ASTRONOMY 120 – Spring 2005

Galaxies, the Universe & Cosmology

Instructor: Steve May Office: Room 41

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

Lectures: MTWF 8:30 – 9:20, Room 242 Phone 527-4278

Lab: Th 8:30 - 10:20, Room 242 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 (i.e. the following Thursday).

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; and 4) Although I will not be “counting words”, consider ½ page a minimum length.
Assignments will generally be made on Monday on DUE ON FRIDAY.

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 35%

Final Exam 20%

Lab Exercises 25%

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
Mar. 28	Introductory Remarks
29	Astronomy Basics	Prologue
30	"	Prologue
31	LAB DAY
Apr. 1	Our Galaxy; Gobular Clusters	Ch. 16: 510 – 517
4 Mon.	NO CLASS
5	Galactic Components, Movement & Mass	518 – 522
6	The Spiral Arms & 21 cm Radiation	522 – 525
7	LAB DAY
8	Spiral Arm Theory	525 – 528
11	Galacitc Nucleus; Galactic Evolution	528 – 536
12	Catch-Up Day
13	Review for Exam 1
14	LAB DAY
15 Fri.	Exam 1	Prologue & Ch 16
18	Hubble Classifaction of Galaxies	Ch. 17: 540 – 547
19	Measuring Distances to Galaxies	547 – 556
20	Distance cont.	“
21	LAB DAY
22	Masses of Galaxies; Missing Mass	556 – 560
25	Origin of Galactic Types	560 – 561
26	Active Galaxies	561 – 564
27	Quasars	564 – 570
28	LAB DAY
29	Active Galaxy Nuclei	571 – 575
May 2	Catch-Up Day
3	Review for Exam 2
4 Weds	Exam 2	Chapter 17
5	LAB DAY
6	The Search for Centers and Edges	Ch. 18: 580 – 584
9	The Expanding Universe	584 – 589
10	Cosmological Assumptions; Big Bang Model	589 – 597
11	Big Bang Model (cont.)	“
12	LAB DAY
13	The Future of the Universe	597 – 603
16	The Inflationary Universe Model	603 – 605
17	Grand Scale Structure of the Universe	605 – 616
18 Weds	ADVISING DAY - NO CLASS
19	LAB DAY
20	Grand Scale Structure cont.
23	Evolution of the Universe	Special Reading??
24	Evolution continued
25	Catch-Up Day
26	Review for Exam 3
27 Fri	Exam 3	Chapter 18 ++
30 Mon	Memorial Day Holiday
31	Extraterrestrial Life & Intelligence	Ch. 19: 620 – 628
June 1	cont.	“
2	LAB DAY
3	Catch-Up Day
6	Final Review
7	Final Review
9 Thurs	**COMPREHENSIVE FINAL**	Everything!!!