Astronomy __PHS 156 ___ Semester__Spring___, 2006

Instructor__D’Arruda__ Office__S-3225__Email_jose@uncp.edu Phone 910 521 6423

Text: Explorations: Stars, Galaxies and Planets: Thomas Arny, U of Massachusetts:

Book ISBN -0072996994

Office Hours: M, F by appointment T, TH 1pm and by appointment.

Topics Readings

Week 1 Overview, The Night Sky Introduction and Chapter 1

Week 2 Naked Eye Astronomical Phenomena,

Historical Development, Gravity and Motion Chapters 1 and 2

Week 3 Light and Atoms Chapter 3

Exam I, February 2, 2006

Week 4 Telescopes Chapter 4

Week 5 The Sun, our Star Chapter 5

Week 6 Measuring the Properties of Stars Chapter 6

Exam II, February 23, 2006

Week 7 Stellar Evolution Chapter 7

Week 8 Stellar Remnants: White Dwarfs, Neutron Stars

Black Holes Chapter 8

Week 9 The Milky Way Galaxy and other Galaxies Chapters 9 and 10

Week 10 Cosmology Chapter 11

Exam III, March 23, 2006

Week 11 The Earth and the Moon, Tides and Eclipses Chapter 12 and 13

Week 12 Basic Features and Origin of the Solar System Chapter 14

Week 13 The Terrestrial and Jovian Planets Chapters 15 and 16

Week 14 Asteroids, Comets and Meteors Chapter 17

Exam IV, April 27, 2006

Final Exam May 4, 2006

Hourlies are 35-50 multiple-choice questions.

Each exam will include some numerical problems.

Exam Dates Exam I = Feb 2

Exam II = Feb 23

Exam III =March 23

Exam IV=April 27

Final----May 4

You must attend at least one night observation, on campus, in order to pass this class.!!! The date will be announced later.

Welcome to Astronomy (note DO NOT CALL THIS CLASS ASTROLOGY -THERE IS A HUGH DIFFERENCE)

This course is designed to give non-science students an overview of the astronomical universe. In the course we will discuss not only what astronomers have learned about planets, stars, and galaxies, but also how they have learned what they know.

Problems will be assigned weekly. Similar problems will occur on the exams.

Exams: Your grade is calculated by taking the best three of the four hourly exam scores and then adding the final exam, which counts the same as an hourly. You must take the final. If you miss an hourly, that counts as the one hourly you may drop.

Quizzes: I will occasionally post an on-line quiz . These quizzes will only help your grade, and not hurt your grade. Each quiz will be worth 10 points, to be added onto your final grade calculation.

Exams missed for valid reasons may be made up with an essay question exam. Please let me know in writing at the time of the missed exam if you will be taking a make-up. One final point: do not make inflexible plans on leaving before the final exam period is over. I don't normally get it ready before the scheduled time.

P.S. If you find that you're having trouble in the course, please, please come to see me. Usually an hour or so of going over material can help you understand what you need to do to learn the material and do much better. It really works. Email me for help or come see me during office hours, but I'm also happy to see you at other times at your convenience.

Grading:

There will be four tests given during the semester. The lowest of these four test grades will be dropped. The highest three test will account for 75% of your total grade. A final exam will be given on exam day. It will account for 25% of your grade.

Extra credit will be given to those students who are actively participating in this class. That is, those who post info on the web site, those who present questions to the entire class and follow threads that either I post or other students post. To do this you are going to have to learn how to use blackboard-YOU MUST SPEND SOME TIME ASAP LEARNING BLACKBOARD NOW.

Also, you must create a web page, you must put your picture on that page, and your email account must be active. If it is not, your mail will bounce back to me, so I will know those who have not done this. I will give everyone 10 points for doing the above by October 2.

For your information, blackboard keeps track of you when you use this course site, so I will also know which students are spending time on this class. So if you are on the border with your grade, I will check on how much time you use this site. I will be sending a lot of reading assignments during the semester, I expect you to read them and comment on them. This will count as extra credit for you at the end of the semester. Don’t wait until end of the course to email me and ask me how you can get a better grade; the answer is to be active in the class and reading assignments.

Also, your book has a card, which will give you the right to register on the author’s web site and get more help. I expect all students to also be able to access that site. You will need to purchase a book!

I reserve the right to make changes in the testing schedule and number of exams.

You will get a final letter grade at the end of the semester based on your percentage grade for the semester.

Exams will consist of problems and questions related to the assigned syllabus topics, and in general at a level comparable to the homework. You will get a final letter grade at the end of the semester based on your percentage grade for the semester.

A+( 97+), A ( 93-97), A-( 90-92), B+( 87-89), B( 83-86), B-( 80-82), C+( 77-79), C( 73-76)  C-( 70-72), D+( 67-69), D( 63-66), D-( 60-62), F( <60)

Honor Code: You must strictly adhere to the UNCP honor code. Violation of the honor code will result in complete failure of the course!

Your Standing Assignment is to do all the odd questions and problems at the end of the each chapter.

P.P.S. Cheating on exams is not only against student regulations, but is sleazy. It also will get you an F in the course. Spare us both an unpleasant experience by maintaining your personal honor. Speaking of an unpleasant experience-PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CELL PHONE BEFORE CLASS.

Study Hint: Read the chapter summary first to get some sense of what you ought to be absorbing. At the end of each paragraph, put into your own words what that paragraph said. Answer review questions at chapter ends. Write out answers. It will help fix the material in your mind.

NOTE: There are relatively few things to memorize, but you should learn size of Earth relative to Sun (1/100); average distance between stars (a few light years = 1 pc) and galaxies (few million light years = 1 Mpc); size of Milky Way (100,000 ly); size of Solar System (40 AU); age of Earth (4.5 billion years) and Universe (about 15 billion years).

I have posted a lot of questions and problems with answers on this web site use it!

Any student with a documented disability needing academic adjustments is requested to speak directly to Disability Support Services and the instructor, as early in the semester (preferably within the first week) as possible. All discussions will remain confidential. Please contact Mary Helen Walker, Disability Support Services, DF Lowry Building, 910-521-6695.

This publication is available in alternative formats upon request. Please contact Mary Helen Walker, Disability Support Services, DF Lowry Building, 521-6695.