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Syllabus - Spring 2011
- Tues 4-5, Thurs 12:30-1:30 in 503 Altschul
- T TH 2:40-3:55, 202 Altschul
- Students are strongly urged to attend class on a regular basis; if you miss a class, it is your responsibility to get the material from a classmate. Lecture note outlines will be posted on Courseworks.
Basic Structure
This introductory astronomy course focuses on the subject of Sun, the Stars, our Galaxy, other Galaxies, and the origin and fate of the Universe.
Office Hours
Lectures
Textbook
21c Astronomy: Stars, Galaxies and Cosmology, 3e, by Hester, Smith, Blumenthal, Kay, & Voss, 2010 Distribution Requirements
- ASTR BC 1754x satisfies the Barnard Quantitative Reasoning requirement and can be used towards the Columbia College science requirement.
- ASTR BC 1754x along with the lab course C1904x can be applied towards the Barnard lab science requirement.
Labs
-
Students who want laboratory credit should sign up
for the one point course ASTR C1904x.
This is an L course so enroll ASAP.
Labs meet in the evenings and will begin on Jan 24.
A separate grade is given for the lab course.
Teaching Assistants
-
TAs and
Help Room Hours
will be announced.
Homework:
-
Problem sets will be due in class approximately
every other week.
Late HW will NOT be accepted after the solutions
are handed out.
Students may work with other
students together on the homework, but the writeups submitted must be
all your own work in your own words, not duplicated/copied and pasted.
HW is required; you
cannot pass this course by exam grades alone.
The lowest HW score will be dropped;
the remaining scores will count for 20% of your final grade.
Quizzes:
-
There will be 4 short open--note quizzes.
The lowest score will be dropped; the remaining ones will count
for 15% of your final grade.
No make-up quizzes will be offered without prior approval.
Extra Credit essay:
-
Optional extra-credit essay.
Details on essay later. (EC)
Exams:
-
We'll have one midterm Mar 10,
and a final exam during the scheduled time on THURS MAY 12 from 1:10-4 PM.
(SORRY! We had the first exam day in the fall, the last in the Spring)
The exams will be closed book.
The midterm exam will count for 25%, and the final exam for 40%.
Schedule - (approximate)
| Dates | Topics | 21c Astronomy | Cosmic Perspective 6e |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 18 | Introduction and Overview |
1 | 1 |
| Jan 20 | Light and Atoms | 4 | 5 |
| Jan 25 | Telescopes | 5 | 6 |
| Jan 27, Feb 1, 3 | Taking the Measure of Stars | 13 | 15 |
| Feb 8, 10 | The Sun | 14 | 14 |
| Feb 15, 17 | Global warming and the Sun | ||
| Feb 17, 22 | Star Formation and Extrasolar Planets | 15 | 16, 13 |
| Feb 22, 24 | Stars in the Slow Lane | 16 | 17.1, 17.2, 18.1 |
| Mar 1, 3, 8 | Live Fast, Die Young | 17 | 17.3, 17.4, 18.2 |
| Mar 10 | MIDTERM | 4-5, 13-17 | 5-6, 13-18.2 |
| Mar 15, 17 | no class- Spring Break | ||
| Mar 22 | Earthquakes, Tsunamis, & Nuclear Power Accidents | the news... | |
| Mar 24, 29 | Relativity, Black Holes | 17 | S2, S3, 18.3 |
| Mar 31, Apr 5 | The Expanding Universe, Big Bang | 18 | 20.2, 20.3, 23 |
| Apr 5, 7 | Galaxies and AGN | 19 | 20.1, 21 |
| Apr 12, 14 | The Milky Way | 20 | 19 |
| Apr 19 | Dark Energy and the Fate of the Universe | 21 | 22 |
| Apr 21 | In the Beginning | 21 | 22 |
| Apr 26 | Origin of Structure | 22 | 22 |
| Apr 28 | Life in the Universe | 23 | 24 |
| May 12 | FINAL EXAM 1-4 PM |
Due dates
Homework Assignments
| Homework 1 | Feb 3 |
|---|---|
| Homework 2 | Feb 22 |
| Homework 3 | Mar 3 |
| Homework 4 | Mar 31 |
| Homework 5 | Apr 19 |
| Homework 6 | Apr 28 |
Quizzes
| Quiz 1 | Feb 15 |
|---|---|
| Quiz 2 | Mar 1 |
| Midterm | Mar 10 |
| Quiz 3 | Apr 7 |
| Quiz 4 | Apr 21 |
| Final | May 12 |
Astronomy Laboratory
Spring Semester - 2011
Labs begin Jan 24.
Teaching Assistants
Help Sessions: Pupin RM 307
Weds 6-8 PM
Astronomy Links 
