PY124: Solar System Astronomy

Instructor: R. A. Egler (www4.ncsu.edu/~egler)

 

.SPRING 2013.                                               Office: Fox Labs 236 (Hours T, Th 10:30 - 11:30 AM)

Room: Withers 232A                                                                   Phone: (919) 515-7842

Days / Time:  T, Th: 1:30 - 2:45 PM                                            e-mail: robert_egler@ncsu.edu

 Textbook:  Universe- The Solar System

                   Freedman & Kaufmann (Freeman Publishing), about $70

 

 

IMPORTANT!  Some material is not covered in the textbook.  I have put the necessary material

on-line as "virtual handouts".  Virtual handouts are available at : www.physics.ncsu.edu/courses/astron/virtualhandouts.html

 

Suggested Readings are at the end of this syllabus, and include links to the on-line reading assignments.

·         Explanation of Orbital Terms

Last Update 31 January 2013 15:10 UTC, change date of tests 1&2

                                                                                           

 

Goals:

 

My goals in teaching this class are to have you understand the spatial and temporal relationships of objects in the solar system, particularly the movements of the common objects visible in the sky with minimal optical aid; to understand the historical development of astronomy; to understand the basics of the philosophical underpinnings of scientific research; and to understand the properties of the major solar system bodies, both in the large collective groupings by which they are classified, and individually; and how we acquire knowledge concerning these objects.

 

Course Requirements:

 

There are no formal prerequisites for this course, however basic familiarity with algebra and geometry at the level required for admission to the university is assumed.

 

There will be three tests during the semester, and a comprehensive final examination.  You will be graded on the basis of:

                           60% of final grade:   Average of the three tests.

                           10% of final grade:   Homework (WebAssign access is required)

                           30% of final grade:   Comprehensive final exam.

 

Students who come to a test more than 15 minutes late or after the first person has left the room will not be permitted to take the test.  There will be no make-up for tests missed in this manner.

 

Answers to the tests during the semester will be available immediately after each test at:

                                     http://www.physics.ncsu.edu/courses/astron/last_test.html

 

☼ Please note NOW that there is NO extra credit of any kind available for this course. ☼

 

 

Grades:

Final Grades will be on the Plus/Minus system. Grades will be calculated to the nearest 0.01 point.

 

 

  The grading scale is as follows: 

 

                        A+ = 98 to 100.0%        A = 92 to 97.99%         A- =  90 to 91.99%

                        B+ = 88 to   89.99%      B = 82 to 87.99%         B- =  80 to 81.99%

                        C+ = 78 to   79.99%      C = 72 to 77.99%         C- =  70 to 71.99%

                        D+ = 68 to   69.99%      D = 62 to 67.99%         D- =  60 to 61.99%

                        F   =  59.99% or lower

 

In accordance with university policy, students who elect the S/U grading system will receive an 'S' only if their course grade would be "C-" or better on the letter grade system.

 

Important: Repeated disruptions of the class (for example: talking, answering your cellphone during class, etc) may result in the lowering of a student's grade by up to one full letter grade.  Please be considerate of your fellow students.

 

.No Finals will be given at any time other than the officially schedule exam time for this class.

 

***  FINAL EXAM:  May 7th  , 1:00 p.m. ***  except in the case of  3 tests in 24 hours or documented emergency. (Going home early for ANY reason is NOT an emergency, even if you "already have your tickets".)

 

ANY CHANGES IN TEST DATES WILL BE IMMEDIATELY POSTED ON THE ON-LINE SYLLABUS


Accommodations for students with disabilities: 

 

Reasonable accommodations will be made for students with verifiable disabilities, registered with NC State Disability Services for Students, room 1900 Student Health Center.  The University policy on Working with Students with Disabilities is available on-line at:

www2.ncsu.edu/ncsu/provost/info/hat/current/appendix/appen_k.html

 

Attendance:

 

The material on the tests will be drawn from the lectures, therefore regular class attendance is expected.  Attendance will be recorded, but does not directly affect your grade.  However, keep in mind that several years experience shows that your final grade will likely be reduced one or more letter grades if you miss 5 or more classes. 

 

Homework:

 

WebAssign access is required.  Go to www.webassign.com. This class is listed as PY124, section 001. 

 

You may request 1 (ONE) homework extension during the semester.  This request MUST be made (via email to me) within 48 hours of the original due date/time.  The extension will be for 2 days.  There will be NO other homework extensions for ANY reason.

 

Academic Integrity

 

 I consider your name on the test as your certification that you did not give or receive unauthorized assistance with the test. 

 

Alternate and Make-Up Tests:

 

** NO "makeup" tests will be given for ANY reason.**

 

Under unusual circumstances that would cause you to miss a test (for instance, a death in the family, a scheduled University event, a document illness, etc..) , arrangements may be made to take the missing test on the LAST day of class, APRIL 24, provided that such arrangements are made before the regular test is given.  Such "Alternate" tests will almost certainly be of a different format, for example a mixed essay - multiple choice test, a verbal test, or an all-essay test.

 

Policy on IN (Incomplete) grades:

 

 (From the NC State Faculty Handbook):  IN is a temporary grade. "At the discretion of the instructor, students may be assigned an IN grade for work not completed because of a serious interruption in their work not caused by their own negligence.   An IN must not be used as a substitute for an F when a student's performance in the course is deserving of an F.  An IN is only appropriate when the student's record in the course is such that successful completion of assignments, projects, or tests (missed as a result of a documented serious event) would enable that student to pass the course. Work undertaken to make up the IN grade should be limited to the completion of missed work. "

 

Disagreements between the text and the lectures:

 

Astronomy, like any science, has areas in which the scientists studying the subject disagree.  It is possible that there will be some disagreement between some material present in the lecture and the corresponding material presented in the textbook.  In any case where my lecture differs from the textbook, I will take as correct on any test question the version that I discussed in class.

 

 


SYLLABUS:

 

NOTE: No class on the following dates:

 

March 5th, 7th  (Spring Break)

 

 

                                                                                         

***  FINAL EXAM:  May 7th  , 1:00 p.m. ***

 

 No Finals will be given at any other time. except in the case of  3 tests in 24 hours or documented emergency. (Going home early for ANY reason is NOT any emergency, even if you "already have your tickets".)

 

 

ANY CHANGES IN TEST DATES WILL BE IMMEDIATELY POSTED ON THE ON-LINE SYLLABUS


Detailed Syllabus by Class (Approximate, subject to change as needed)

 

Class 1       General Introduction       

                  Scale of the Solar System

                  Powers of ten

                  Video

 

 

Class 2       Atmospheric Effects

                  Constellations and star names

                  Magnitude system

                  Terrestrial Coordinate System

 

Class 3       Time

                  Celestial Coordinate System

                  Latitude and Longitude from

                        Celestial Observations

 

Class 4       Motions in the Sky, and Seasons

                  Development of the Calendar

                  Astronomical Origins of Day Names

                              and Holidays

 

Class 5       Astrology

                  Phases of the Moon

 

Class 6       Tides: Moon and Sun

                  Eclipses

                  History of Astronomy: Greeks thru Ptolemy

 

Class 7       History of Astronomy: Copernicus thru

                      Galileo

                  Kepler's Laws of Motion

 

Class 8       Gravity: Aristotle thru Newton

 

Class 9       Orbits

                  Review for Test 1

 

Class 10    ***  Test 1 ***     (February 7 )

 

Class 11     Return tests.

                  Video

 

Class 12     Light, electromagnetic spectrum

                  Wavelength, frequency, and energy

                  Wein's law

                  Emission spectra, absorption spectra,

                        and atomic structure.

                 

Class 13     Telescopes and optics

                  Optical aberrations

                  Imaging systems and telescope mounts

 

Class 14     Overview of the solar system.

                  History of the Earth                     

 

Class 15     Earth in detail.  Internal structure.

                       Atmosphere

                       Plate tectonics

                       Magnetic field

                        Moon:

                        structure and geology

                        surface features

                        origin Mercury:

                        structure

                        surface features

                        atmosphere  

 

Class 16     Earth continued

 

Class 17     Venus:

                        structure

                        surface features

                        atmosphere

 

Class 18     Mars

                        structure

                        surface features

                        atmosphere

                 

 

Class 19    ***  Test 2  ***    (March 21 )

                 

 

Class 20     Video

 

Class 21     Asteroids and Comets

                         Structure and orbits

                         Kirkwood gap

                         L4 and L5 Points

 

Class 22     Jupiter

                         Internal structure, atmosphere

                        Coriolis force and the storms of Jupiter

                        Large moons, and tidal forces

                  Saturn

                        Internal structure, atmosphere

                        Roche limit and rings of planets

                        Large moons

                 

Class 23     Uranus

                        Discovery

                        Internal structure, atmosphere

                  Neptune

                        Discovery

                        Internal structure, atmosphere

                  Pluto, Eris, and similar bodies

                        Discovery

                        Principle features       

 

Class 24     The Sun

                        Overall structure

                        Nuclear fusion

                  Searching for planets around other stars

                  Relativity Review

 

Class 25    ***  TEST 3 ***     (April 18 )

 

Class 26     Video

 

Class 27 (LAST DAY OF CLASS) - Make-up tests only, no class

 


 

 

Suggested Textbook Readings for Test 1

(Universe-The Solar System Freedman & Kaufmann)

 

Classes 1, 2:        Chapter 1, Sections 1-1, 1-2, 1-5 thru 1-8

                             Astronomical Symbols: www.physics.ncsu.edu/courses/astron/secure124/astrosymbols.html

                             Atmospheric effects: www.physics.ncsu.edu/courses/astron/secure124/atmospheric_effects.html

                             Stars and Constellations: www.physics.ncsu.edu/courses/astron/secure124/constellations.html

                            

Classes 3, 4:        Chapter 2, Sections 2-2 thru 2-8, box 2-2

                             Celestial sphere: http://www.physics.ncsu.edu/courses/astron/secure124/Celestial_Sphere.html

                             Time: http://www.physics.ncsu.edu/courses/astron/secure124/time.html

                             Right Ascension: http://www.physics.ncsu.edu/courses/astron/secure124/Right_Ascension.html

                             Declination: http://www.physics.ncsu.edu/courses/astron/secure124/Declination.html

                             Positions from Celestial Observations: http://www.physics.ncsu.edu/courses/astron/position.html

 

                                               

Classes 5, 6:        Chapter 3, Sections 3-1 thru 3-5,

                             Chapter 4, Sections 4-8

                             Planetary alignments: http://www.physics.ncsu.edu/courses/astron/secure124/alignments.html

                             Phases of the Moon: http://www.physics.ncsu.edu/courses/astron/secure124/phases_of_moon.html

                             Seasons: www.physics.ncsu.edu/courses/astron/secure124/seasons.html

 

                       

 

Suggested Textbook Readings for Test 2

 

Classes 11, 12:      Chapter 5, Sections 5-1 thru 5-9, Box 5-1

                              Chapter 6, Sections 6-1 thru 6-3, 6-6, 6-7

Classes 13, 14:      Chapter 7, Sections 7-1 thru 7-3

                              Chapter 8, Sections 8-1, 8-3, 8-4, Box 8-1

                                               

Classes 15, 16:      Chapter 9, All                  

                              Chapter 10, All

                              Chapter 11, All

                                               

Classes 17:            Chapter 12, All

                              Chapter 13, All

 

 

Suggested Textbook Readings for Test 3

 

Classes 19, 20:      Chapter 7, Sections 7-5, 7-6

                              Chapter 12, All,

                              Chapter 13, Sections 13-1 thru 13-8        

                             

Classes 21, 22:     Chapter 14, Sections 14-1 thru 14-10

                              Chapter 15, Sections 15-1 thru 15-8

                                                                       

Classes 23, 24:     Chapter 16, Sections 16-1, 16-2, 16-5 thru 16-10

                              Chapter 8, Section 8-7

 

                              Extrasolar planets    http://www.physics.ncsu.edu/courses/astron/secure124/extrasolar.html

 

 

***  FINAL EXAM:  May 7th , 1:00 p.m. ***