Coronet (NASA/Chandra)
Astronomy 307 - Spring 2009
INTRODUCTORY ASTRONOMY
TTh 9:30 - 11:00 · RLM 15.216B · Unique No. 48495
Professor
RLM 16.324 · (512) 471-3449 · email
Courses - Spr '09 | Course Website
Lateness Policy: You are expected to turn in homework on time, which means at the beginning of class on the due date. If it is in the hands of the T.A. within the next 24 hours, it will be graded for reduced credit. Homeworks that are more than 24 hours late will not be accepted for grading (this can become the "dropped" homework grade).
Participation Credits: 20%. The remaining 20% of the grade will be based on various activities, mostly in class but also some out-of-class events. The in-class activities may include pop quizzes, feedback on index cards, background surveys, and small group projects. External activities include Star Parties and special lectures (see the section on "Special Events" below). Some activities may receive varying amounts of credit depending on your answers, but this credit is cumulative rather than averaged scores. Furthermore, there will be more than 20 credits (25 or more) available to be earned during the semester, although once you reach 20 points, you'll be "maxed out." This portion of your grade is under your control; it's up to you to earn it!
APPROXIMATE SCHEDULE OF TOPICS AND READINGS:
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Section I: Observing the Sky |
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Section II: Our Solar System |
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Section III: The Sun and Stars |
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Section IV: Galaxies, Cosmology, etc. |
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IMPORTANT DATES (THESE APPLY TO ALL SPRING 2009 CLASSES):
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First class meeting: Tues., Jan. 20 |
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Last day of the official add/drop period: Fri., Jan. 23 |
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12th Class Day (Last day to drop with a possible refund): Wed., Feb. 4 |
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Last day to drop except for non-academic reasons, or to change from a letter grade to a pass/fail grading basis:
Mon., Mar. 30 (I will grant a Q-drop up
until this date, if you first get approval from your dean’s office.) |
INSTRUCTOR POLICIES AND EXPECTATIONS: In order to get your money's worth and do well in this course, it is important that you attend regularly and keep up with the reading and coursework. We will be moving at a fairly rapid pace, and will do our best to keep the class website current, but it is your responsibility to stay informed. Do "bookmark" the course website; you will find a great deal of useful, frequently updated materials there, including pdf files for the lectures, feedback on exams and on some homeworks, updates on the recommended readings and some practice problems (to supplement the graded homeworks), and an archive of all old class announcements.
