ASTRONOMY 307

Introductory Astronomy for Science and Engineering Majors

TEXT:

Astronomy, The Cosmic Perspective, 2nd Edition, Zeilik and Gaustad (available at the Co-Op)

CONTENTS AND APPROACH:

We will present an overview of the the universe, with a physical explanation for what is there and how it works. We will emphasize how astronomers study the universe and the explanations of what they find, rather than descriptions. College-level physics and calculus are not required, but we will use high school math (some trigonometry) and science (Newton's Laws). Most of the time during class will be spent discussing explanations and concepts rather than descriptions of astronomical objects. You will have to learn the descriptions from the reading assignments. To succeed in this class you will have to keep up with the reading and be willing to participate in discussions in class.

HOMEWORK:

A homework assignment will be handed out each Thursday, due the next Friday. Some assignments will involve simple observations of the sky. Hand in homework in class or by 5:00 p.m. Friday in the box for our class on the 13th floor of RLM. (See the map on the back of this page.) Do not put homework under the professor's or the TA's doors! You may work together on homework, but you must write out your own answers. Duplicate homeworks will not receive credit. Late homeworks will receive reduced credit.

TESTS:

There will be a midterm and a final exam (see schedule below). There will also be a short quiz every week with one question about the reading for that week and one question about the material discussed during the previous week. Questions will require short written answers, and although this is not a writing course, we will take off points for confusing or ungrammatical answers.

GRADES:

Grades will be based on homework (30% of the grade), the midterm (20%) and the final (50%). Points received on weekly quizzes will count toward your final exam grade and will reduce the weight of the questions asked on the final. For example, if you receive 20 points on quizzes, your final exam grade will be 20% + 80% of what you get on the test (i.e., the more points you get from quizzes, the fewer you need on the final to get an A on the exam, but you can still get an A on the final with zero quiz points if you do very well). There may be a few optional observing assignments which will receive credit the same way the quizzes do.

ABSENCE POLICY:

Ask me. The fundamental principle is that nothing will be excused after the fact. If you are sick on the day of an exam, you must notify me by e-mail or by phone prior to the exam. If you are arrested, call me, then call your lawyer.