Astro 10 MW Spring '07 Schedule

Astro 10 Mon & Wed 9:30-11am: Spring ‘07 Schedule

The reading assignments under a given class day should be read BEFORE that class day. This is because you’ll want to be up to speed as you listen to my lecture, and feel more entitled to ask questions on things that aren’t clear. It’s a mistake to tell yourself “well, I don’t get it, but I’ll figure it out later when I study for the exam”. BIG mistake - take advantage of having a real live astronomer who can clear things up for you in real time! Disclaimer: I will promise to stick to this schedule as closely as possible, and to announce ahead of time my best guess as to whether we'll be ready for a given quiz on the announced date. BUT, it's possible we might have to move a quiz or two if we get ahead/behind.

Mon Feb 5: Course overview

Chapter 0 - Science and Clear Thinking handout

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Wed Feb 7: Ch 0 - Science and Clear Thinking

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Mon Feb 12: Units 1-10: overview of our place in the cosmos

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Wed Feb 14: Units 10-12: motions of the earth, seasons, phases of the moon, eclipses

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Mon Feb 19: Washington’s Birthday - holiday

Wed Feb 21: Planetarium session (Rm 706) for another perspective on units 10-12: Earth and sky

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Mon Feb 26: Units 10-12: Early science; Aristarchus, Ptolemy, Copernicus

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Wed Feb 28: Units 11,12: Kepler's 3 laws

Units 12-19: Galileo and Newton, Newtonian gravity, relativity

Quiz #1 on units 1-12: Science, Earth motions, early astronomy

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Mon Mar 5: Units 21-25: Light and electromagnetic waves

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Wed Mar 7: Units 23,24: Spectra, emission vs. absorption, spectroscope demonstration

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Mon Mar 12: Units 32-42: Formation of solar systems, discovering solar systems around other stars

Quiz #2 on 12-25: gravity, light, spectra, relativity

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Wed Mar 14: Units 32-42: Structure of the inner planets, structure of the outer planets and moons

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Mon Mar 19: "Killer Asteroid! MegaDoom!" video + video quiz

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Wed Mar 21: Units 41,42,47,48: Comets, asteroids, mass extinctions

Units 49-51: The sun, structure

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Mon Mar 26: Units 49-51: The sun, nuclear fusion

Quiz #3 on parts of units 32-48; solar system

Last day for CR/NC option

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Wed Mar 28: Units 52, 54-58: Stars; properties, measuring methods

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Apr 1-8: Easter break – no classes

Mon Apr 9: Units 52, 54-58: Stars; properties, HR Diagram

Units 60, 69: Stellar birth

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Wed Apr 11: Units 59-64: Stars; low, medium mass star evolution

Quiz #4 on units 49-58; the sun, stellar properties

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Mon Apr 16: Units 64-68: Evolution and death of medium and high mass stars, supernovae, the stellar graveyard

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Wed Apr 18: "Death of a Star" video + video quiz

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Mon Apr 23: Units 70-73: Our galaxy - the Milky Way

Quiz #5 on units 59-69; Stellar evolution

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Wed Apr 25: Units 70-73: The Milky Way Galaxy

Units 74,75: Galaxies

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Mon Apr 30: Units 74-77: Galaxies, the distance ladder, Hubble Law and age of the universe

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Wed May 2: Galaxy collisions video clip (no video quiz)

Units 75-77: Galaxy evolution, quasars and active galaxies

Last day to withdraw from course with a "W"

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Mon May 7: Units 76,78,79: Dark matter and large scale structure

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Wed May 9: Units 79-82: Beginning of Time; evidence for the Big Bang

Quiz #6 on units 70-78: Milky Way, galaxies, active galaxies

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Mon May 14: Units 79-82: The cosmic microwave background, cosmological models

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Wed May 16: Units 79-82: Dark energy; Einstein’s cosmological constant

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Mon May 21: Units 79-82: Inflation and the origin of the universe(s)

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Wed May 23: Units 79-82: Cosmology and implications for life in the universe.

"E.T. phone home E.T. phone home E.T. phone home…"!

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Fri Jun 1: 8-10am: Quiz #7 on ch 23,24; cosmology & life in the universe, followed by

Final Exam. Note! 8am start, (not 7am)