ASTRONOMY 115 – Winter 2005

Stellar Astronomy

Instructor: Steve May Office: Room 41

Hours: 10:30 - 11:20 Daily; or by arrangement.

Lectures: MTThF 8:30 – 9:20, Room 208 Phone 527-4278

Lab: W 8:30 - 10:20, Room 226 Home Phone: 525-1307 (before 10PM)

email: steve.may@wwcc.edu

Text: Required – In Quest of the Universe, 4^th Edition; by Karl Kuhn & Theo Koupelis

Tests: The 3 lecture tests given will consists of a variety of question types including: T/F, Multiple Choice, Matching, and Short answer.

A comprehensive final exam will be given during finals.

Make-Up Tests will only be given when I have been notified in advance concerning the reason for absence during the test. And the reason will have to be very good in order to be excused from the exam.

Labs: After most of the labs there will be a worksheet, or lab write-up to be handed in. Due dates for labs will be specified during the lab discussion. Late labs will be accepted, with a substantial grade reduction, no later than one week after the lab session.

Homework: Review questions at the end of each chapter in the textbook. Although I will not be collecting and grading these, I strongly urge you to write out each of the answers. There will be no better method of studying for tests and the final than going over the answers to these review questions and reading through your lecture notes.

Weekly Reports: A variety of brief informational research projects that I will assign on a weekly basis. To receive full credit for a weekly report the following criteria must be met: 1) Report must be “On Topic”; 2) Reference(s) must be cited; 3) Reports must be typed (NOTE – you may email your papers to me at the address given above); and 4) Although I will not be “counting words”, consider ½ page a minimum length.

Daily Reports: At the end of each class you will be giving the opportunity to makes comments or ask questions regarding the materials presented that day, or anything else within the bounds of the class. You will be given 2 points for this report each day. I find this a productive way of checking attendance. Don’t be late to class: If you come to class after I have begun the day’s lecture I will only give you 1 point for your Daily Report.

Excessive Absenteeism : If you miss more than 6 classes during the quarter your grade will be lowered by one full grade!

Cell Phones: Please make sure your Cell Phone is turned OFF before coming to class. If your cell phone rings during class you will not receive any attendance points for that day. If it happens a second time during the quarter the penalty will be doubled, for a 3^rd time, doubled again, etc. If you have the nerve to answer a call durning class I will deducted 25 points.

Grading: Chapter Tests 40%

Final Exam 20%

Labs 20%

Weekly Assignments 10%

Daily Reports 10%

(all the above percentages are approximate)

Letter grades will be assigned using a modified curve.

Disability Identification and Accommodations: If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting an accommodation, you are encouraged to contact both your instructor and the Disabilities Coordinator in the Student Development Center, 527-4258, as early as possible in the quarter.

Date	Topic	Reading(Ch:Section)
Jan. 3	Introduction
4	Temperature Scales, Light Waves, Electromagnetic Radiation	Ch. 4: 98 – 108
5	LAB DAY
6	Color of light as an indicator of Temperature, Kirchhoff's Laws	109 – 114
7	Structure of atoms, Emission spectra, Absorption Spectra	114 – 121
10	The Doppler Effect	121 – 125
11	Relative Motion, Inverse Square Law	125 – 126
12	LAB DAY
13	Refraction, Refracting Telescopes	Ch. 5: 130- 135
14**	VIDEO
17	*****MARTIN LUTHER KING'S HOLIDAY*****
18	Powers of a Telescope; magnification, light gathering, resolution	136 – 141
19	LAB DAY
20	Reflecting Telescopes, Telescope Accessories	141 – 148
21	Radiotelescopes, Interferometry	149 – 154
24	"Viewing" other EM radiation, Hubble Space Telescope	154 – 158
25	REVIEW OF CHAPTERS 4 & 5
26	LAB DAY
27 Thurs.	EXAM 1: CHAPTERS 4 & 5
28	Solar Data, Solar Energy	Ch.11: 358 – 367
31	Sun's Interior Properties and Processes	367 – 374
Feb. 1	Solar Atmosphere; Solar Activity Cycles	374 – 388
2	LAB DAY
3	Luminosity, Apparent Magnitude	Ch. 12: 392 – 396
4	Distance to Stars, Absolute Magnitude	396 – 399
7	Motions of Stars, Spectral Types of Stars	399 – 402
8	HR Diagram, Spectroscopic Parallax, Luminosity Class	403 – 409
9	LAB DAY
10	Multiple Star Systems	409 – 413
11	Stellar Mass Measurements, Cepheid Variables	413 – 419
14	Catch-Up Day
15	REVIEW OF CHAPTERS 11 & 12
16	LAB DAY
17 Thurs.	EXAM 2: CHAPTERS 11 & 12
18	Interstellar dust and gases, Clouds and Nebulae	Ch. 13: 424 – 432
21	*****PRESIDENT'S DAY HOLIDAY*****
22	The Birth of Stars	433 – 436
23	LAB DAY
24	Stellar Evolution, Star Clusters	436 – 443
25	Brown Dwarf, Stellar Maturity, The Death of Stars	Ch. 14: 446 – 452
28	Low-Mass Star Evolution	452 – 464
Mar. 1**	ADVISING DAY – NO CLASS
2	LAB DAY
3	White Dwarfs, Type I Supernova	464 – 471
4	REVIEW OF CHAPTERS 13 &14
7	EXAM 3: CHAPTERS 13 & 14
8	Massive Stars, Type II Supernova	Ch. 15: 476 – 485
9	LAB DAY
10	Neutron Stars, Pulsars	486 – 493
11	General Relativity, Very Massive Stars, Black Holes	494 - 507
14	FINAL EXAM REVIEW
15	FINAL EXAM REVIEW
16 Weds.	COMPREHENSIVE FINAL EXAM