Week 1 (Aug. 31, Sep. 2, 4)
Quiz: First day of class; no quiz!
Homework exercises: Download and install Stellarium on your personal computer or electronic device (the bigger the screen the better). A download link is available in the sidebar. Spend at least one leisurely hour looking at the motion of the sun, the moon, and the planets on Stellarium. This does not have to be all in one sitting. If you need a little assistance, the videos below will lead you through the basic features of Stellarium.
Hints: When using Stellarium, be sure your location is initially set to Milwaukee; use the date and time window to increment time in hours, days, and months while observing the positions of celestial objects such as the sun, moon, planets and stars.
Upload to Canvass: To demonstrate your newly acquired skills: take two screenshots of the sky on the date of your birth (e.g. July 3, 2007) and submit them. One of these should clearly show the sun and its surrounding constellation art at noon on the day you were born; the other should show an interesting feature of the night sky.
Introduction to Stellarium (5 videos):
Stars and Constellations (2 videos; I put two here from next week's material so you can get a head start)
Laboratory exercises: In the evening astronomy laboratory over the next two lab sessions, we will patiently assemble a horizon globe and use it to familiarize ourselves with the motion of the sun, moon and planets. The Horizon Globe is a wonderful little mechanical model of the sky—a bit like an armillary sphere. Relax and take your time. Don’t rush; you have two weeks to complete the following laboratory exercises. Aim to finish the first 4 exercises (see below) during the first lab session. You are welcome to come into the lab to work on some of these exercises during the week if you’d like. I assure you: the more quality time that you spend on them, the better will be your grasp of everything we do in subsequent astronomy lectures and laboratory exercises.
Upload to Canvass: You will need to scan all the pages from your lab notebook and upload them after having completing each week's laboratory exercises.
Homework exercises: Download and install Stellarium on your personal computer or electronic device (the bigger the screen the better). A download link is available in the sidebar. Spend at least one leisurely hour looking at the motion of the sun, the moon, and the planets on Stellarium. This does not have to be all in one sitting. If you need a little assistance, the videos below will lead you through the basic features of Stellarium.
Hints: When using Stellarium, be sure your location is initially set to Milwaukee; use the date and time window to increment time in hours, days, and months while observing the positions of celestial objects such as the sun, moon, planets and stars.
Upload to Canvass: To demonstrate your newly acquired skills: take two screenshots of the sky on the date of your birth (e.g. July 3, 2007) and submit them. One of these should clearly show the sun and its surrounding constellation art at noon on the day you were born; the other should show an interesting feature of the night sky.
Introduction to Stellarium (5 videos):
Stars and Constellations (2 videos; I put two here from next week's material so you can get a head start)
Laboratory exercises: In the evening astronomy laboratory over the next two lab sessions, we will patiently assemble a horizon globe and use it to familiarize ourselves with the motion of the sun, moon and planets. The Horizon Globe is a wonderful little mechanical model of the sky—a bit like an armillary sphere. Relax and take your time. Don’t rush; you have two weeks to complete the following laboratory exercises. Aim to finish the first 4 exercises (see below) during the first lab session. You are welcome to come into the lab to work on some of these exercises during the week if you’d like. I assure you: the more quality time that you spend on them, the better will be your grasp of everything we do in subsequent astronomy lectures and laboratory exercises.
Upload to Canvass: You will need to scan all the pages from your lab notebook and upload them after having completing each week's laboratory exercises.
- Lab exercise 1. Prepare your astronomy laboratory notebook. Get out your notebook and skip two or three pages (for a table of contents). Now put your name, the date, your lab partner’s name, and a title at the top of a fresh sheet in your notebook. As you work through each exercise below, label the section in your notebook, and write a short paragraph in your notebook summarizing what you have learned and any difficulties that you encountered. In each section, do not move on to a new section until you have written down appropriate information for the previous section.
- Lab exercise 2. Assemble horizon globe. First, take a picture of the un-assembled horizon globe pieces. To assemble the globe, you will need an assembly sheet and some patience. Be sure to place rubber o-rings where necessary. Gentle pressure must be applied at some points in the assembly process. Please do not apply too much force; the pieces may break! Take a picture of your assembled globe. Write a short paragraph in your notebook summarizing what you have learned during the assembly exercise, and any difficulties that you encountered. Be sure to tape both photos in your astronomy observation notebook.
- Lab exercise 3. Horizon Globe getting started: the right tool for astronomy. Read pages 6-15 in the pdf file titled “Horizon Globe—getting started”. Perform the activities as you go. Again, write a short paragraph in your notebook about what you have learned and any difficulties you encountered in these exercises. No need to be wordy, just be clear and succinct.
- Lab exercise 4. Sun and Moon exercises. Read pages 16 - 61 in the pdf file titled “Horizon globe—sun and moon”. The text is large and there are many images, so don’t be intimidated. As you read, do the exercises. When you are finished, write a paragraph in your notebook detailing what you have learned, and any difficulties you encountered in these exercises.
- Lab exercise 5. Constellation exercises. Read pages 62 - 89 in the pdf file titled “Horizon globe—constellations.” As you read, do the exercises. When you are finished, write a paragraph in your notebook detailing what you have learned, and any difficulties you encountered in these exercises.
- Lab exercise 6. Planets exercises. Read pages 90 - 115 in the pdf file titled “Horizon globe—planets.” As you read, do the exercises. When you are finished, write a paragraph in your notebook detailing what you have learned, and any difficulties you encountered in these exercises.
- Lab exercise 7. Seasons exercises. Read pages 116 - 135 in the pdf file titled “Horizon globe—seasons.” As you read, do the exercises. When you are finished, write a paragraph in your notebook detailing what you have learned, and any difficulties you encountered in these exercises.
- Lab exercise 8. Summary and appendix. Read pages 136 - 140 in the pdf file titled “Horizon globe—more.” When you are finished, write a paragraph in your notebook detailing what you have learned, and any difficulties you encountered in these exercises.
Week 2 (Sep. 9, 11)
In anticipation of next week, you should begin reading Nature, Number and Substance (Chap. 1) and The Shape and Motion of the Heavens (Chap. 2). If it is a bit too challenging, please don't get overwhelmed. We will be discussing these next week together in class. They'll also be covered in the course videos. Nonetheless, it is a good idea for you to give these a good "college try" on your own....see course materials for this unit.
Week 3 (Sep. 14, 16, 18)
Read: Harmony and Complexity (Chap. 3) and Earth at the Center of the World (Chap. 4). This week we will be discussing Aristotle's On the Heavens during class....see course materials for this unit.
Week 4 (Sep. 21, 23, 25)
Homework exercises:
Laboratory exercises: Stargazing laboratory (Ex. 5.3). During the lab period, I will show you how to identify the constellations. Later in the week you (and a partner, if you wish) should go out and try to identify the constellations on your own. Bring your lab book, and be sure to record the time, sky conditions, location, and descriptions and sketches of the objects observed. Scan your lab book page (one page minimum) and upload it to canvass. Here is a helpful link on Bayer Designation of stars and their apparent brightness.
The World of Ptolemy (8 videos):
Flat earth!
Measuring the tropical year (no videos…):
Geometrical tools (no videos yet):
- Measuring the Earth (Ex. 4.1),
- Shape of the Earth (Ex. 5.2),
- Measuring the year (Ex. 6.1a),
- Altitude of the sun (Ex. 7.2).
Laboratory exercises: Stargazing laboratory (Ex. 5.3). During the lab period, I will show you how to identify the constellations. Later in the week you (and a partner, if you wish) should go out and try to identify the constellations on your own. Bring your lab book, and be sure to record the time, sky conditions, location, and descriptions and sketches of the objects observed. Scan your lab book page (one page minimum) and upload it to canvass. Here is a helpful link on Bayer Designation of stars and their apparent brightness.
The World of Ptolemy (8 videos):
Flat earth!
Measuring the tropical year (no videos…):
Geometrical tools (no videos yet):
Week 5 (Sep. 28, 30, Oct. 2)
Homework exercises:
Laboratory exercises: Building a cross-staff (Ex. 7.5). Your cross-staff will be used later, when you are doing your Planetary observations (Ex. 3.2) and your Lunar observations (Ex. 8.4). Your lab book should include a detailed description of how you built your cross-staff apparatus (including a careful sketch) and also an explanation of how it is used. Also: include an example measurement of the size of an object across the room, such as a window or a standing person. How accurate is your measurement? Scan your lab book pages (minimum 2) and upload them to canvass.
The sun, the moon and the calendar (1 video):
How are calendars constructed? In the following video, I'll explain some of the issues that arose when constructing a number of traditional calendars, such as the Julian, the Gregorian, and even ancient Egyptian and Hebrew calendars.
Interesting aside: the French Revolutionary calendar was introduced, along with the metric system, by the French Revolutionaries in the early 19th century. They tried to make a base-10 system of time measurement, like the base-10 system of distance measurement. This new calendar system rejected traditional saints days and other holy days. Here is an interesting article on the French Revolutionary Calendar.
Predicting solar eclipses (optional fun video)
The ancient Babylonians used the so-called Saros cycle to predict the dates on which solar eclipses would occur. They could not, however, predict the location(s) on earth from which such eclipses would be visible. How can scientists today predict, to a high level of accuracy, both the location and time of visibility of solar eclipses? Check out this video from Quanta:
The Sidereal day versus the solar day (optional fun video):
There is a difference between one solar day (our traditional 24 hours) and one sidereal day (a period that is just under 24 hours). Here is a video from Veritasium on these two different definitions of the "day". It begins with a poorly-worded SAT question from 1982 that everybody missed (because the correct answer was -not- an option.)
- The moon and the zodiac (Ex. 8.1),
- Crescent moon (Ex. 8.2)
Laboratory exercises: Building a cross-staff (Ex. 7.5). Your cross-staff will be used later, when you are doing your Planetary observations (Ex. 3.2) and your Lunar observations (Ex. 8.4). Your lab book should include a detailed description of how you built your cross-staff apparatus (including a careful sketch) and also an explanation of how it is used. Also: include an example measurement of the size of an object across the room, such as a window or a standing person. How accurate is your measurement? Scan your lab book pages (minimum 2) and upload them to canvass.
The sun, the moon and the calendar (1 video):
How are calendars constructed? In the following video, I'll explain some of the issues that arose when constructing a number of traditional calendars, such as the Julian, the Gregorian, and even ancient Egyptian and Hebrew calendars.
Interesting aside: the French Revolutionary calendar was introduced, along with the metric system, by the French Revolutionaries in the early 19th century. They tried to make a base-10 system of time measurement, like the base-10 system of distance measurement. This new calendar system rejected traditional saints days and other holy days. Here is an interesting article on the French Revolutionary Calendar.
Predicting solar eclipses (optional fun video)
The ancient Babylonians used the so-called Saros cycle to predict the dates on which solar eclipses would occur. They could not, however, predict the location(s) on earth from which such eclipses would be visible. How can scientists today predict, to a high level of accuracy, both the location and time of visibility of solar eclipses? Check out this video from Quanta:
The Sidereal day versus the solar day (optional fun video):
There is a difference between one solar day (our traditional 24 hours) and one sidereal day (a period that is just under 24 hours). Here is a video from Veritasium on these two different definitions of the "day". It begins with a poorly-worded SAT question from 1982 that everybody missed (because the correct answer was -not- an option.)
Week 6 (Oct. 5, 7, 9)
Read: From Astronomy to Cartography (Chap. 9) and Climates and Continents (Chap. 10). ...see course materials for this unit.
Week 7 (Oct. 12, 14, 16)
Read: Heliocentrism: hypothesis or truth? (Chap. 11) and Earth as a Wandering Star (Chap. 12)...see course materials for this unit.
Week 8 (Oct. 21, 23)
Fall Break on Monday and Tuesday!
Read: Re-ordering the heavenly spheres (Chap. 13) ...see course materials for this unit.
Read: Re-ordering the heavenly spheres (Chap. 13) ...see course materials for this unit.
Week 9 (Oct. 20, 22, 24)
Read: Celestial physics (Chap. 14), Broken spheres (Chap. 15), Kepler's third law (Chap. 16) and Kepler's first and second laws (Chap. 17). Actually, this is probably too much; just read the introductions, and skim the chapters if you are tight on time. ...see course materials for this unit.
Week 10 (Oct. 27, 29, 31)
Read: Mountains on the moon (Chap. 18) and The Medician stars (Chap. 19)...see course materials for this unit.
Week 11 (Nov. 3, 5, 7)
Read: The luminosity of variable stars (Chap. 20) and Galactic spectra (Chap. 21)...see course materials for this unit.
Week 12 (Nov. 10, 12, 14)
Read: Measuring astronomical distances (Chap. 22) ...see course materials for this unit.
Week 13 (Nov. 17, 19, 21)
Read: A new theory of gravity (Chap. 23). We'll spend some time on this reading from Einstein on Monday, and then move on to some light reading from Gamow's Mr. Tompkins in Wonderland for Wednesday....see course materials for this unit.
Week 14 (Nov. 24, 26)
Thanksgiving: No classes Thursday or Friday
Read: The structure of the universe (Chap. 26) and Measuring the potentially infinite (Chap. 27)
...see course materials for this unit.
Read: The structure of the universe (Chap. 26) and Measuring the potentially infinite (Chap. 27)
...see course materials for this unit.
Week 15 (Dec. 1, 3, 5)
Quiz: Monday. Covers Hubble's Realm of the Nebulae.
Homework exercises: The size of the universe and big bang cosmology (Ex. 28.3)
Laboratory exercises: Clean up lab, return spectroscopes, and disassemble horizon globes. Be sure to submit the outdoor telescope observation laboratory experiment. Be sure to include information about the telescope (Celestron Newtonian 6 inch telescope) the viewing conditions, and the location and time.
The birth of the big bang (no videos yet):
The primeval atom (no videos yet):
Interesting recent article from EarthSky: Could a giant void explain the universe’s expansion?
Homework exercises: The size of the universe and big bang cosmology (Ex. 28.3)
Laboratory exercises: Clean up lab, return spectroscopes, and disassemble horizon globes. Be sure to submit the outdoor telescope observation laboratory experiment. Be sure to include information about the telescope (Celestron Newtonian 6 inch telescope) the viewing conditions, and the location and time.
The birth of the big bang (no videos yet):
The primeval atom (no videos yet):
Interesting recent article from EarthSky: Could a giant void explain the universe’s expansion?
Week 16 Final Exams
There will be a comprehensive final examination on week 16.
...see course materials for this unit.
...see course materials for this unit.