Instructor: Michael Brotherton
Office: 217 Physical Sciences
Phone: 766-5402
E-mail: mbrother@uwyo.edu (best way to contact me)
Websites: http://physics.uwyo.edu/~mbrother (course materials here!)
http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/ctl/Online_courses/ (WebCT for HW, etc)
Office Hours: MW 2 PM to 4 PM, or by appointment
Lectures: MWF 12:00—12:50 PM, AG AUD
Text: Horizons: Exploring the Universe, Michael Seeds, 9th Edition
Astronomy is the study of everything beyond the Earth, the entire universe in fact! Topics will include the sky, planets, stars, galaxies, and more. We won't just take census of the amazing things in the universe; understanding how we know what we know is equally important. Science is the most powerful method of deriving new knowledge ever developed, and understanding science is key to understanding our increasingly complex, technologically driven civilization. Science often relies on math, and astronomy is no exception, although we won't overdo it. We will use simple geometry, trigonometry, and algebra and useful math tools like logarithms and scientific notation. We'll only pull out the math when we need it, and we'll spend whatever time it takes to make its application clear. I sincerely hope you all complete the course with a deeper sense of wonder about the universe and an appreciation for the science that has revealed that wonder.
Attendance at lecture is strongly encouraged, but not required. I expect the assigned reading to be completed before class -- this will make lecture easier to follow and better questions. The lectures will not necessarily cover all the topics in the reading and should not be viewed as a substitute for the reading. Lecture slides can be found on the course webpage -- you may wish to print these before class (I suggest importing the slides into powerpoint and printing from there). Lectures are an opportunity to address more challenging concepts and to explore material beyond the text. Please bring questions to class and be prepared to discuss concepts. Please also bring a scientific calculator to class (which should have at least a "log" button and support scientific notation, but does not have to be expensive or fancy). We will sometimes work problems in class to make sure everyone is getting it.
Attendance at lab is required. Mark Reiser and Stevi Fawcett are your dedicated lab instructors and will have their own lab syllabus. Lab meets for the first time the week of Sep. 12 (the third week of classes). A few labs (one required, probably plus an additional optional one) will involve nighttime observing with a telescope and you will be able to sign up for a night of the week that will work for you for these.
In addition to the reading, weekly homework assignments will be posted on-line via the University's WebCT system and due as indicated (typically a week later). The procedures for self-registration are explained at http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/ctl/Online_courses/ (this is also the login site). Additional course information will be available on WebCT. Please see me if you have difficulties with WebCT -- they are usually easy to solve. Not doing the homework WILL hurt your grade!
There will be three in-class exams during the semester, plus a final exam (which will be over the solar system, not the entire course). While the exams will not be comprehensive in general, the material in the course does build on itself and several topics reappear in different forms. Each in-class exam will cover several chapters of material and consist of multiple choice problems. Bring a GREEN 10 ANSWER SCAN FORM and your CALCULATOR! The exams will be closed-book, but formulas and physical constants will be provided and need not be memorized. Exam dates are Sep 23, Oct 21, Nov 18, Dec. 16 (Friday of finals week).
There will be chances for extra credit this semester. On Fridays we will discuss news articles about astronomy -- you can earn extra credit (equivalent to about one homework) for bringing in an article once. There may be other extra credit opportunities announced during the semester.
The grading scheme will be:
A = 90-100%
B = 80-90%
C = 70-80%
D = 60-70%
F < 60%
I tend to round up, and I reserve the right to adjust the scheme in your favor if the score distributions are lower than expected (for instance, I will curve exams). You will not automatically fail the course for missing lab, but if two or more labs are missed you will lose a letter grade. People tend to get high scores on the homework and labs, do a lot of extra credit, and wind up with very good grades despite lower exam scores. The components of the course are weighted:
Laboratory = 25%
Exams = 60%
Quizzes/Homework = 15%
I am an observational astronomer specializing in the study of quasars and other types of active galaxies thought to be powered by super-massive black holes. I received my PhD from the University of Texas at Austin and have previously worked at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Kitt Peak National Observatory. I've really used the Very Large Array (the "VLA", a radio telescope in New Mexico featured in the movie Contact), the Hubble Space Telescope, and the Chandra X-ray Observatory, so I can provide you with first-hand details not found in textbooks. I'm also a science fiction writer — my first novel Star Dragon is about an expedition to a distant binary star system. The paperback is available now, and the full text can also be downloaded for free from http://www.mikebrotherton.com.
I love astronomy and look forward to sharing the wonders of the universe with you!
Course Schedule and Reading Assignments (subject to change)
Week Dates Topics Textbook Reading
1 Aug 29, 31, Sep 2 Scales, the Night Sky Ch. 1, 2
2 Sep 5 Holiday
Sep 7, 9 Motions in the Sky Ch. 3
3 Sep 12, 14, 16 History of Astronomy, Astronomical Tools Ch. 4, 5
4 Sep 19, 21 More Tools, review Ch. 5
Sep 23 Exam #1 on the Sky, Moon, Seasons+ Ch. 5
5 Sep 26, 28, 30 Atoms & Starlight, The Sun Ch. 6, 7
6 Oct 3, 5, 7 Properties, Formation & Structure of Stars Ch. 8, 9
7 Oct 10, 12, 14 Formation and Structure of Stars Ch. 9-10
8 Oct 17, 19 Deaths of Stars, Review Ch. 10
Oct 21 Exam 2, chapters 6-10
9 Oct 24, 26, 28 Neutron Stars & Black Holes, Milky Way Ch. 11, 12
10 Oct 31, Nov 2, 4 Milky Way, Galaxies Ch. 12, 13
11 Nov 7, 9, 11 Active Galaxies/Quasars, Cosmology Ch. 14-15
12 Nov 14, 16 Cosmology Ch. 15
Nov 18 Exam #3 Ch. 11-15
13 Nov 21 Thanksgiving week – No class MWF
14 Nov 28, 30, Dec 2 Solar System & Terrestrial Planets Ch. 16, 17
15 Dec 5, 7, 9 Jovian Planets and “Debris” Ch. 18, 19
Dec 16, 10:15AM Exam #4 on Solar System Ch. 16-19
I encourage you to read Chapter 20, "Life on Other Worlds," but we probably will not get to it before the end of the semester.
I will be absent for research-related reasons a few times this semester. The dates I know for sure are Nov 2-4, and Nov. 7. There will be a substitute lecturer on these days (probably Mark Reiser).