SPRING
2001 |
Unique No. 45065 |
MWF 11-12 |
RLM 5.104 |
PROFESSOR:
John Lacy
Office: R.L. Moore 16.332, 16.334
Phone: 471-1469
Email: lacy@astro.as.utexas.edu
Office Hours: TTh 11-12
TEACHING ASSISTANT:
Julia Smith
Office: RLM 16.220
Phone: 471-3447
E-mail: dorothea@astro.as.utexas.edu
Office Hours: W 12, Th 4:30 in RLM 13.132
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
We will present an overview of
the contents of the Universe, with a physical explanation of
what is there. The emphasis will be on how astronomers study
the Universe and explanations for what they find, rather than
on descriptions. College-level physics and calculus are not required,
but we will use high school math (some trigonometry) and science
(Newton's laws).
TEXTBOOK: Introductory Astronomy and Astrophysics
by Zeilik and Gregory
Note: this book
assumes more knowledge of math and physics than we will use,
and some parts will be skipped.
GRADING: Homework will count 1/3 of your grade, weekly
quizzes will count 1/6, a mid-term exam will count 1/6, and the
final exam will count 1/3. Your lowest homework and lowest
quiz scores will be dropped. We will not have make-up quizzes,
but let us know if you have a legitimate excuse for missing one.
Although this is not a writing class, test answers will
usually consist short written explanations, and we will count
off for confusing or ungrammatical answers.
Homework: Homework will be assigned each Friday, due the
next Friday (in class or by 5PM in the AST 307 box on the 13th
floor of RLM; see map on back). You may get help on homework
(or anything else) from the professor or TA during office hours
or by appointment. Late homeworks will receive 1/2 credit. You
are welcome to work on homework with other students, but verbatim
copies of homeworks will not be accepted.
APPROXIMATE SCHEDULE
Dates |
Reading |
- |
1/17-19 |
Ch. 1 |
Apparent motions in the sky |
1/22-26 |
- |
Motions of planets, Kepler's laws |
1/29-2/2 |
- |
Newton's laws, orbital motions |
2/05-09 |
Ch. 2-3 |
Solar system overview, seasons,
tides |
2/12-16 |
Ch. 8 |
More planets, waves |
2/19-23 |
- |
Photons, atoms, spectra |
2/26-28 |
Ch. 9 |
Telesopes |
3/02 |
Mid-Term Exam |
3/05-09 |
Ch. 11 |
Stellar distances, luminosities,
masses |
3/19-23 |
Ch. 13 |
Stellar temperatures, Hertzsprung-Russell
diagram |
3/26-30 |
Ch. 14-15 |
Milky Way Galaxy, Interstellar
gas and dust |
4/02-06 |
Ch. 16 |
Stellar structure, evolution |
4/09-13 |
Ch. 17 |
White dwarfs, Neutron stars, Black
holes |
4/16-20 |
Ch. 18-20 |
Novae, Supernovae, Stellar motions |
4/23-27 |
Ch. 22-23 |
Hubble law, Large scale structure |
4/30-5/4 |
Ch. 25-26 |
Big Bang |
5/09 |
Final Exam |
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