ASTRONOMY 111 Fall 2021 Line Number: 70349
INTRODUCTION TO ASTRONOMY I: Discovering the Solar System
INSTRUCTOR: Regents' Professor Sumner
Starrfield, Ph.D.
Class Times: Tu-Thu
10:30am to 11:45am in PSF 166 and by zoom
OFFICE HOURS: Tu-Thu
11:50 to - 12:30 by zoom
E-MAIL: asu.ast111@gmail.com
Teaching Assistant: Marah Brinjikji
Office Hours: TBA
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
ALERT: This course has now been changed to a 4 unit course that includes the Laboratory. You probably
signed up for a lab section when you registered for this section. If not, you
must sign up right away. The Lab section
is taught by Professor Rogier Windhorst (Rogier.Windhorst@asu.edu) All decisions with
respect to the lab are his alone – I cannot help. Please note that the firsts
labs are on August 23 NOT August 19. Here
is a copy of his email to me:
I posted a VERY preliminary schedule for the Labs on: http://windhorst111lab.asu.edu/ (Click on Schedule,
always remember you may need to refresh your browser) 1) We start first Math
Refresher Labs on Mo Aug. 23, then Intro Night Sky week of Aug. 30th. 2) Note
there are NO Labs first day of classes Th. Aug. 19. I will Email all students
to this effect a few days before. 3) On Schedule page ignore anything past
Sept. 2, it is not yet firm and depends on monsoons/weather, etc. I will fill
it in late Aug. But we will do most of the other Labs.
This course is an introductory survey of modern astronomy and our understanding
of the Sun, Planets, and astronomical tools necessary to understand the
formation and properties of the Solar System. We begin with the sky, motions of
the stars and planets, and other properties as understood by the ancient
astronomers. They knew the Earth was a sphere - how? The beginnings of science
as we know it occurred some hundreds of years ago and affects our understanding
today. What is light? What are telescopes? How can we use light and telescopes
to study the Solar System and other solar systems – don’t forget the Sun is a
star. We will learn that our solar system is not alone and there are at least
4000 known planets orbiting around other stars (don't forget that the Sun is a
star. I
will be using Zoom for the lectures, recording them, and saving both the
lectures and pdf copies of them so you can also look at them on your own. I do not take roll.
MAJOR TOPICS:
1) Motions of the Stars and Planets in the
Sky: Earth rotating on its axis
2) Ancient Astronomy: How we learned about
the Earth as a planet and the Existence of
the Solar System The motions and phases of the Moon: Lunar and Solar eclipses -
how often
3) Gravity: Galileo, Kepler, and Newton
4) Light, Telescopes, Observatories
(ground-based and space-based): How we
study objects that are not on the
Earth
5) The Solar System as we know it: Inner Rocky Planets:
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Earth's
Moon, and Mars and then the Outer Giant Gas Planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto (Emphasize-->results
of Flybys and Landings)
6) Global Warming: What it is and how
it is affecting us
7) The Remains (left-overs) of the
Formation of the Solar System: Comets,
Meteors, Meteorites, Meteoroids, and
Asteroids
8)
Intelligent Life in the Universe (is there any at all?)
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
1) Understanding the phases of the moon through the month. 2) Understanding the causes of the Seasons - and what doesn't cause the Seasons. 3) Learning how astronomers use telescopes to study the Solar System and other Solar Systems. 4) Learning how we can determine the chemical composition of the Sun, planets, comets, and planets around other stars. 5) Learning how the Sun, planets, and other material in the Solar System were formed and the observational evidence that the same processes occurred around other stars. 6) Understanding how the Earth evolved and how Global Warming is affecting our future. 7) Learning about the surfaces and evolution of all the planets, comets, minor planets, and other stuff in the Solar System.
This course is designed for both non-science and science students. The only pre-requisite is a knowledge of basic high school arithmetic and algebra. AST 111 and AST 112 are designed to be separate courses and it is possible to take one without the other. We will follow the online textbook but outside reading is encouraged. The text has many good discussion and review questions and you are encouraged to study them since I will use some of them for exam questions. In addition, articles and notes in Scientific American, Sky and Telescope, Astronomy, ... often provide interesting and fruitful supplements to our text. You will be responsible for the assigned reading in the text, even if the material is not covered in class.
TEXTBOOK:
Textbook and Connect: The textbook for this course is EXPLORATIONS: Introduction to Astronomy: 9th Edition, by Tom Arny and Stephen Schneider (McGraw-Hill). We will be using this textbook in conjunction with Connect, the publisher's learning tools. Our class will participate in the Inclusive Access Program, which ensures you pay the lowest price for Connect access ($69). Your registration into this course gives you instant access to the textbook as a "SmartBook" (essentially an interactive ebook) as well as the bulk of the assignments you need for this course. The first time you access Connect, you will be asked to set up a username and password that you will use for the entire session. After the drop/add date, the ASU Bookstore will place materials charge on your ASU account titled “Bkstr Publisher Negotiate Rate”. This $69 charge is the payment for Connect. You may “opt out” of Inclusive Access at https://includedcp.follett.com/1230 but know that Connect is required and the national cost for Connect is $89. You may also purchase a loose-leaf version of the textbook via the publisher (free shipping) or by going to the ASU Bookstore-Tempe Campus. The loose-leaf version of the textbook is totally optional.
This is a unique textbook designed to help you learn astronomical concepts and processes on your own. Nearly all the information in the book is built around illustrations and photographs, rather than being in long blocks of text. The entire book consists of a series of two-page spreads organized into chapters. Each two-page spread is a self-contained block of information about a specific topic and has a short list indicating what you should be able to do before you leave these pages. The items from these lists, for which you will be held responsible for knowing, are compiled into a What-To-Know List that is downloadable from this course's Canvas website. The What-To-Know List is your guide to what is important, and all assignments are derived from this list. If, when studying from the book, you should construct your own answer to each item on the What-To-Know List. Required reading is listed in each chapter's What-To-Know List. Each two-page spread in the book has a unique number (e.g., 12.4), and these numbers are referenced for quizzes and other course assignments. Note that once you have signed up for the class and purchased the text it will be good for one year. Therefore, if you decided to take my section of AST 112 (Stars and the Universe in Spring 2022) you will not need to buy another textbook.
HONORS CREDIT:
If you are in the Honors College, I encourage you to take this class for Honors Credit. I will expect additional work such as a term paper. You must contact me if you are interested in doing this so we can agree on what will be necessary to obtain this credit.
EXAMS: (This is under development as we adjust back from online only classes)
There will be 3 75 minute online exams in CANVAS during the semester each worth 100 points (50 questions worth two points apiece). The exam will be available over a 3 day period so there will be no make-up exam. Skipping an exam will result in a score of zero. I cover material during the class that is not in the textbook. I will, therefore, examine you on material that is not in the textbook. If this concerns you, I remind you that there is an attendance requirement for all classes at ASU. I do not take roll and satisfy the requirement by this method.
The last
exam will be the last day of class and will cover the last part of the class. All
the exams are closed book. They are available ONLY through Canvas and I will
give more details in the review sheets. I will hand out a review sheet
before each exam outlining the material that I think is particularly important.
However, you are responsible for listening to the lectures and reading the
textbook. The review sheet is not a substitute for either of these.
Homework and Reading Assignments:
I will assign online homework and readings about once a week. Each homework will review the material covered in class that week and will be worth 10 points. I will probably give you one week to do each assignment. The questions must be answered online and you will know your score once you have completed each assignment. No late sheets will be accepted. These are a required part of the course. They are not extra credit - I add in the points before making up the final grade. I will also use some of the questions on these sheets as questions on the exams.
FINAL GRADE:
I will make up the grades by totaling the number of exam plus homework points accumulated during the semester. The Lecture counts 75% of your grade and the Lab counts 25% of your grade. I will construct a curve based on the person with the highest number of points. At this time I cannot tell how many points will be necessary for a particular letter grade.
Academic Conduct and Academic Honesty:
Academic honesty is expected of all students in all examinations, papers, laboratory work, academic transactions and records. The possible sanctions include, but are not limited to, appropriate grade penalties, course failure (indicated on the transcript as a grade of E), course failure due to academic dishonesty (indicated on the transcript as a grade of XE), loss of registration privileges, disqualification and dismissal. For more information, see http://provost.asu.edu/academicintegrityLinks to an external site.. Additionally, required behavior standards are listed in the Student Code of Conduct and Student Disciplinary Procedures, Computer, Internet, and Electronic Communications policy, and outlined by the Office of Student Rights & Responsibilities. Anyone in violation of these policies is subject to sanctions.
Students are entitled to receive instruction free from interference by other members of the class. An instructor may withdraw a student from the course when the student's behavior disrupts the educational process per Instructor Withdrawal of a Student for Disruptive Classroom Behavior.
Appropriate online behavior (also known as netiquette) is defined by the instructor and includes keeping course discussion posts focused on the assigned topics. Students must maintain a cordial atmosphere and use tact in expressing differences of opinion. Inappropriate discussion board posts may be deleted by the instructor.
The Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities accepts incident reports from students, faculty, staff, or other persons who believe that a student or a student organization may have violated the Student Code of Conduct.
Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Students who feel they will need disability accommodations in this class but have not registered with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) should contact DRC immediately. The DRC Tempe office is located on the first floor of the Matthews Center Building. DRC staff can also be reached at: (480) 965-1234 (V) or (480) 965-9000 (TTY). For additional information, visit: www.asu.edu/studentaffairs/ed/drc.
Policy Against Threatening Behavior: All incidents and allegations of violent or threatening conduct by an ASU student (whether on-or off campus) must be reported to the ASU Police Department (ASU PD) and the Office of the Dean of Students. If either office determines that the behavior poses or has posed a serious threat to personal safety or to the welfare of the campus, the student will not be permitted to return to campus or reside in any ASU residence hall until an appropriate threat assessment has been completed and, if necessary, conditions for return are imposed. ASU PD, the Office of the Dean of Students, and other appropriate offices will coordinate the assessment in light of the relevant circumstances.
Copyright Information: All the content in this course, including lectures, are copyrighted materials. Students may not share outside the class, upload, sell or distribute course content or notes taken during the conduct of the course (see ACD 304-06). Students may not upload to any course shell, discussion board or website used by the course instructor or other course forum, material that is not the student's original work, unless the student first complies with all applicable copyright laws. The instructor reserves the right to delete materials on the grounds of suspected copyright infringement (see ACD 304-10).
Prohibition of Commercial Note Taking Services: In accordance with ACD 304-06 Commercial Note Taking Services, written permission must be secured from the official instructor of the class in order to sell the instructor's oral communication in the form of notes. Notes must have the notetaker's name as well as the instructor's name, the course number, and the date. As a student, you will receive a failing grade (E) for violation of this policy--no exceptions.
Title IX is a federal law that provides that no person be excluded on the basis of sex from participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity. Both Title IX and university policy make clear that sexual violence and harassment based on sex is prohibited. An individual who believes they have been subjected to sexual violence or harassed on the basis of sex can seek support, including counseling and academic support, from the university. If you or someone you know has been harassed on the basis of sex or sexually assaulted, you can find information and resources at https://sexualviolenceprevention.asu.edu/faqs.
As a mandated reporter, I am obligated to report any information I become aware of regarding alleged acts of sexual discrimination, including sexual violence and dating violence. ASU Counseling Services, https://eoss.asu.edu/counseling is available if you wish to discuss any concerns confidentially and privately. ASU online students may access 360 Life Services, https://goto.asuonline.asu.edu/success/online-resources.html.
Syllabus Disclaimer: The syllabus is a statement of intent and serves as an implicit agreement between the instructor and the student. Every effort will be made to avoid changing the course schedule, but the possibility exists that unforeseen events will make syllabus changes necessary. Please remember to check your ASU email and the course site often.
Help along the Way: Many students enter this class with a bit of anxiety. Other students may have various disabilities, including test anxiety, which may make the online course environment very difficult. Fear not, almost all students before you have passed this course - many with high grades! The success of these students, though, was in part because they actively read the textbook using the what-to-know list, and asked specific questions when clarification was needed. If you are having difficulty understanding the course work, please contact the teaching assistant or the instructor immediately. Also, if you are near the ASU campus in Tempe, ASU has learning centers, disability resource centers, and counseling centers to address the various needs of students.
The TA and I will not meet face-to-face--we opt to communicate solely via email or Zoom.
