astr 1120 general astronomy: outline of todayÕs class ... · astr 1120 general astronomy: stars...
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ASTR 1120
General Astronomy:
Stars & Galaxies
Prof. Rosalba Perna
TA: Thomas Rogers
TTh 11:00-12:15, Duane G1B30
Outline of Today’s Class
• Course goals
• Course overview
• Courseinformation
Why Are You Taking ThisCourse??
A. Just because I need to satisfy my sciencecore requirement (no particular interest)
B. Because of A. + my fascination with theUniverse
C. I have satisfied my core requirements. I amtaking this course just out of interest
D. Other reasons
To develop a broad view ofwhat we know about theUniverse
To understand the forcesthat shape the Universeand its history
To help you understandhow we figured all this out
To learn how science works
Course Goals Course Overview:What we shall study• What is our place in the Universe?
Light (ElectromagneticRadiation)
• What is light?
• How do we use it tofind out what andwhere things are?
• Waves vs particles
Telescopes (Tools of the Trade)
Our Nearest Star : The Sun
Star in middleof its life
STARS ofvery manysizes and
colors
Evolution path andcolor / brightness dependssensitively on MASS
STELLAR Birth and Life STAR DEATH: white dwarfs,neutron stars and black holes
OUR GALAXY: The Milky Way
200+ billion stars in the Milky Way
Exploring a Universe ofGALAXIES
Billion+ galaxies!
GALACTIC evolution
Galaxy collisions, quasars
Dark matter, dark energyand fate of universe
Big Bang: The Beginning What is this course NOT?
Astrology ! Astronomy
Who should take this course?
• No prerequisites, aimedat non-science majors
• No lab credit
• Moderate amounts ofquantitative work(algebra)
• More quantitative course– ASTR 1040
Prior astro course?
Course InformationCOURSE WEB PAGE:http://amalfi.colorado.edu/~rosalba/astro1120/astro1120.html
You can findannouncements, readingassignments, syllabus,lecture notes and otheruseful things there
Grades will be posted onCULearn
Required TextThe Cosmic Perspectiveby Bennett et al., 5th edition
Includes:Access to textbook websitewww.masteringastronomy.com,Ebook (animations, etc), andSkyGazer planetarium software.
You will need your own`masteringastronomy’ account!Homeworks require it
Course ID: ASTR11202009A
More on• Based off of the most widely adopted
physics homework and tutorial system,MasteringPhysics
• Uses a tutorial method in which you areguided to the solution of a multi-stepproblem– Wrong-answer feedback– On-demand hints
• Homework takes more time but is worth it!
– Studies have shown this system can increaseyour grade 5-7% (nearly a whole letter grade!!)
How do you learn best?
A. Listening to lecturesB. Reading the textbookC. Doing HomeworkD. Discussing with
friends/classmatesE. All of the above
How do you learn best?
A. Listening to lecturesB. Reading the textbookC. Doing HomeworkD. Discussing with
friends/classmatesE. All of the above
How many hours per week(outside of lecture) should youneed to work to get an A in this
course?A. <2 hoursB. 2-4 hoursC. 4-6 hoursD. 6-9 hoursE. 9+ hours
How many hours per week(outside of lecture) should youneed to work to get an A in this
course?A. <2 hoursB. 2-4 hoursC. 4-6 hoursD. 6-9 hoursA. 9+ hours
GRADING
3 in-class midterms (m/c and short essay) : 3 x 20% (lowest score dropped - tot=40%)Homework assignments (online from MA): 20%(lowest score dropped)Final exam: 30%Clickers: 10% (Drop 4 lowest scored days)Extra Credit Observatory Nights: 3% (max)
No make-up midterm dates!
READ ALL THE INFO ON THE COURSE WEBPAGE
Clickers• Required-- bring to each class!• Register your clicker to your name• Used for reading quizzes, in-class discussion
questions, feedback - favors peer learning• Write your name on a piece of tape on the back of
your clicker!
More on clickers• Credit starts next week
• Graded 2 pts for correctanswer, 1pt for wrong answer,
0 pts for no answer
• Your grades available onlineweekly
• 4 “free clicker” days
• Buy and register beforeFriday! If you’re using an oldclicker, change the batteriesNOW!
Important classroom policies
• Working together on homework is encouraged,BUT:
Your answers must reflect your work only
• Do not disturb the class by talking with your neighbors, unless class discussion is invited
• Using another person’s clicker is cheating
• Students are expected to follow the CU Honor Code andbehave with courtesy to the instructors and theirclassmates
How to succeed in thiscourse
• PUT IN THE TIME: 3 credits at CU = 6-9
hours outside of theclassroom
• Read the textbooksections assigned inclass
• Class attendancestrongly recommended!
FEEDBACK APPRECIATED (AND ENCOURAGED!)
Come talk with us• Prof. Rosalba Perna’s office hours: Tue: 1pm-2pm; Th: 1pm-3pm in
JILA Tower 506A (phone: 303-492-0389) [email protected]
• TA Thomas Rogers office hours: Wed, Fri: 2pm-3:30pm in Duane D1B31 (phone: 720-308-9382).
• Or call or email (any of us) tomake an appointment!
Planetarium sessions
• Two class meetings willbe at FiskePlanetarium on campus.
• Please do not arrivelate.– Doors will be closed 5
minutes after starttime and you will not beadmitted
Observatory Nights• Starting September 2nd at
8:30pm, then about every2! weeks
• Sommers-BauschObservatory (next toFiske): 16” and 18”telescopes
• Not mandatory, but you canget extra credit towardsyour grade (Fill outsummary sheet fromcourse website)
• Signup required on CULearnwebsite
(Students = $5, FREE on Thursdays)
• Upcoming: “Birth of Stars” by prof. John Bally on Sept. 24
http://fiske.colorado.edu
Public Talks
Welcome to a discovery of theUniverse!
“Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everythingthat counts can be counted”
- Albert Einstein
For next class, read:• How to succeed in your astronomy course, p. xxiv• Chapter 1, all (Our Place in Universe)
– Review Basic Astronomical terms, p. 6• Chap 3, sec 3.4 & 3.5 (Nature of Science, Astrology)
And by next Tuesday:• Register for MasteringAstronomy (see course
website. Course ID: ASTR11202009A)– complete Introduction Tutorial (not graded)
• Register your iclicker withhttp://iclicker.com/registration
• You can download a copy of each class’ slides on the class website (available before each class).