Astronomy131Fall2016

PlanetaryAstronomyObservational,Historical,andPlanetaryAstronomy

Instructor: DianeFriendOffice: CHCB129,243-4299e-mail: Diane.Friend@umontana.eduOfficeHours:T11-noon&1-2,W12:30-1:30,Th2-3inCHCB129

Welcome!Thisisaremarkabletimeinthefieldofastronomy!Fundamentaldiscoveriesarebeingmadealmostdailyandnewinsightsarepoppinguplikestarscomingoutinadarknightsky.Wewillexploresomeofthesenewideasasweexaminehumanity’squesttounderstandourplaceintheuniverse…

Coursemeets: Tues.andThurs.from9:30-10:50a.m.inULH101Coursesite: Allcourseannouncements,materials,homework,links,andgradeswillbeavailable

throughthecourseMoodlesite.Checkthissitefrequentlyfornewannouncementsconcerningduedates,newsitems,andupcomingevents.Itisyourresponsibilitytokeepuptodatewiththeseannouncements.

Requiredtext: 21stCenturyAstronomy:TheSolarSystem,Kay,Palen,andBlumenthal,5theditionYoucanpurchasethisaseitherapaperbook(looseleafisreasonablypriced)ore-book(cheapestalternative).Thepapertextalsocomeswithe-bookaccess.Onlinehomeworkhasmanylinkstothee-book.YoucanmakeyourpurchasethroughtheUCBookstore,oronlineathttps://digital.wwnorton.com/astro5sw5fortheebook,orhttp://books.wwnorton.com/books/webad-detail-editions.aspx?id=4294991939forthepaperbook.MakesurethatyougettheSolarSystemtextratherthanthemoreexpensive,fulledition.

Homework: Smartwork5access

ThisisFREEwiththeaccesscodethatcomeswithyourtextbook.(Ifyoualreadyhaveausedtextbook,youcanstillgetSmartwork5forfreethissemester,butitwillnothavethelink-to-textfunctionality.

Othermaterials: Calculator

Youwillneedacalculatorthatiscapableofdoingscientificnotation.Pleasebringittoclasswithyoueveryday.Web-enableddeviceOnmostdays(especiallyduringthefirsthalfofthesemester),wewillbedoinginteractiveactivitiesinclassthatwillrequirewebaccessand/ortheuseofsomefreelyavailableastronomyapps.Itwillbeextremelyhelpful(nottomentionmorefun)ifyoucanbringalaptoporpadtoclasswithyou.

Stellarium

Forthefirstcoupleweeksofclass,Iwouldlikeyoutohaveaccesstoasky

simulationprogram.Stellariumisagreatprogramthatisfreeandrunsonmostoperatingsystems.Forpadsandlaptops,therearemanygreatstarappsandwebprogramsthatcandoavarietyofthings.LinkstoStellariumandmanyotherprogramscanbefoundonMoodleunderWeek1.

Thiscoursereliesheavilyontechnology.YouwillneedtosignintoSmartwork5,acquirethetext,andgetsetupwithStellarium(oranotherskysimulationprogram)assoonaspossible.

CourseDescriptionNewtechnologiesandspace-basedobservationshavefueledarenaissanceinourunderstandingofthesolarsystem.Meanwhile,thediscoveryofthousandsofplanetsbeyondoursolarsystemhasshownustheincrediblerichnessanddiversityofplanetarysystemsandisgivingbirthtomanynewideasconcerningtheevolutionofplanetarysystemsingeneral,andourownsolarsysteminparticular.BesidessurveyingWHATweknow,thiscoursewillemphasizeHOWwehavebeenabletolearnsomuchaboutthesedistantworlds-bothinourownsystem,andbeyond.Bythetimeyoufinishthiscourse,youwillhavehadachancetothinkaboutthemanyapplicationsofastronomy-bothhistoricallyandcurrently,seeplanets,stars,andnebulasthroughatelescope,useastronomicalsoftwaretomodelcelestialevents,andponderthepossibilitiesoflifeelsewhereintheuniverse.Youwillhavehadachancetothinkaboutyoursenseofplaceandscaleinbothdistanceandtime.Aftertakingthiscourse,Ihopethateverytimeyouviewadarknightsky,youwillbeinspiredtothinkabouttherichnessanddiversityofworldsthatareoutthere,howmuchhumankindhasbeenabletolearnaboutouruniverse,andhowverymuchisstillwaitingtobediscovered!CourseLearningObjectivesAftertakingthiscourseyouwill:

• havebecomefamiliarwiththecommoncelestialobjectsvisibletothenakedeye-theconstellations,Sun,Moon,andplanets,understandhowandwhytheseobjectsmoveand/orchangetheirappearanceintheskyovertime,andbeabletousethisknowledgetoexplainandpredicttheappearanceandmovementoftheseobjectsatanypointintime.

• beproficientintheuseofresourcesthatallowyoutolocate,identify,andmodelthemotionsofcelestialobjects.• haveusedphysicalandcomputermodelstounderstandandexplainpersonalobservations.• havesomefamiliaritywithhowastronomicalideashaveevolvedovertimeandwhyastronomyhasbeen

importantinthelivesofpeoplethroughouthistoryandacrosscultures.• haveaworkingknowledgeofbasicphysicallawsoflight,motion,andforceandhavebothconceptualand

quantitativeexperiencewithhowthisknowledgecanbeusedtohelpusdiscovermoreabouttheuniverse.• haveabasicunderstandingofmanyofthemethodsastronomersusetostudythesolarsystem.• haveanunderstandingoftheoriginandevolutionofoursolarsystemandthefactorsthatcontrolthepropertiesof

theobjectsinit.Youwillbeabletoapplythisknowledgetoexplainhowplanetsinoursolarsystemhaveevolvedovertimeandtopredictthepropertiesofplanetsbeingdiscoveredbeyondoursolarsystem.

• haveaworkingknowledgeofthetechniquesusedtodiscoverplanetsbeyondthesolarsystem,ageneralknowledgeofwhathasbeendiscovered,andanunderstandingofhowthesediscoverieshavespurredtheoriesconcerningtheevolutionandmake-upofourownplanetarysystem.

• havebecomefamiliarwithsomeoftheimportantresearchtopicsinplanetarysciencetoday.• havethoughtcriticallyaboutthefutureofplanetaryexploration-whatfundamentalquestionsremain,what

resourceswewillneedtoanswerthem,andwhatwemightbewillingand/orabletoinvest.

CoursePhilosophyScientistslearnbyDOING-makingobservations,takingmeasurements,makingandtestingmodels.Thiscourseisdesignedtoencourageactivelearning.Beadvised!Thiscoursewillrequireyoutothinkcritically,conceptually,andquantitatively.Itismyintentiontobringasmuchobservation,measurement,andmodelingintothiscourseasispractical.Ifyouarelookingforacoursewhereyoucanjustcopydownlecturesandspitthembackverbatimontests,thiswillnotbethebestcourseforyou!Agoodgradeinthiscoursewillrequireasenseofcuriosity,criticalthinkingskills,andactiveparticipation.Pleasecomepreparedtobeinvolved!Youwillbeaskedtoperformobservationsandsimpleexperimentsaswellasdiscussconceptsandproblemsin

groupsettingsduringlecture.Classresponse,homeworkandexamquestionswilldrawfromtheseexperiencesandhaveasignificanteffectonyourgrade.

CourseRequirementsReadings:IntheCourseScheduleyouwillfinda“Readings”columnthatliststherelevantmaterialfromthetextbookthatyoushouldreadBEFOREcomingtoclassthatday.Keepingupwiththereadingwillimproveyourcomprehensionandenjoymentofthelectures,giveyouabetteropportunitytoaskinformedquestionsaboutthematerial,andimproveyourperformanceonhomeworkandexamquestions.Additionally,lookundereachweek’stabinMoodleforinterestingandveryhelpfularticlesandinteractives.Theinteractivesarefun,andspendingalittletimewiththemwillgiveyouamuchdeeperunderstandingofcoursematerialandmaypaybigdividendsonhomeworkandexamscores!ClassResponseQuestions:Iwillusepersonalresponsequestionsinclasstoinitiatediscussionandprobemisconceptions.Thesequestionshelpyouthinkmorecriticallyaboutcoursetopics,staycurrentwiththecoursematerial,andgivebothyouandIgoodfeedbackonyourcurrentunderstanding.Thefree,low-techcoloranswersheetscanbefoundundertheCourseInformationtabonMoodle.Pleasemakesurethatyouhavethesewithyoueveryclassmeeting.YouhavenothingtoloseandeverythingtogainbyACTIVELYparticipatinginthesediscussionquestions!Homework(40%):Scienceisaproblemsolvingdiscipline.Thinkingthroughhomeworkproblemswilldeepenyourknowledgeandappreciationoftopicscoveredinthecourseandexerciseyourcriticalthinkingskills.TherewillbefrequentSmartwork5homeworkassignments.Todowellinthiscourse,youwillneedtospendsomequalitytimeontheseassignments.Donotputtheseoffuntilthelastminute!Theseassignmentscanonlybeaccessedthroughyourown,individualSmartwork5account.DuedatesforthesewillbelistedinSmartwork5andonMoodleandareabsolute.Noexceptionsunlessyouhaveofficialwrittendocumentationofabonafideemergency!Exams(60%):Therewillbetwomidtermsandonefinal.Allexamshaveequalweight.Eachexamiscomprehensivesincemanytopicswillbuildoneachotherthroughoutthesemester,buteachexamwillconcentrateonmaterialnotpreviouslytested.Examquestionswillbemultiplechoice,butlargelybasedonconceptualandquantitativeunderstanding,NOTmemorization!Iwillholdanoptionalreviewsessionbeforeeachexam(timetobedetermined).NOTE:AbsolutelyNOmake-upswillbegivenformidtermsorthefinal.Ifyouexperienceanunexpectedemergencyforwhichyouhaveofficialdocumentation,comeseemeandwecantalk.Notethat“emergency”impliesthethreatofsignificantperil,notjustan“unexpected”occurrence.NOexamscoreswillbedropped.

Grading Homework 40% Midterm1 20% Midterm2 20% Final(comprehensive) 20%Iwillcurvecoursegradesattheendofthesemester.Ifyouwanttotrackyourprocessthroughthesemester,youcangobythetraditionalgradingscale(Afor90%andup,Bfor80-89%,Cfor70-79%,etc.).Finalgradeboundarieswillnotbehigherthanthis,butmaybelower.

BlueMountainObservatoryAstronomicalObservingattheBlueMountainObservatoryPhotobyDavidPodrasky

Ifweatherpermits,IwilltrytohostaspecialobservingnightforAstronomy131/134studentsattheBlueMountainObservatory.YoucanfinddetaileddirectionsandgeneralinformationabouttheobservatoryontheBlueMountainObservatorywebsite:

http://cas.umt.edu/physics/Blue_Mountain_Observatory.

BlueMountainisabeautifulplacetospendaclear,latesummerevening!We’llpointoutconstellations,tellstarstories,andtourasmuchaswecanofwhat’supinthesky-planets,starclusters,nebula,anddistantgalaxies.Thisisagreatopportunityforyoutouseatelescopeatadarkskysiteandseefirsthandmanyofthethingsthatwewilltalkaboutduringthecourse.Moreinformationonpossibledateswillbediscussedinclass.

VisitUM’sStarGazingRoomIwillhosttwoearlyeveningstartalksinUM’sbeautifulDigistarplanetarium(room13inthebasementofPFNAC).DatesareWednesday,Sept.7from4-5pmandFriday,Sept.9,from6-7pm.Sign-uponMoodleisrequiredasspaceislimited.

PersonalObligationsStudentcourtesy:Texting,talking,gameplaying,andinternetbrowsingunrelatedtothecourseareactivitiesthatDONOTbelonginthisclass.Allstudentsareexpectedtocontributetoapositivelearningenvironment.PLEASEBECOURTEOUS.Academicintegrity:AllstudentstakingthiscoursemustadheretotheUniversityofMontana’sacademicdishonestypolicyaspresentedintheStudentConductCode(http://www.umt.edu/vpsa/policies/student_conduct.php).Anyactionsthatinclude,butarenotlimitedto,copyinganotherstudent’sexam,allowinganotherstudenttocopyfromyourexam,sharinginformationwithanotherstudentduringexams,cheatingonhomework-allarereasonsforpursuingacademicanduniversitysanctions.Studentswillbesubjecttoachargeofacademicdishonestyforanybreachofthesestandards.Thiswillresultinagradeofzeroontheparticularassignmentandadistinctpossibilityofafailinggradeinthecourseaswellasthepossibilityofexpulsionfromtheuniversity.Courseaccessibility:Ifyouareastudentwithadisabilitywhowillrequirereasonableprogrammodificationsinthiscourse,pleasemeetwithyourinstructorandDisabilityServicesforStudentsinLommasson154forassistanceindevelopingaplantoaddressanyreasonableprogrammodifications.IfyouarealreadyworkingwithDisabilityServices,pleasemakeanappointmenttomeetwithmetodiscusshowwecanmaximizeyourenjoymentofthiscourseaswellasyoursuccessinit.Formoreinformation,visittheDisabilityServiceswebsiteathttp://www.umt.edu/dss/.ADD/DROPS:Thelastdaytoadd/droponCyberBearisMonday,Sept.19.Thelastdaytodropwithyourinstructor'sandadvisor'ssignature,isMonday,Oct.31.Adrop,orchangeofgradingoptionafterMonday,Oct.31requiresthesignatureoftheDeanandwrittendocumentationofexceptionalcircumstances.Doingpoorlyintheclassdoesnotconstituteadequatereasontodroptheclassattheendofthesemester!

Astr. 131: Course Schedule Outline- Fall 2016

Week Dates Topic Readings in Text

1 Aug. 30 Introduction to the course A sense of scale and place

Ch. 1: Section 1.1

Sep. 1 Observing, modeling, and predicting the motions of the Sun, planets, and stars

Ch. 1: Section 1.2-1.3

2 6 The Sun, Earth, Moon system- Seasons Ch. 2: Section 2.1-2.2 8 The Sun, Earth, Moon system- Phases of the Moon; Eclipses Ch. 2: Section 2.3-2.5

3 13 Astronomy through the ages Ch. 3: Section 3.1-3.3 15 Explaining motion Ch. 3: Section 3.4-end of ch.

4 20 Gravity Ch. 4 22 Some cool applications Supplemental readings and

interactives on Moodle 5

27 EXAM 1

29 Light and matter- the universe we know Interaction of matter and radiation- reading the stories told by light

Ch. 5: Section 5.1-5.2

6 Oct. 4 Doppler shift Thermal radiation laws

Ch. 5: Section 5.3-end of ch.

6 Ways of seeing: Simple Optics … to Next Gen Telescopes Ch. 6 7 11 Physical Characteristics of Planets

13 Order from chaos: Looking for basic patterns and trends in our own solar system

8 18 Solar nebular theory: How do planetary systems form? Ch. 7 20 Insights from exoplanet discoveries Supplemental readings on

Moodle 9 25 Determining Age: Sorting out evolutionary timelines Ch. 8: 8.1-8.2

27 Geology of Terrestrial Planets Ch. 8: 8.3- end of ch. 10 Nov. 1 EXAM 2

3 Putting it all together- predicting basic properties of planets 11 8 Election Day – go vote!!

10 Terrestrial Planet Atmospheres Ch. 9 12 15 The terrestrial planets: Observations and discoveries: Part I Supplemental readings on

Moodle 17 The terrestrial planets: Observations and discoveries: Part II

13 22 Giant Planets Ch. 10 24 Thanksgiving Holiday

14 29 Giant Planet Moons Ch. 11: Section 11.1-11.2 Dec. 1 Planetary Rings Ch. 11: Section 11.3- end of ch.

15 6 Dwarf planets, comets, asteroids, and meteorites Ch. 12 8 The search for habitable planets- discoveries and questions

Are we alone? Supplemental readings on Moodle

16 Dec. 19 FINAL EXAM Monday, Dec. 19 from 10:10 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. in ULH 101