Syllabus for ASTR 1304
Solar System Astronomy
Class # 43396
10:35 – 11:50 Tuesday –
Thursday RGC 328
Instructor:
James (Jim) Heath
Office Hours: Riverside
Room 2247 MW 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Rio Grande Room 338 T-Th 9:30 – 10:30 AM
Friday Afternoons by appointment
Office Phone: 223-6052
E-mail: jheath@austincc.edu
Class Website: http://www2.austincc.edu/jheath
(click on “The Starry Site”)
Text:
Astronomy Today ,
7th Edition by Chaisson and McMillan
(Prentice Hall)
We will only be using Volume 1: The
Solar System
Course Overview:
Description from the
ACC catalogue: A study of the Sun and
its solar system: planets, satellites, meteors, comets, asteroids. Theories about the structure and origin of the solar system, with
emphasis on recent discoveries. Includes a scientific
investigation of other solar systems and the possibilities for extraterrestrial
life.
After an introduction to some basic
terminology, we shall discuss the history of astronomy, from Plato to Isaac
Newton. In this sense, the history of
astronomy is essentially the history of science itself, and we shall view this
history in the context of the development of the Scientific Method, a technique
that is the cornerstone of modern science.
Basic laws of physics will be introduced and discussed which we will be
returning to time and again.
That done, we will indulge in a
guided tour of the planets of our Solar System, beginning with the Earth as a
planet. Then we will discuss the other
"Terrestrial Planets": Mercury, Venus, and Mars. We will focus on how the planets are similar,
how they are different, and why. Moving to the outer part of the System, we
shall explore the "Jovian Planets":
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
Again, comparison and contrast of these bodies will be a key topic. Distant Pluto will be our segue
to talk about the lesser inhabitants of the solar system: asteroids, comets and meteors. We will then sum up all that we have explored
and try to arrive at a sound theory about how the Solar System came to be.
After an entire semester of trying
to portray the Earth as just another ball of rock, at the end of the class we
will remind ourselves of the real reason why Earth is unique. We will discuss the origins of life, as well
as the possibility of discovering/contacting extraterrestrial life, both in our
Solar System and Beyond.
Instructional Methodology and
Course Rationale:
This course is a lecture-based course which may include class discussions, demonstrations and student projects. It is an introduction to Solar System Astronomy, providing students with a science course suitable for transfer to a four-year college or university. Therefore, the course will be taught at the university level. The course prerequisites are MATD 0390 (Intermediate Algebra) or one year of high school algebra or the equivalent. One year of high school science is recommended, but not required.
Purpose of this Course:
I've heard it said that the purpose
of education is to give people the ability to tell when someone is
"talking rot" and when they are making sense. This skill is becoming even more important in
the modern day, surrounded as we are by science and technology. Con-artists and opportunists are learning to
wrap themselves up in technology to better deceive people: astrologers are starting to carry around
laptop computers, for example. I believe
that science courses should help give people the tools they need to become
"scientifically literate," and be able to evaluate "scientific
claims" in their lives as consumers and voters. It is my hope that this course can serve part
of that purpose.
Course-Level Student Learning
Outcomes
Upon
successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
• Demonstrate
understanding of the nature of science and the Scientific Method.
•
Demonstrate knowledge of the basic laws of physics that pertain to the study of
the
bodies of the solar system.
•
Compare and contrast the characteristics of the terrestrial planets, and
demonstrate
understanding of the causes of their
similarities and differences.
•
Compare and contrast the characteristics of the jovian planets, and demonstrate
understanding of the causes of their
similarities and differences.
•
Demonstrate understanding of the differences between the terrestrial and jovian planets,
and of how those differences came to
be.
•
Demonstrate understanding of the properties of the smaller bodies of the solar
system.
•
Demonstrate knowledge of the current best scientific explanation of the origin
and
evolution of the solar system.
•
Demonstrate knowledge of recent discoveries about extrasolar
planetary systems.
General Education Student
Learning Outcomes
Upon
completion of this course, students will demonstrate competence in:
•
Critical Thinking – Gathering, analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating and applying
information.
•
Interpersonal Skills – Interacting collaboratively to achieve common goals.
•
Quantitative and Empirical Reasoning – Applying mathematical, logical and
scientific principles and methods.
•
Technology Skills – Using appropriate technology to retrieve, manage, analyze,
and present information.
Goals and Objectives:
The simplest and most obvious goal
for this course is to convey to you the basic concepts of solar system
astronomy. I realize that only a few of
you would even consider a career in astronomy, so this course is not
necessarily "pitched" to future scientists. I hope to be able to give you enough of a
background in the "facts" and theories of astronomy to be able to
understand claims made by astronomers in the popular media,
and maybe even enjoy astronomy as a hobby.
A deeper goal for this course is to
give you practice in "thinking scientifically." In-class material, as well
as most graded activities, are intended to help you improve your
abilities to organize, reason, make conclusions based on evidence, and
otherwise think logically. Other
activities will help you practice other aspects of a scientific mind, such as
creativity, ability to observe, and the practice of examining your own
attitudes and "biases." These
are skills that employers are looking for, and skills a scientifically aware
citizen should have. Everyone has these
skills inside them, and part of my job is to help you sharpen these
skills.
Of course, the most important goal
in this class is to have fun. Astronomy
is an exciting field that is changing every day, and a fun hobby to
pursue. I hope some of my enthusiasm
about science and astronomy will be infectious.
Remember that a lot of the responsibility for this rides on you: you can only have as much fun as you allow
yourself to have. Be involved in the
class! Be energetic!
Grading System:
I.
Tests
To evaluate student progress in the
course, four tests will be given, approximately one every six class days. Each test will be worth 17% of the final
grade, for 68 % total. The tests will
NOT be comprehensive (but there will be certain concepts that will recur
throughout the semester, so don't forget everything too quickly!), and there
will be no final or midterm exams. Exams
will consist of definitions and essay questions, some of which can be chosen
from lists. Since I realize that many
students have "math anxiety," no required essay question will be mathematical
in nature. This math deficiency will be
compensated for on the homework assignments.
The exams will be mostly essay
because I am interested in testing your understanding of the material, not just
your raw knowledge. The
emphasis will be on the ability to analyze (break things apart) and synthesize
(put things together), rather than your ability to memorize facts. Accordingly, I will focus more on whys and
wherefores in my lectures, instead of throwing a stream of trivia at you, which
would bore all of us. However, I do NOT
want my own words regurgitated back at me on the tests. You will be expected to explain things in
your own words, and in plain English. I
also prefer essay questions because I am a believer in partial credit.
Research
Paper – Since anyone can have a bad day, any student wishing to do so may
submit a short paper (approximately 1000 words/five pages) on a topic
appropriate to solar system astronomy.
You must have at least five references.
To insure that only the latest information is used, the references for
the paper are required to be magazine articles from the past five years; no
books allowed. Internet articles may
also be used, but they may not outnumber magazine articles! The grade received on this paper will take
the place of the WORST test grade received during the semester. In the interest of time and sanity (both mine
and yours), please try to decide on a topic and discuss it with me by April 28
at the latest and have it turned in by May 10.
II.
Homework Assignments
In addition, five homeworks will be
given over the course of the semester, each 3 questions in length. Each will be worth 3% of the final grade, for
15% total. As answers will be posted on
the Website the day homeworks are due, no late homework will be accepted. Students are allowed to cooperate on
homeworks, but deliberate copying will be severely punished! I am a great believer in rewarding effort, so
partial credit will be happily given to people who attempt the problems, but
for some reason or another, can't follow through to the end. Thus, I encourage you to show all your work
on the homeworks. Answers without
explanation will receive NO CREDIT!
My philosophy behind homeworks is as
follows. Many times we read a fact in a
textbook, like "the density of Saturn is so small it would float in
water" or "the mass of Jupiter is such-and-such", and blindly
accept it. Such blind acceptance, both
in science and in "real life", is dangerous. The purpose of the homeworks is to get you to
confirm these "facts" for yourselves.
Many of the great computations of astronomy can be done by non-science
majors using high school freshman algebra and a calculator!
High-school algebra is a
pre-requisite for this class, so I will not (and should not be expected to)
take up class time to re-teach it.
Please go over the section of the Website titled “Basic Math"; I
will be glad to discuss it with you during my office hours. I generally discuss homeworks only briefly in
class, but I will happily discuss problems in detail during my office hours,
either in person or on the phone.
Finally, I often hear students
(especially fine arts students) complain that they are not "mathematically
inclined", whatever that means. I
look upon such remarks with the same displeasure as I would look upon a
computer jock's whinings about not being "artistically" or
"linguistically inclined".
Art, mathematics, philosophy, etc., are all integral parts of the human
experience, and the total person should have some proficiency in all of
them. Science is not the exclusive
purview of fat, balding, old males with German-sounding names; far too many
people that do not fit this description sell themselves short, just like
society tells them to. Such beliefs are
not allowed in my class. You can all do
it!
III.
Opinion Paper
10% of the grade will be determined
by a short (3-5 page) opinion paper. The
purpose of this paper is to motivate you to think about your own attitudes and
feelings towards science, and a chance to be creative in your writing. The topic will be more fully discussed in
class, and details of the paper are on the Website. The Opinion Paper will be due April 28.
I.
Website Summary and Class
Participation
For
7% of the grade, I ask students to find a location on the World Wide Web that
is related to astronomy, and tell me about it.
Write a one page summary in your
own words of what’s on the Website, and include a printout of the first
page of the site. The Website that you
review CANNOT be one that is already linked to the class Website! You must find something new! The review is due February 1. Also included in this 7% is your
participation in in-class discussion activities. These might be individual activities
discussed with the whole class or discussions in groups of two or three. You must be in class to get these points;
make-ups will only be allowed for excused absences.
Summary of Grading System:
Tests (4 @ 17% apiece) 68%
Homeworks
(5 @ 3% apiece) 15%
Opinion Paper 10%
Website Review and Class
Participation 7%
Total 100%
Course
Policies:
Attendance – A number of studies in science education have
revealed that class attendance is a very important factor in determining the
final grades of college science students.
Attendance is even more
important than the teacher, the textbook,
the student’s GPA or even the student’s IQ!
Yet these same studies reveal that some college students enjoy
exercising the “freedom to miss class” that college affords, and their grades
suffer as a result.
Class
time is when you can interact with your fellow students and with the
instructor. More pragmatically, class
time is when you find out what’s going to be on the test! In this class, there will be nothing required
on the test that is not discussed in class.
Conversely, with the exception of a few personal anecdotes and
historical vignettes to add flavor to the class, everything said in class will
be on the test in one form or another.
There is no substitute for coming to class.
Because
attendance is so important to your success in this class, we will have the
following attendance policy:
After FOUR (4) unexcused absences, I reserve the right to withdraw you
from the class without further notice.
Notice
that this doesn’t mean I will automatically withdraw you, merely that I reserve
the right to do so. It is possible
to get an absence excused, by one of two methods:
1.
Producing a documented valid excuse.
Valid excuses include, but are not limited to
a.
Personal
illness or other medical emergency
b.
Illness or
death of family member
c.
Loss of
transportation (one time only)
d.
Work conflict
(one time only)
e.
Jury duty
f.
National
Guard duty
Valid excuses must come with written documentation (doctor’s note,
mechanic’s receipt, etc.) to be counted.
It is your responsibility to provide this documentation, and to notify
me as quickly as possible of your absence, so that I won’t withdraw you!
2.
An adequately
detailed outline of the text reading for the missed class day. I will be the final arbiter of what constitutes
an adequate amount of detail, and only one rewrite will be allowed per outline.
Attendance will be taken, either verbally, or by
sign-in sheet, during class. Anyone
not in roll is class when roll is called will be counted absent, and must have
a valid excuse (see above) for not being there.
Withdrawals
and Incompletes – In compliance with Physical
Sciences Task Force Policy, I will not grant incompletes, except in the most
extreme circumstances. In all
circumstances, extensive documentation of reasons will be required. You are responsible as an adult learner to
withdraw yourself by the Final Withdrawal Date if you wish.
Scholastic
Dishonesty – Standard
ACC Policy: A student attending ACC assumes
responsibility for conduct compatible with the mission of the college as an educational
institution. Students have the responsibility to submit coursework that is the result
of their own thought, research, or self-expression. Students must follow all instructions
given by faculty or designated college representatives when taking
examinations, placement assessments, tests, quizzes, and evaluations. Actions constituting
scholastic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, plagiarism, cheating, fabrication,
collusion, and falsifying documents. Penalties
for scholastic dishonesty will depend upon the nature of the violation and may
range from lowering a grade on one assignment to an “F” in the course and/or
expulsion from the college. See the
Student Standards of Conduct and Disciplinary Process and other policies at
http://www.austincc.edu/current/needtoknow
A Note on Cheating:
I
expect and demand that everything you do in this class will be your own work. Studies have shown that increasing numbers of
college students think that cheating is acceptable, and it simply is not. Claiming someone else's work as your own is
plagiarism, and both the college and I have a very low tolerance for it. Please take pride in your work, and be
honest. Note that this does not forbid
students from working together. If you
are doubtful about where the line is between collaboration and plagiarism, talk
to me, and we'll work it out before you turn things in.
Academic
Freedom – Students are free to disagree
with instructors on matters of opinion or personal philosophy, and will incur
no penalty from doing so. However,
instructors will judge student work based upon its relation to the current
state of mainstream scientific fact and theory.
Student
Discipline – Matters of student disciple
will be adjudicated by the instructor on a case-by-case basis, in conjunction
with the Department Chair or Dean.
Students will want to consult with the Office of Student Services or the
Assistant Dean at their campus on such matters.
Students with Disabilities – Standard
ACC Policy:
Each ACC campus offers support services for students with documented
disabilities. Students with disabilities who need classroom, academic or other
accommodations must request them through the Office for Students with
Disabilities (OSD). Students are encouraged to request accommodations when they
register for courses or at least three weeks before the start of the semester,
otherwise the provision of accommodations may be delayed.
Students who have received
approval for accommodations from OSD for this course must provide the
instructor with the ‘Notice of Approved Accommodations’ from OSD before accommodations
will be provided. Arrangements for academic accommodations can only be made
after the instructor receives the ‘Notice of Approved Accommodations’ from the student.
Students with approved
accommodations are encouraged to submit the ‘Notice of Approved Accommodations’
to the instructor at the beginning of the semester because a reasonable amount
of time may be needed to prepare and arrange for the accommodations. Additional
information about the Office for Students with Disabilities is available at
http://www.austincc.edu/support/osd/
Safety
Statement – Austin Community College is committed to providing a safe
and healthy environment for study and work. You are expected to learn and
comply with ACC environmental, health and safety procedures and agree to follow
ACC safety policies. Additional information on these can be found at http://www.austincc.edu/ehs.
Because some health and safety circumstances are beyond our control, we ask
that you become familiar with the Emergency Procedures poster and Campus Safety
Plan map in each classroom. Additional information about emergency procedures
and how to sign up for ACC Emergency Alerts to be notified in the event of a
serious emergency can be found at http://www.austincc.edu/emergency/.
Please note: You are expected to
conduct yourself professionally with respect and courtesy to all. Anyone who thoughtlessly or intentionally
jeopardizes the health or safety of another individual will be immediately
dismissed from the day’s activity, may be withdrawn from the class, and/or barred
from attending future activities.
Make-up
Policy – As
stated before, no late homeworks will be accepted. Tests missed may be made up out of class at
times to be arranged if the student possesses an adequate excuse (illness,
death in the family, etc. A sudden urge
to go to South Padre is NOT a valid excuse!).
Extensions may be granted to papers in extreme circumstances.
Use of ACC email – All College e-mail communication
to students will be sent solely to the student’s ACCmail
account, with the expectation that
such communications will be read in a timely fashion. ACC will send important information and will notify
you of any college related emergencies using this account. Students should only expect
to receive email communication from their instructor using this account. Likewise, students should use
their ACCmail account when communicating with instructors and staff. Instructions for
activating an ACCmail account can be found at http://www.austincc.edu/accmail/index.php.
A Note about Readings:
There
is no substitute for reading the book.
Research has shown that one of the keys to learning science is to have
"hooks," called prior knowledge, that give you someplace to
"hang" new knowledge. Your own
life experiences will provide some of these hooks, and I hope you will share
them in class discussions.
Some truths about taking this
class:
·
It
is not unreasonable for me to expect you to come to class on time every day
that you are physically able.
·
It
is not unreasonable for me to expect you to take notes in class.
·
It
is not unreasonable for me to expect you to do all the assignments.
·
It
is not unreasonable for me to expect you to read the book.
All
of the above are essential to your learning in this class, or any science
class. You are all adult learners, and I
will treat you like adults, responsible for your own learning. I provide the opportunities; you must provide
the energy. If you think that any of the
above are unreasonable, then you will have a difficult
time in this class!
And
remember, the only really stupid
question is "Who cares?"
Some Websites you may find useful:
This is the Physical Sciences Department
website: http://www.austincc.edu/physci_tf/
The ACC student handbook can be found at:
http://www.austincc.edu/handbook/.
The web address for student services is: http://www.austincc.edu/support/index.php.
The Learning Labs have free tutoring. The
website is http://www.austincc.edu/tutor/
Section
1: The Foundations of the Scientific
Method
January 17 Introduction to course Ch
1 pp 1-11
January 19 Ancient Astronomy Ch 1 pp 12-16, 25-27
January 24 Greek Astronomy Ch 2 pp 30-37
January 26 The Renaissance Ch 2 pp 37-41
January 31 Kepler’s
Laws Ch
2 pp 42-47
February 2 Isaac Newton Ch 2 pp 47-50
February 7 More on Newton Ch 2 pp 50-54
February 9 Exploring Space Ch 6 pp 141-146
Ch
8 pp 190-191
February 14 TEST #1
Section 2: The Terrestrial Planets
February 16 The
Earth's Atmosphere Ch
6 pp 134-141
Ch
7 pp 155-162
February 21 The
Earth's Interior Ch
7 pp 162-166,
174-176
February 23 The
Earth's Surface Ch
7 pp 167-174
February 28 The
Earth-Moon System Ch
1 pp 16-22
Ch
7 pp 176-179
March 1 Exploring the
Moon Ch 8 pp 183-203
March 6 The Planet
Mercury Ch
8 pp 183-203
March 8 Venus's
Atmosphere Ch
9 pp 211-215,
223-227
March 20 Venus's Surface Ch 9 pp 215-223
Mars, the Red Planet Ch 6 pp 130-131
Ch
10 pp 231-234,
250-254
March
22 More on Mars Ch
10 pp 234-249
Section 3: The Jovian Planets
March 27 Jupiter, King o'
the Planets Ch 11 pp
259-268
March 29 Jupiter's
Interior and Magnetic Field Ch 11
pp 268-273
April 3 Jupiter's
Attendants Ch
11 pp 273-281
April 5 Saturn Ch 12 pp 285-299
April 10 Saturn’s Moons Ch
12 pp 299-309
April 12 YOO-ruh-nus and Neptune Ch
13 pp 313-328
April 17 TEST #3
April 19 Poor Pluto Ch
14 pp 348-352
April 24 The Asteroids Ch 14 pp 333-340
April 26 Comets and
Meteors Ch
14 pp 340-348,
353-357
May 1 The Origin
of the Solar System Ch 6 pp 146-151
Ch
15 pp 361-378
May 3 More
origins: the Earth, Ch
8 pp 204-206
and Moon and Life
Itself Ch 28 pp 707-716
May 8 Life,
the Universe, and... Ch
28 pp 716-724
May 10 TEST #4
|
DUE DATES |
|
|
January
31 |
Website
Review |
|
February
9 |
Homework
#1 |
|
February
14 |
TEST
#1 |
|
March
1 |
Homework
#2 |
|
March
22 |
Homework
#3 |
|
March
22 |
Take-Home
Test handed out to students |
|
April
3 |
Take-Home
Test due |
|
April
12 |
Homework
#4 |
|
April
17 |
TEST
#3 |
|
April
24 |
Opinion
Paper |
|
May
8 |
All
Extra Credit |
|
May
8 |
Homework
#5 |
|
May
8 |
Research
Papers |
|
May
10 |
TEST
#4 |