PHYSICS 105
ASTRONOMY
Spring, 2009
Professor Cain Office: Dana 142
Classroom: Dana 146
Lecture: 1:00 – 2:15, TTh
Text: Universe: Stars and Galaxies, 3rd Edition – Roger A. Freedman and William J. Kaufmann, III
Objective: Over the course of this semester we will study various areas of astronomy, which is a science. This is not a course in astrology, which is not a science. The overall goal is for you to leave the course with an appreciation of astronomers as scientists: how they think, what they know, and how they know it. Astronomy relies extensively on physics and mathematics, and we will use both in developing our ideas. This semester we will concentrate on 1) the physics which we need to understand basic astronomical phenomena, 2) the physics of stars, and 3) cosmology. We will leave the constellations, planets, and other galaxies besides our own for your personal study.
Class: The daily assignments below show where we will most likely be - you should read the assignment before coming to class. The ideas we will discuss in class will focus on the more difficult aspects of astronomy and will provide the structure for better understanding of the other topics. These lectures build on your reading of the text and on each other from day to day. You must keep up in order to see the beauty and coherence of our subject. We will have brief quizzes at the beginning of many classes to ascertain whether you are doing the reading and keeping up. The best way to get help is to ask for it; questions are always welcome during class. I will also be available after every class to answer questions. Office hours will be determined by your schedules. This course is a collaborative effort between every student and your professor and requires your active participation.
Homework: You will have a number of homework assignments, as described on the separate homework sheet that you will be given. The two reviews will cover the material from the text, from the lectures and from the homework. You will need a pocket calculator capable of doing trig functions and logarithms. All of these activities are governed by the Honor Code.
Attendance: Because the material builds from day to day, class attendance is essential. The limit for missing classes in this course is 6 (20% of the classes). Any misses beyond that, for any reason, will result in an F for the course. Sign in for yourself on the sheet every day that you are present. The Honor Code governs this as well.
Grading: Reviews 40%
Quiz/Homework 30%
Final exam (cumulative) 30%.
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Date |
Class Assignment |
Chapter |
What’s in the Sky |
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(4th) Earth at perihelion (1.471 x 108 km) |
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(4th) First Quarter Moon, 6:56 a.m. |
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(10th) Moon at perigee (357,497 km); Large tides |
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(10th) Full Moon, 10:27 p.m. |
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Jan. 13 |
Introduction, The Sky |
1 |
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15 |
The Sky |
1,2 |
Saturn 6º N of Moon |
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(17th) Last Quarter Moon, 9:46 p.m. |
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Jan. 20 |
The Sky |
2,3 |
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22 |
Copernicus, Brahe, Kepler |
4 |
Moon at apogee (406,118 km) |
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(26th) New Moon, 2:55 a.m. |
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Jan. 27 |
Galileo, Newton |
4 |
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29 |
Newton’s Laws |
4 |
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(30th) Venus 3º S of Moon |
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(2nd) First Quarter Moon, 6:13 p.m. |
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Feb. 03 |
Light |
5 |
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05 |
No class |
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(7th) Moon at perigee (361,488 km) |
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Feb. 10 |
Light |
5 |
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12 |
Light |
5 |
(11th) Saturn 6º N of Moon |
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(16th) Last Quarter Moon, 4:37 p.m. |
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Feb. 17 |
The Sun |
16 |
Mars 0.6º S of Jupiter |
|
19 |
The Sun |
16 |
Moon at apogee (405,129 km) |
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(22nd) Jupiter 0.7º S of Moon |
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Feb. 24 |
The Sun, Stars |
16,17 |
New Moon, 8:35 p.m. |
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26 |
Review #1 (Chap. 1-5, 16) |
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(27th) Venus 1.3º N of Moon |
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Mar. 2-6 |
No class – Spring Break |
(4th) First Quarter Moon, 2:46 a.m. |
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(7th) Moon at perigee (367,017 km) |
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Mar. 10 |
Stars |
17 |
Full Moon, 10:38 p.m. |
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12 |
Stars |
17 |
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Mar. 17 |
Stars |
17 |
(18th) Last Quarter Moon, 1:47 p.m. |
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19 |
Stars |
17 |
Moon at apogee (404,299 km) |
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(20th) Vernal Equinox, 7:44 a.m. |
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Mar. 24 |
Stellar Birth, Stellar Evolution |
18,19 |
Mars 4º S of Moon |
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26 |
Stellar Evolution |
19 |
New Moon, 12:06 p.m. |
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Mar. 31 |
Stellar Death |
20 |
(1st) Moon at perigee (370,013 km) |
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Apr. 02 |
Stellar Death |
20 |
First Quarter Moon, 10:34 a.m. |
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Apr. 07 |
Neutron Stars |
21 |
Saturn 6º N of Moon |
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09 |
Black Holes |
22 |
Full Moon, 10:56 a.m. |
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Apr. 14 |
No Class – Easter Break |
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16 |
Black Holes, Our Galaxy |
22,23 |
Moon at apogee (404,232 km) |
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(17th) Last Quarter Moon, 9:36 a.m. |
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(19th) Jupiter 2º S of Moon |
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Apr. 21 |
Review #2 (Chap. 17-22) |
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23 |
Our Galaxy, Hubble’s Law |
23,24 |
(22nd) Venus 1.1º S of Moon; Mars 6º S of Moon |
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(24th) New Moon, 11:23 p.m. |
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Apr. 28 |
Cosmology |
26 |
Moon at perigee (366,040 km) |
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30 |
Cosmology |
26, 27 |
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(1st) First Quarter Moon, 4:44 p.m. |
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(4th) Saturn 6º N of Moon |
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May 05 |
Cosmology |
27 |
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May 07 |
Reading Day |
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May 08-13 |
Self-scheduled Exam |
(9th) Full Moon, 12:01 a.m. |
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(14th) Moon at apogee (404,915 km) |
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(17th) Last Quarter Moon, 3:26 a.m. |
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(17th) Jupiter 3º S of Moon |