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Go to: NASA / Ames / Space Science Division / Foothill College

Instructor: Dr. William B. Latter
Telephone: 415-604-3385
Office: N245/309 (by appointment)
E-mail: latter@dusty.arc.nasa.gov
WWW: http://www-space.arc.nasa.gov/~wlatter/
Text: Voyages Through the Universe, by Fraknoi, Morrison, and Wolff
Final Exam: 25 March 1997

Philosophy:

It is my hope that you are taking this class not just to fulfill a requirement, but mostly because on at least one occasion you looked up at the night sky in awe. In the next several months you will be exploring the cosmos and encountering all sorts of strange and wondrous objects, from minute atoms and molecules to majestic galaxies. You will learn how stars are born and how they die. You will examine the nature of forces that control the universe and the nature of light through which we perceive it. You will consider the origins of life on Earth and the possibility that it exists elsewhere. You will learn how science works; not always smoothly, but always toward understanding. Through all of this you will, I hope, attain a fresh new perception of your own place in the universe in which we live.

Office Hours:

I will make myself available at times that will be determined as the most convenient for everyone - most likely this will be for a period just before and just after class. Appointments at other times can be made in advance by telephone or in person. Don't hesitate to let me know if you are having problems.

Lectures and Reading:

The emphasis in lectures will be on understanding and applying concepts, rather than on memorizing facts and numbers. For example, it is more important that you comprehend the role of gravity in explaining the orbit of the moon, than learning the distance to the moon in miles. Some amount of mathematics is unavoidable and will be used on rare occasions, but never anything more advanced than simple arithmetic. You will not be tested directly on any math. All lectures have reading assignments; these are listed here. However, some minor changes might occur as the course progresses -- Please watch this space and pay attention in class! The reading is meant to supplement, but not replace the lectures, although there will be some overlap between the two. Be warned that if you do not keep up with the reading, you will likely become quickly lost in class.


The reading assignments are here.

Examinations:

When exam time comes, you will be responsible for all material covered in class. There will invariably be some amount of assigned reading which time will not permit to be discussed; however, you will be responsible at exam time for all assigned reading as well, unless specifically stated otherwise in class. The tests will tend to emphasize material covered in class, though. The moral is -- do not miss class! I have one very strong piece of advice -- do not be afraid to ask questions if you do not understand something. In my experience, a considerable amount of learning takes place when questions are asked.

There will be two midterm exams and a comprehensive final exam. Your grade for the lecture section will be determined mostly from these exams. What will be covered by each of the midterms will be announced in class. The final exam (25 March 1997) will test you on all the material covered during the lectures and in the assigned reading. The three exams will count equally toward your grade. The two midterms will be 60 minutes in length and will have a total of 100 points. The final will be 2 hours and will have a total of 200 points. There will be occasional unannounced quizzes. These will count toward your grade, but their primary purpose is to help me and you know how you are doing in the class.

Make-up exams and quizzes will only be given for good, verifiable reasons. To avoid any misunderstandings, if you know you cannot be present for an exam, please see me as soon as possible. Tentative midterm exam dates are listed by course week in the Reading List. The exams will take place during the first hour of class on Tuesday evening of the week listed. You will be informed of any changes in plenty of time.

Laboratory Section:

The laboratory section is treated as a separate class (Astro 10L). Those taking Astronomy 10B are not required to take the lab class, but it is encouraged. You will be asked to do several laboratory exercises during the course of the quarter. These will be handed out and discussed in class. You will learn about the lunar phases and the moon's orbit, stellar evolution, and the expansion of the Universe. No telescope or other observing tools will be required. Weather permitting, you will be asked to look at the sky from time to time - even during the day. We will spend some time outside during lab class, so be sure to dress warmly. Your grade for the laboratory section will be based on work turned in for your lab exercises. Each exercise will count equally, and your final grade will be determined from your total points using the same curve as the lecture section.

Field Trips (optional):

I am currently looking into one or two organized field trips. Any field trips will be entirely optional, but could be informative and a great deal of fun. Aside from any trips we might take as a class, I encourage you to visit the many astronomy related locations in, and near the Bay Area, such as Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton, and the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park. If you see, or learn something particularly interesting, please share it with the class. Do not be afraid. We all would like to learn from your experiences.

Foothill College Observatory: Our observatory is operated by the Peninsula Astronomical Society and is a great resource. It is open to the public every clear Friday starting about 8:30 pm.

Final Grade:

Your final grade will be determined from the following curve: 20% = A
30% = B
30% = C
15% = D
5% = F
This is close to the historical curve for astronomy and all liberal arts courses for all colleges and universities. If this class differs strongly from the average, an adjustment will be made to the curve. You will be informed if this change occurs.


Individual components will be weighted as follows, Exams: 25% each, Attendance: 5%, Other assignments and quizzes: 20%. Note that attendance counts! I will take role at the start of each class period. If you are late, you might not get credited for attendance that evening.

One last thing:

You cannot learn through cheating to get higher grades. My policy is simple: anyone found to be cheating during an exam will be dismissed from the class with a failing grade. Cheating is considered to be using anyone's answers other than your own, such as copying from other student's answer sheets or speaking with others during an exam. Looking at notes, books, or any other reference material during an exam is also not allowed, unless I specifically stated so beforehand. I encourage you to work and study together outside of class, as this can be a very effective way to learn. However, any assignments to be turned in must be your own work -- do not simply copy someone else's assignment! This will result in a failing grade on the assignment for all found to be involved.

The reading assignments can be found here.

Approximate Lecture Sequence (some changes are likely):

Part 1: Historical Beginnings; Light and Spectra

Topic:
Introduction; Size, Scale and Contents of the Universe
The Scientific Method; Visual Eye Observations
Ancient and Medieval Astronomy
The Copernican Revolution
Galileo, Newton and Gravity
Light and the Forces of Nature
Telescopes and Optics; Astronomical Instrumentation
Spectra; the Fingerprints of the Stars
FIRST EXAM

Topic:
Classification of Stars; The H-R Diagram
The Sun as a Star
Stellar Evolution and the HR Diagram; Origin of the Elements
Star Death - Black Holes, White Dwarfs, and All that Jazz
Discovery of the Milky Way
The Milky Way: Contents and Structure
SECOND EXAM

Topic:
External Galaxies
The Distance Scale and Expansion Rate
Active Galaxies and QSO's
The Evolution and Fate of the Universe
Origin of Galaxies and the Universe: the First Three Minutes
Origin of planetary systems
Evolution of Life on Earth and Elsewhere; Extraterrestrial Intelligence
"Hot Topics:" Extrasolar Planets, Mars Life, Comet Hale-Bopp
REVIEW and FINAL EXAM

Last updated: Mon Jan 6 11:13:19 PST 1997 by William B. Latter

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