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Astronomy 1001Exploring the Universe

Spring Semester

2017

Instructor Professor

Chick Woodward

Multicolor Infrared Image of NGC1931 from the LBTO (+LUCI)

CONTACT INFORMATION

• Office: Shepard Labs 327 ph. 612-624-0254• Section 3: Lecture – 01:00PM – 02:15PM Anderson Hall 210• Email woodw024 [at] umn [dot] edu (please place AST1001 in subject line)• Office Hours: By Appointment• TA Office Hours: in Appleby102 - Hours are posted on the door outside.• Text: The Essential Cosmic Perspective E-Book, Bennett et al. (available in U Bookstore)• Lab Manual: Astronomy 1001 Lab Manual (available in U Bookstore)• Other: Mastering Astronomy for ancillary assignments (available in U Bookstore)• Other: Digital Access to UM Moodle site for participation activities (class Moodle site)

THE SYLLABUS

Please read the entire syllabus carefully. You are bound and responsible for understanding and adhering to all requirements, procedures and policies described herein. You are also responsible for all announcements, assignments, videos, demonstrations, and changes in the dates when material is discussed in lecture, etc., whether or not you are in class. It is also your responsibility to prompt complete by the electronic deadline all Mastering Astronomy Activities and occasional Moodle assignment reflections. These digital learning modules, as well as impromptu in class activities affect your overall class performance.

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COURSE OBJECTIVES

My goal for the course is to highlight and discuss the historical background, conceptual and analytical tools, and new discoveries that make astronomy a fascinating subject. As you will see, astronomy combines techniques and ideas from all physical sciences as well as the imagination and introspection of the humanities. Astronomy is a very dynamic field that changes almost daily. In addition, this course is a survey of the field, divided into three major sections. In order for you to develop an appreciation of the topics that we will cover, it is imperative that you read your text and any other ancillary material that I may distribute (either in hardcopy or electronic format). These materials, links, etc. will be posted on the class Moodle site.

ENVIRONMENTAL THEME

Ast1001 satisfies the Environmental Theme requirement. The course introduces the students to a wide range of topics, from the Solar System and the cosmos, to the physical principles that underlie the workings of the Universe. The integrated study of the physical principles and the systems they apply to allow the students to see Earth in a broader context, and provide them with a unique perspective on our home planet and its environment. A key component of the course is an understanding of how science approaches the physical word around us. Environmental theme topics are addressed in several parts of the course, in both lectures and labs.

COURSE EVALUATION

The final grade earned by students in this course is composed of the following four components:

• Exams• Labs• Observational Project• Participation Activities (e.g., Moodle assignments, Mastering Astronomy activities, self-assessments)

IMPORTANT DATES

Exams

EXAM 1: TUES 2017 Feb 14 01:00PM - 02:15 PM – Anderson Hall 210 + TBA

EXAM 2: THURS 2017 April 06 01:00PM - 02:15 PM – Anderson Hall 210 + TBA

EXAM 3: THURS 2017 May 11 08:00AM – 10:00AM – Rooms to be Announced.

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THE MOON PROJECT

Observational Project

Part I: Due on Friday 03:00pm 10 February 2017 (9pts) Part I requires at least 3 observations entered ONLINE and paper photo-copies of the Observing Form placed in the TA mailbox.

Part II: Due on Friday 03:00pm 1 March 2017 (26pts) Part II requires at least 9 TOTAL (including 6 new) observations entered ONLINE and paper photo-copies of the Observing Form placed in the TA mailbox.

Final Report: Due on Friday 3:00pm 21 Apr 2017 (105pts) Final Report requires a 15 TOTAL (including 6 new) observations entered ONLINE and full paper write-up with photo-copies of the Observing Form Final Report placed in the TA mailbox.

START MAKING OBSERVATIONS RIGHT AWAY. A useful link to plan when to do your observing is the Minneapolis Clear Sky Chart. Every term there are a few students who put this off, and as a result fail the course automatically. Do not be one of these individuals. You will need your 3 preliminary observations during the third week of school. Since this is a long-term project, the methods used will be addressed by each lecturer at the beginning of the semester, as well as by each TA in lab. Always save the original copy of your observational log and turn in a PHOTOCOPY.

MASTERING ASTRONOMY

CLASS MOODLE SITE

Mastering Astronomy[tm] Mastering Astronomy (Pearson Publishing) is a portfolio of activities developed from your text that will be assigned on nominally a weekly basis to assist you with exploring and understanding topics presented in your reading and in class discussion. You must register for this activity. Complete registration instructions can be found will be made available during the second week of class. These activities will not be graded and nor will they contribute to your overall accumulation of points during the semester. They are for reinforcement and exploration of the materials. Register using the student ID code you receive in Lab from your TA.

The UM Moodle site Moodle will be used for additional participation activities (flipped class room exercises) that will randomly assigned during lecture. Moodle assignments must be completed by the Sunday evening by 11:30pm. Materials presented in lecture also will be archived here after each week is complete.

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COURSE OUTLINE (Subject to Revision) (rev.:20170112)

Week Topic Chapter Reading

Lab

Wk 16 Jan Perspectives, Night Sky Chap 1, 2 NO LAB

Wk 23 Jan Time, Science of Astronomy Chap 2, 3 A (Obs. Moon)

Wk 30 Jan Motion, Gravity, Orbits, Energy Chap 4, 5 B (Astron. Distances)

Wk 06 Feb Light, Telescopes Chap 5 C (Kepler's Law)

10 Feb FRI Moon Obs. Project Part I DUE

Wk13 Feb Asteroids, Comets, Pluto “Revealed” Chap 6, 9 D (Telescopes)

14 Feb TUES

EXAM 1 Section 3 – 01:00PM - 02:15PM Anderson 210 + TBA

Lectures Chs. 1 thru 5 Labs A thru C

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Wk 20 Feb Exoplanets and Exo-Earths Chap 7 E (Impacts)

Wk 27 Feb Exoplanets and Exo-Earths Chap 10, 19 F (ExtraTerr Life)

Wk 06 Mar Exobiology, Titan, Mars, Enceledus Chap 10, 8 G (Energy Flows)

10 Mar FRI Moon Obs. Project Part II DUE

Wk 13 Mar Spring Break Spring Break Spring Break

Wk 20 Mar Survey of Stars Chap 11, 12 H (Spectroscopy)

Wk 27 Mar Stellar Graveyards, Black Holes Chap 13, 14 I (HR Diagram)

Wk 03 Apr Stellar Graveyards, Black Holes Chap 13, 14 NO LAB

06 APR THR

EXAM 2 Section 3 – 01:00PM - 02:15PM Anderson 210 + TBA

Lectures Chs. 6 thru 13, 19 Labs D thru I

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Wk 10 Apr Our Galaxy Chap 15 J (History of Matter)

Wk 17 Apr Galaxies Chap 16 K (Expansion)

21 Apr FRI Final Moon Obs. Project DUE

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Wk 24 Apr Dark Matter, Dark Energy Chap 18 L (Dark Matter)

Wk 01 May The Beginning of Time and the Universe

Chap 17 NO LAB

11 May THR

EXAM 3 (somewhat comprehensive) Section 3 – 08:00AM – 10:00AM (Rooms to be Announced)

Lectures Chs. 1 thru 19 Labs A thru L

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GRADING

Material Points for Each Total Points % of Grade

12 Labs 20 240 24% See Note Below!

Observational Project Total ... 140 14% See Note Below!

Exams 1 & 2 (You must complete two)

140 280 28%

Exam (Somewhat Comprehensive)

200 200 20%

Moodle/Mastering Participation Activities

Varies by assignment 140 14%

Total ... 1000 100%

Preliminary grade bins will be assigned as follows: A: 880 - 1000; B: 780 - 879; C: 650 - 779; D: 500 - 649; F: 0 - 499 (You must receive a 'C-' or better to receive a grade of 'S'). The instructor reserves the right to apply a curve if the grade distributions warrant such action. You must also take all three written examinations. No extra credit activities are allowed or considered, so please work diligently throughout the semester and keep on task.

In order to receive a passing grade (i.e., other than a F) in the class you must get at least 50% of the total available Lab points (120/240), at least 50% of the total available Observational Moon Project points (70/140), and at least 35% of the total available Participation Activity points (49/140). In addition, you must take all three exams in order to receive consideration for a passing grade for the entire class.

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COURSE POLICIES

Classroom and Laboratory Policies: University scholastic conduct and classroom procedures will be followed. You are responsible for being familiar with these policies and conduct guidelines. Students are welcome to work together, exchange ideas, etc. However, each student is responsible for submitting original work for evaluation (including proper citations as required). The use of cell phones or the sending of text messages or tweets during a quiz or an exam will be understood to be an act of academic dishonesty and shall be grounds for awarding a grade of F or N for the course and a report to the Office of Academic Affairs or other cognizant body for potential University disciplinary sanctions. To provide an uninterrupted classroom or laboratory experience and to promote discussion without distraction, use of cell phone, pagers, text messages, twitter feeds, instant messaging, i-chat devices, and Ipods or tablets are not permitted in the classroom or lab. You must turn these applications/devices off prior to the start of class or lab.

Academic Integrity, Course Materials, and Digital Recording: The University expects the highest standards of honesty and integrity in the academic performance of students. Any act of scholastic dishonesty is regarded as a serious offense, which may result in expulsions. Scholastic dishonesty is defined as plagiarizing; cheating on assignments or examinations; engaging in unauthorized collaboration on academic work; taking, acquiring, or using test materials without the express written consent of faculty; submitting false or incomplete records of academic achievement; acting alone or in cooperation with another to falsify records or to obtain dishonestly grades, honors, awards, or professional endorsement; altering, forging, or misusing a University academic record; or fabrication or falsifying data, research procedures, or data analysis. Aiding and abetting an act of scholastic dishonesty is also considered a serious offense with the same possible consequences. Students may not make commercial use of their notes of lectures or University-provided materials without the express written consent of the instructor. Class notes provided by the instructor are copyrighted and may not be posted on any digital form (including pay-wall sites or web-based academic class note sites like “Study Soup”) or be transmitted electronically or in hardcopy form to any person not officially enrolled in the class at the University. Digital recording in the classroom is strictly forbidden. Individual identified as violating these restrictions will be assigned a grade of F and be referred to the Office for Student Conduct and Academic Integrity (OSCAI) for further sanctions, which may include expulsion.

Tues/Thurs Lectures: Attendance during lecture is strongly advised. Although most material presented can be found in your reading materials, additional viewgraphs, charts, visuals, etc. may be presented or on Moodle posts. Occasionally, there may also be very short in-class activities that you will be required to complete and hand-in at the conclusion of the exercise (which gives me the ability to "spot-check" who is active in the class). At the discretion of the instructor, short Moodle activities may be assigned.

Class Notes: Copies of slides used presented during class will be available for your review at the conclusion of each week of lecture (and not before, as it is difficult to project what we may actually discuss each week) on the class Moodle site on *.pdf format (nominally by Saturday mid-night). These copyright materials are for your personal use only while you are enrolled in the course, and reproduction, digital dissemination, web posting, etc. are strictly forbidden. Violations will be handled by appropriate University disciplinary action (for instance contact by OSCAI) and the full extent of relevant State and Federal law.

Email Contact: You can contact me via email at my X500 University address: woodw024 (at) umn.

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(dot) edu. I will try to respond (best-effort) within 48 hrs. You must place in the subject line ast1001, else your email may be removed as spam.

Class Notes: Selected class notes (sensitive to copyright restrictions) will be available on the class Moodle site (*.pdf file) at the end of each week of instruction. These notes are solely for your reference only and may not be distributed to anyone else not enrolled in the AST1001 course Spring 2017 semester at the U. Minnesota in digital, paper, or other electronic means. Such postings will be considered a violation of the U. Minnesota Honor and Student conduct code resulting in an automatic failure of the course, as well as other disciplinary remedies.

Examinations: All examinations will be in Anderson Hall 210 (or additional classrooms to be announced shortly before each exam). Exams will cover material discussed in class, handouts, labs, and your reading materials. No formal or organized review sessions will be held. Potential questions will be similar to exercises and questions in your Mastering Astronomy content. Bring two pencils and a photo-ID to all exams. The exams will consist generally of a mix of multiple choice questions, short answer, or drawing/sketching questions.

If you cannot make an exam, see me well in advance (minimum 1 week prior to date of scheduled exam) about scheduling a makeup exam. Makeup exams are only scheduled for the following Tues class period after a given exam. If you cannot notify me in advance (minimum 1 week), contact me as soon as possible. This is best accomplished through email. Makeup exams requested after an exam is given will not be granted, unless extraordinary situations arise.

Exams (both the multiple choice and any other potential the essay portions) will be returned to you in the labs. The finals will be returned in the TA office. Exam scores will be posted on the web. If you feel there is a grading error on your multiple choice/short answer portion of your exam, please see the administrative assistant (Terry: tt (at astro.umn.edu) in Fraser 345. Queries concerning your essays/short answer questions should be directed to your lecture section professor (me!). NO RESCHEDULING OF THE FINAL EXAM WILL BE CONSIDERED UNLESS A VALID UNIVERSITY RELATED ABSENCE (WHICH IS OFFICIALLY SANCTIONED) PRESENTS A CONFLICT. DO NOT PLAN TO DEPART CAMPUS PRIOR TO YOUR FINAL EXAM ON 11 MAY 2017. You may bring to the exam a single 8" x 11" sheet of paper with notes (you can use both sides). I may collect this sheet after each exam to review (although this "study guide/thought organizer" will not be graded). Exams 1 and 2 are not comprehensively cumulative, although commonly missed questions from the prior exam may be asked again! You will not need a calculator for the exams, so use of calculators, digital pads, smartphones, etc. is expressly prohibited during exams. Labs: The laboratory section of this course consists of weekly lab projects completed in a group work format. Each student will be expected to participate equally in all activities, and the lab instructor may implement the use of “roles” in the groups. Please note that material covered in labs will appear on the exams and will be discussed in lecture. Observational Project: Completion of the project is required to receive a passing grade in the course. Every term there are a few students who put this off. Do not be one. Always save the original copy of your observational log and turn in a PHOTOCOPY!!!

Special Needs: - Any students with special learning needs or disabilities must contact their professor during the first two weeks of class. In particular, those students taking exams through Disability Services MUST schedule to take their exam on the same date and same start time as the classroom examination (no exceptions).

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Electronic Technologies: Use of cell phones, pagers, messaging PDA's or other wireless communication devices (including laptops, iPads, tablets, smartphones, etc. for email) is not permitted at anytime during class or exams. Users (including text msgrs.) will be asked to immediately leave the classroom. Please be considerate of your fellow students and conduct your e-business, phone calls, and/or Facebook activities outside of the classroom. Taking of pictures or digital recordings of the classroom, lectures, and/or associated activities is expressly prohibited.

rev 2017 January 12 © Dr. C.E. Woodward All rights reserved.