AST 112 - Introduction to Astronomy II - Spring 2010
Period: TR 1:30-2:45pm (Section 39578)
Instructor: Kevin Healy Phone: 480-461-7027
Email: khealy@mesacc.edu
Office Hours: M-F @ 11:00am-12:00pm, or by appt.
Syllabus in PDF format. Schedule in PDF format.
Here is a Guide to using Mastering Astronomy.
Here is a Guide to the Semester Project.
Spring 2010 Semester Schedule:
- Week 1 (Jan. 18-22): Welcome, Syllabus, Intro
- Reading: Chapter 1
- Study Guide: Chapter 1
- MA Assignment: Practice, Chapter 1 (Due Jan. 31)
- Handout: Astronomy Bingo
- Handout: Getting To Know You
- Week 2 (Jan. 25-29): Observing the Sky
- Reading: Chapter 2.1-2.2
- Study Guide: Chapter 2
- MA Assignment: Chapter 2 (Due Jan. 31)
- Handout: Motions in the Sky, Part I & II
- Week 3 (Feb. 1-5): Understanding Motion
- Tuesday Quiz #1: Chapter 1 + 2
- Reading: Chapter 4.1-4.2, all S2
- Study Guide: Chapter 4 + S2
- MA Assignment: Chapter 4 + S2 (Due Feb. 7)
- Handout: What is Science?
- Handout: Newton's Laws
- Handout: Special Relativity
- Handout: Energy
- Lecture: Old and New Views of Motion
- Week 4 (Feb. 8-12): Understanding Gravity
- Tuesday Quiz #2: Chapter 4 + S2
- Reading: Chapter 4.4-4.5, all S3
- Study Guide: Chapter 4 + S3
- MA Assignment: Chapter 4 + S3 (Due Feb. 14)
- Handout: Newton's Gravity
- Handout: Angular Momentum and Tides
- Handout: Einstein's Gravity
- Handout: Relativity & GPS
- Lecture: Gravity: Newton &Einstein
- Project Proposal Due Thursday
- Week 5 (Feb. 15-19): Light and Matter
- Tuesday Quiz #3: Chapter 4 + S3
- Reading: Chapter 5, S4
- Study Guide: Chapter 5 + S4
- MA Assignment: Chapter 5 + S4 (Due Feb. 21)
- Handout: Structure of Matter
- Handout: Properties of Light
- Lecture: Matter
- Lecture: Light
- Web Resource: Spectral Lines
- Week 6 (Feb. 22-26): Telescopes
- Reading: Chapter 6
- Study Guide: Chapter 6
- MA Assignment: Chapter 6 (Due Feb. 28)
- Handout: Telescopes
- Lecture: Telescopes
- Week 7 (Mar. 1-5): Our Sun & other stars
- Tuesday Quiz #4: Chapter 5 + S4 + 6
- Reading: Chapter 14.1-4.2, all 15
- Study Guide: Chapter 14 + 15
- MA Assignment: Chapter 14 + 15 (Due Mar. 7)
- Handout: Stellar Properties
- Handout: Masses and Clusters
- Lecture: Properties of Stars
- Project Outline Due Thursday
- Week 8 (Mar. 8-12): Star Birth
- Reading: Chapter 16
- Study Guide: Chapter 16
- MA Assignment: Chapter 16 (Due Mar. 21)
- Handout: Star Birth
- Lecture: Star Birth
- Week 9 (Mar. 15-19): Spring Break
- No Class This Week - Spring Break Holiday
- Week 10 (Mar. 22-26): Star Stuff
- Tuesday Quiz #5: Chapter 14 + 15 + 16
- Reading: Chapter 17
- Study Guide: Chapter 17
- MA Assignment: Chapter 17 (Due Mar. 28)
- Handout: Low-mass stars
- Handout: High-mass stars
- Handout: Review of Stellar Evolution
- Lecture: Lives of Low-mass stars
- Lecture: Lives of High-mass stars
- Week 11 (Mar. 29-Apr. 2): Bizarre Stellar Graveyard
- Reading: Chapter 18
- Study Guide: Chapter 18
- MA Assignment: Chapter 18 (Due Apr. 4)
- Handout: Stellar Beasties
- Lecture: Stellar Beasties
- Week 12 (Apr. 5-9): Our Galaxy
- Tuesday Quiz #6: Chapter 17 + 18
- Reading: Chapter 19
- Study Guide: Chapter 19
- MA Assignment: Chapter 19 (Due Apr. 11)
- Handout: Milky Way
- Lecture: Milky Way
- Project Draft Due Thursday
- Week 13 (Apr. 12-16): Galaxies and Galaxy Evolution
- Reading: Ch. 20.1-20.2, 21
- Study Guide: Chapter 20 + 21
- MA Assignment: Chapter 20 + 21 (Due Apr. 18)
- Handout: Galaxies
- Handout: Galaxy Evolution
- Lecture: Galaxy Evolution
- Week 14 (Apr. 19-23): Expansion and Fate of the Universe
- Tuesday Quiz #7: Chapter 19 + 20 + 21
- Reading: Ch. 20.3, 22
- Study Guide: Chapter 20 + 22
- MA Assignment: Chapter 20 + 22 (Due Apr. 25)
- Handout: Dark Energy
- Handout: Dark Matter
- Lecture: Measuring Distances
- Lecture: Dark Energy
- Lecture: Dark Matter
- Project Final Due Tuesday
- Week 15 (Apr. 26-30): Observational Cosmology
- Reading: Chapter 23
- Study Guide: Chapter 23
- MA Assignment: Chapter 23 (Due May 2)
- Handout: The Early Universe
- Lecture: The Early Universe
- Week 16 (May 3-7): Open Discussion, Review, and Fun
- Tuesday Quiz #8: Chapter 22 + 23
- MA Assignment: Review of Topics (Due May 9)
- Final Exam, Thursday, May 13, 1:30pm