calculator is allowed but certainly not required) to work on problems with. Much of these exams as well as quizzes will be more concept type questions than problem solving. However, there is some problem solving as well. Laptop computers and all other electronic devices (other than calculators) such as pagers, mp3 players, and cell phones are not allowed to be used at all during quizzes, exams, and student presentations!! Also sharing of calculators between students during exams and quizzes will not usually be allowed. Please bring a working, charged calculator to all class meetings.

You will not be allowed to use any notes on quizzes and exams. The professor will provide a set of formulas and constants that you may wish to use for the problems or questions. Anyone caught cheating on any assignment will receive a zero on the assignment.

Students bear the responsibility of making sure their work is legible and easily discernable to the professor. Any work, which the professor cannot determine exactly what is presented, is automatically scored as a zero (no points). It is not the responsibility of the professor to take extreme measures to ascertain whether or not the student has provided correct and proper information. The professor is willing to work with students on this, but if work is not legible, whether due to poor penmanship, poor printouts, staining of papers, insufficient ink or lead on the page, or any other reason why a paper cannot be read is solely the student’s responsibility. Moreover, students are required to comply with all instructions provided by the professor. Students may ask questions, but failure to follow instructions can result in the loss of points up to and including all points for the assignment.

Astronomy involves looking at the sky and observing. Therefore, there will be two observation projects that you will be responsible for. The full details of these projects will be provided on additional handouts. These projects will require you to observe the sky over an extended period of time, about 4 to 5 weeks for the moon project and about three months for the constellation project. In addition to your observing, you will also use the internet and other resources to add some material to your project write-ups. These projects are due at 5:00 PM on the dates indicated.

There are also five short (two to four pages) writing assignments. Details on how these writing assignments are to be done will also be presented on another handout. The topics for the writing assignments have been chosen for you. Do not choose your own topics please. As with other additional assignments, these are due at 5:00 PM on the dates indicated.

It takes time to improve one’s writing skills, and very often, talking to another person who is interested in and good at writing could help one generate ideas, notice errors, or even enjoy writing more. The Writing Center, located in LRC 111G, is a place where students can go for help with writing. The service is free and no appointment is necessary. The tutors at the Writing Center have experience working with all forms of college writing and all stages of the writing process. Please consider visiting the Writing Center (LRC111G, http://www.nmu.edu/writingcenter).

During the last four to five weeks of the course, ALL students will present group projects to the class. Details on these presentations will be provided on an additional handout. Essentially all members of the class will be randomly placed into three to five person groups. Each group will be given a topic to prepare a ten to fifteen-minute presentation on to give to the class as a whole during these last weeks of the semester. Students are expected to be present for and to give proper courtesy to their classmates during these presentations. All student presentations are fair game for quiz and test questions!!

Laboratory work is part of your final grade. Reminder: You must receive a passing grade in each part (Lecture and Lab) separately in order to pass the course as a whole. If you fail either part, regardless of your grade in the other part you will fail the course!! It is quite likely your laboratory instructor will not be the same as your lecture professor. While the Laboratory grade is a part of your AS 104 Course grade, each Laboratory instructor will have a separate syllabus outline the policies of the Laboratory portion of the course. Labs begin in the FIRST WEEK OF CLASSES!!!

Attendance at all labs is mandatory. Make-ups for quizzes and labs will only be provided for at the discretion of the professor. This will occur only for reasonable excuses. Desire to go home for the weekend or to go hunting are not considered reasonable excuses. Informing the professor BEFORE an absence is more likely to result in a make-up than informing the professor after the absence. A missed lab is a zero for that experiment and all associated work!!

If you must miss a lab and you are trying to arrange an alternative lab section, you are required to notify both your normal lab instructor and the lab instructor of the lab you wish to attend instead. It is not always possible due to space limitations that you will be allowed to attend a different lab section. Please be sure BOTH instructors have agreed before you just show up to a lab period.

There will be questions that pertain to material only covered in laboratory on most quizzes and exams. Anything covered in Lab is fair game!!!

Quiz and exam solutions will be available on the World Wide Web. The location of my webpage is http://physics.nmu.edu/~ddonovan/classes.html If you need assistance in learning how to use the worldwide web, see your professor. Please NOTE: I am NOT USING Moodle or NMU EduCat.

Because of the amount of work done in this class, falling behind will cause a severe hardship to a student. Catching up is extremely difficult. In order to prevent this from occurring, homework and labs must be turned in on time. Any assignment not turned in on time may incur a 10% per day late penalty. Moreover, no work will be accepted more than one week late. If you have a specific problem that requires your work to be turned in late, you should discuss the situation with the professor.

The professor is always willing to discuss the grading of materials. Students should review their returned work promptly and make arrangements to meet with the professor as soon as possible after the work is returned. Grades will not generally be changed after the student has had the work in their possession for more than one week. The work should not have been further marked upon or changed in any way by the student if they wish to discuss a graded item. The professor is happy to discuss what is correct or not correct about an item with a student, but there is no discussion on the number of points awarded or deducted by the professor.

The professor makes every effort to return collected work in a timely fashion. There may arise situations in which writing assignments and/or observation projects may not be returned before the next writing or observing assignment is due. Students are reminded that in spite of the fact that you may not have gotten your previous assignment back and seen that you failed to following directions, this does not mean you cannot be held to follow the directions on the subsequent assignments. The handouts and their directions remain enforceable unless the professor indicates otherwise. As always, if you are unclear on directions, you should ask the professor for clarification.

The professor will retain in his possession all final exams for a period of one year. Students may make arrangements to see the work during this year. The professor is not going to provide specific grades over the phone or on email at any time prior to final grades being displayed on MYNMU (this usually occurs on Thursday after graduation).

If you have any questions or problems, talk to the professor. If you need any special arrangements, they should be arranged prior to the problem, unless this is completely impossible (a rare occurrence!)

Food of any kind (including snack food) is not allowed in the lab or classroom. Please do not bring it in. Drinks will be permitted as long as care is taken not to have spills occur and the drinks do not result in loud noises. If excessive spillage or noise occurs, drinks may be restricted as well. This policy includes all exams and quizzes

The professor will make every effort to respond to all email (ddonovan@nmu.edu ) questions received by 5 PM Monday through Friday, with a response by 10 PM Monday through Friday.

Students are expected to regularly check their NMU issued email accounts for any messages the professor may send out to the class as a whole or to an individual in the class. Moreover, when students ask the professor a question requiring an answer, it is expected for students to check their email in an equally timely fashion and to confirm the receipt of the answer, and if necessary provide any answers to questions the professor may have posed about the situation. The professor reserves the right to cancel any deals proposed in email correspondence if the student fails to confirm the deal with a final email.

The professor will also make every effort to have all handouts available on his web site

(http://physics.nmu.edu/~ddonovan/classes.html ) for download if you should lose your copy.

Again Please Note: I do not use Moodle or NMU EduCat!

Students in this class are expected to conform to a code of academic honesty. While it is encouraged for students to work together, there are situations where work is expected to be the student’s whose name appears on the work. Quizzes and exams are obvious examples of where cheating will not be tolerated. In lab work, it will often be the case that both partners will have identical work. However, both partners are to turn in lab sheets, and both partners are expected to participate equally in completing the lab tasks. It is not acceptable for one partner to do all the work, while the other merely watches and writes. Both partners are expected to understand the lab exercises. If you have questions on what is considered appropriate, ask your professor.

Please be sure any cell phones or pagers or other devices do not produce sounds during lectures.

Please do not engage in conversations at all during lectures.

Computer Usage Policies:

UNLESS PERMISSION is GRANTED, All Laptops and other Electronic Communication/Entertainment devices are to be off and remain unused during class times.

If Permission is granted then:

·	Computers (both room based and laptops) are to be utilized for course work and activities related to course work.
·	Writing computer code whether for this class or another class while the professor is lecturing is not appropriate.
·	Do not use computers for entertainment or communications during class meetings.
·	Do not display material on screen which may be distracting or offensive to other members of the class (including the professor).
·	Keep a backup of all your files. The university is not liable for any data lost due to equipment failures, damaged disks, or misuse of computer programs.
·	Do not utilize software in violation of licensing agreements. Do not copy software, information, data or other work in violation of applicable copyrights.
	Be aware of current copyright laws regarding software, music, movies, and other digital information. Copyright information may be accessed through the NMU Library website at: http://library.nmu.edu/guides/copyright.htm
·	You may not copy, install or use any service, information, data, image, recording, or other work in violation of applicable copyrights or license agreements. You may not possess any software or resource whose purpose is to effect one of the afore mentioned violations.
·	You must take full responsibility for what you publish, transmit, or possess.
·	You may not steal, forge, cheat with; snoop on; tamper with; misuse, damage, harass with; hoard or monopolize; interfere with; violate the confidentiality of; or destroy any information, resource, equipment or software. This includes using your personal computer for these activities against other users or against their information resources.

AS 104 satisfies part of Division III—Foundations of Natural Sciences-Mathematics Liberal Studies requirement. Students who complete the science courses should be able to recognize and understand the scientific method; understand and use scientific concepts; understand and discuss general scientific articles; and apply their knowledge of science to everyday experience. Students who complete the mathematics courses should be able to demonstrate a basic understanding of mathematical logic; use mathematics to solve scientific or mathematical problems in college classes; express relationships in the symbolic language of mathematics; and appreciate the role of mathematics in analyzing natural phenomena.

AS 104 satisfies the course required in the General Education Program’s Quantitative Reasoning and Analysis Component: Students select one course from this component. Students who complete the Quantitative Reasoning and Analysis component will demonstrate interpretation of quantitative data leading to conclusions.

DISABILITY SERVICES

If you have a need for disability-related accommodations or services, please inform the Coordinator of Disability Services in the Dean of Students Office at 2101 C. B. Hedgcock Building (227-1700 or disserv@nmu.edu). Reasonable and effective accommodations and services will be provided to students if requests are made in a timely manner, with appropriate documentation, in accordance with federal, state, and University guidelines.

Non-Discrimination Policy

Northern Michigan University does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of ancestry, race, color, ethnicity, religion or creed, sex or gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, national origin, age, height, weight, marital status, familial status, handicap/disability, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law in employment or the provision of services.  NMU provides, upon request, reasonable accommodation including auxiliary aids and services necessary to afford individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to participate in all programs and activities.

If you have questions, or if you believe that a violation or potential violation of state or federal non-discrimination laws has occurred, is occurring or will occur, please notify the Equal Opportunity office at 105 Cohodas, 906-227-2420, or the Dean of Students at 2001 C.B. Hedgcock, 906-227-1700. Mail to either office can be sent to 1401 Presque Isle Avenue, Marquette, MI 49855.

Tentative Class Schedule

Jan 14 – 18	Introduction, Basic math and units, &
	Chapter 14 – Our Star
Lab#1:	Spectroscopy
Jan 18	Quiz #1
Jan 21 – 25	Chapter 14 – Our Star &
	Chapter 15 – Surveying The Stars
Lab#2:	Solar Rotation
Jan 21	Martin Luther King Day – No Classes!!
Jan 22	Andre Ampere (1775)
Jan 23	Hideki Yukawa (1907)
Jan 25	Quiz #2
Jan 25	Writing Assignment #1 – Foreign Government Space Programs (Not USA) OR
	The Parker Solar Probe
Jan 28 – Feb 1	Chapter 15 – Surveying The Stars
Lab#3:	Parallax / Luminosity
Feb 1	Quiz #3
Feb 4 - 8	Chapter 15 – Surveying The Stars &
	Chapter 16 – Star Birth
Lab#4:	HR Diagrams
Feb 8	Daniel Bernoulli (1700)
Feb 8	Quiz #4
Feb 11 – 15	Chapter 16 – Star Birth &
	Chapter 17 – Star Stuff
Lab#5:	Distance to The Pleiades
Feb 15	Quiz #5
Feb 15	Writing Assignment #2 – Stars OR Galaxies Colliding
Feb 17	Otto Stern (1888)
Feb 18 – 22	Chapter 17 – Star Stuff
Lab#6:	Cepheid Variable Stars
Feb 22	Exam #1 (Chapters 14 ‑ 17)
Feb 25 – Mar 1	Chapter 18 – The Bizarre Stellar Graveyard
Lab#7:	Intro to Small Telescopes
Mar 1	Quiz #6
Mar 1	Moon Observation Project
Mar 4 – 8	Spring Break – No Classes!!
Mar 11 – 15	Chapter 18 – The Bizarre Stellar Graveyard &
	Chapter 19 – Our Galaxy
Lab#8:	3 D Mapping / Galactic Coordinates
Mar 14	Albert Einstein (1879)
Mar 15	Quiz #7
Mar 15	Writing Assignment #3 – Black Holes OR Wormholes
Mar 18 – 22	Chapter 19 – Our Galaxy &
	Chapter 20 – Galaxies and the Foundation of Modern Cosmology
Lab#9:	Spiral Arms of Milky Way Galaxy
Mar 21	Jean Fourier (1768)
Mar 22	Robert Milikan (1868)
Mar 22	Quiz #8
Mar 25 – 29	Chapter 20 – Galaxies and the Foundation of Modern Cosmology &
	Chapter 21 – Galaxy Evolution
Lab#10:	Mass of Andromeda Galaxy
Mar 27	Wilhelm Rontgen (1845)
Mar 29	Quiz #9
Mar 29	Writing Assignment #4 – Inflationary Universe OR Multiverse Universes
Mar 29	Last Day to withdraw from Semester Classes with a W - See your Professors!!
Apr 1 – 5	Chapter 21 – Galaxy Evolution
Lab#11:	Gravitational Deflection of Light
Apr 5	Exam #2 (Chapters 18-21)
Apr 8 – 12	Chapter 22 – The Birth of the Universe
Lab#12:	Hubble’s Law
Apr 12	Quiz #10
Apr 12	Writing Assignment #5 – Search for Extra-Terrestrial Life (SETI) OR UFO’s
Apr 15 – 19	Chapter 22 – The Birth of the Universe &
	Chapter 23 – Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe
Lab#13:	Quasars and Red-shifts
Apr 15	Quiz #11
Apr 15	Constellation Observation Project
Apr 22 – 26	Chapter 23 – Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe
Lab:	Semester Wrap Up Activities
Apr 22	J. Robert Oppenheimer (1904)
Apr 23	Max Planck (1858)
Apr 26	Quiz #12
Tuesday	April 30, 2019 10:00 ‑ 11:50 AM Final Exam
	Please note: the Make-up Day for a Final Exam is FRIDAY May 3!!
May 11	Richard Feynman (1918)
May 15	Pierre Curie (1859)

	Dr. Donovan's Classes Page
Dr. Donovan's Main Web Page	NMU Physics Department Web Page	NMU Main Page

Please send any comments or questions about this page to ddonovan@nmu.edu

This page last updated on January 14, 2019