AST 309 - The Solar System

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AST 309

Syllabus

Homework

Lectures

Reading

Exams

Courses

Syllabus

Text
The New Solar System, 4^th ed., Beatty, Petersen & Chaikin

Prerequisite
AST 301 or equivalent introduction to astronomy.

Contents
We will discuss the planets, moons, and other bodies in the solar system. Our emphasis will be on how the solar system bodies got to be like they are and why they differ as they do. This course is for non-science majors, and we do not expect you to have taken any Physics courses. But we will be discussing physical laws and how they apply to the solar system. And we will at times put numbers into formulas.

Reading & Homework
One or two chapters of reading will be assigned each week. You must do the reading by Wednesday, and your assignment for each Wednesday is to write one sentence about each of the three most important topics in the reading. You must also write down at least one topic from the reading that you found confusing and would like to have explained more. An ongoing assignment for the semester will be to watch the planets and keep a record of your observations. In addition, we will occasionally have other homework assignments involving observations or calculations. You are encouraged to work together on homework, but you must write out your own answers in your own words. Duplicate homeworks will not receive credit. Late homeworks will receive half credit.

Tests
There will be 5 exams (see the schedule on back) and no final. Your lowest exam score will be dropped. Late exams will not be given. If you miss an exam it will be the one that will be dropped. But let us know if you have a good reason for having missed an exam. The exams will cover material from both class and the reading. The exams will be closed-book and closed-notes, and calculators will not be allowed (or needed).

Grades
Half of your grade will be determined from your exam scores and half from homeworks (including the weekly reading assignment). Your lowest exam and homework scores (one of each) will be dropped.

Collaboration
You are encouraged to study and work on homework assignments with other students, and you are encouraged to get help from the professor and TAs, but you must write out your own answers and make the assigned observations yourself. If you copy another homework or let someone copy yours, both of you will receive zero credit.

Schedule

Reading:
Ch 1
Ch 2
Ch 6
Ch 7+8
Ch 9
Ch 10
Ch 11
Ch 12
Ch 13
Ch 14
Ch 15
Ch 16
Ch 17+20
Ch 21+24
Ch 28

Week of:	Topics:	Friday Exams:

Jan 15:	Exploring the Solar System
Jan 22:	Origin of the Solar System
Jan 29:	Role of Collisions	Feb 2
Feb 5:	Mercury + Venus
Feb 12:	Earth
Feb 19:	Moon	Feb 23
Feb 26:	Mars
Mar 5:	Surfaces and Interiors
Mar 19:	Atmospheres of Terrestrial Planets	Mar 23
Mar 26:	Interiors of the Giant Planets
Apr 2:	Atmospheres of the Giant Planets
Apr 9:	Planetary Rings	Apr 13
Apr 16:	Io + Titan
Apr 23:	Pluto + Comets
Apr 30:	Extrasolar Planets	May 4

Positions of Planets

Mercury is visible the first half of February about 45 minutes after sunset in the west just above where the Sun set. Venus is just above it and is brighter.
Venus is up in the evening all semester. It is moving away from the Sun in the sky, so setting later, later in the semester.
Mars is up in the southeast before sunrise all semester.
Jupiter at first rises late in the evening, but rises earlier later in the semester. It is bright, but rather far south in the sky.
Saturn is high in the sky around midnight early in the semester. It is up earlier later in the semester. The star following it across the sky is Regulus in the constellation Leo.

22 January 2007
Astronomy Program · The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, Texas 78712
prospective student inquiries: studentinfo@astro.as.utexas.edu
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