Contact Information
- Instructor: William Hirt
- Office: LS-15
- Office hours: MWF 10:00-10:50 AM, TTh 12:30-1:20 PM, and by appointment
- E-mail: hirt@siskiyous.edu
- Phone: 530·938·5255
- Fax: 530·938·5506
Course Logistics
- Meeting times: MWF 11:00-11:50 AM
- Meeting place: LS-16
- Units: 3.0
- Degree applicability: UC, CSU and COS
Student Success
Success in Earth and Space Sciences (ESS) courses like Astronomy (ASTR 1) depends on a student's preparation and participation as well as on the format of the course.
- Preparation: ENGL 1001 (College Composition) and MATH 0850 or 0851 (Elementary Algebra or Beginning Algebra I) are advisories for this course. Students who have successfully completed these advisories succeed in ESS courses like ASTR 1110 at a rate (68%) more than twice that of students who have not (32%). If you have not successfully completed ENGL 1001 and MATH 0850 or 0851you are strongly encouraged to do so before you enroll in ASTR 1110.
- Participation: Students who submit at least 95% of their assignments succeed in ESS courses at a much higher rate (72%) than do students who submit fewer assignments (0%).
- Format: Students who complete ESS courses that include a lab succeed at a higher rate (100%) than those who take either non-lab face-to-face (83%) or online (72%) courses. If you are a student who learns best by hands-on experience or in a group setting you are encouraged to consider taking a lab or face-to-face class.
Course Materials
- Textbook (required): Discovering the Universe, 8th ed. by Comins and Kauffman (ISBN 01-4292-0519-9)
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course a student is expected to be able to:
- Use physical models of gravity and light to explain common astronomical phenomena such as orbital motion and the Doppler shifts of spectral lines;
- Predict common celestial motions, seasons, phases of the Moon, and the timings of eclipses and tides from appropriate observational data;
- Relate systematic differences in the motions and compositions of bodies in the solar system to their distances from the Sun according to the nebular hypothesis;
- Estimate a star’s distance, temperature, and mass from measurements of its color and brightness, and indicate which type of stellar remnant this star is likely to become at the end of its life;
- Infer the likely content of and processes going on within a galaxy from knowledge of its morphology, and relate the large-scale motions of galaxies to models for the origin and history of the Universe ;
- Formulate, solve, and interpret the results of a variety of problems relevant to introductory astronomy;
- Determine whether or not a proposed explanation, experimental result, or observation is consistent with a scientific hypothesis for a natural phenomenon and effectively communicate that analysis to others.
Fall 2012 Course Schedule
Dates |
Lesson Topic(s) |
Reading |
| 20-Aug : 24-Aug | Fundamental concepts; Earth-Sun-Moon relationships | 1 |
| 27-Aug : 31-Aug | Gravitation and dynamics of the Solar System | 2 |
| 5-Sep : 7-Sep | Nature of light and telescopes | 3 |
| 10-Sep : 14-Sep | Blackbodies, spectra and the Doppler effect | 4 |
| 17-Sep : 21-Sep | Origin of the Solar System | 5 |
| 24-Sep : 28-Sep | Earth and its Moon | 6 |
| 1-Oct : 5-Oct | Inner planets: Mercury, Venus and Mars | 7 |
| 8-Oct : 12-Oct | Outer planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune | 8 |
| 15-Oct : 19-Oct | Dwarf planets, asteroids and comets | 9 |
| 22-Oct : 26-Oct | Structure and activity of the Sun | 10 |
| 29-Oct : 2-Nov | Stars: distances, brightnesses and spectra | 11 |
| 5-Nov : 9-Nov | Lives of stars: nebulae, clusters and variable stars | 12 |
| 14-Nov : 16-Nov | Deaths of stars: planetary nebulae, neutron stars and black holes | 13 and 14 |
| 19-Nov : 21-Nov | Milky Way | 15 |
| 26-Nov : 30-Nov | Galaxies and galactic clusters | 16 |
| 3-Dec : 7-Dec | Quasars and active galaxies | 17 |
| 10-Dec : 14-Dec | Cosmology and the history of the Universe | 18 |
| xx-Dec | final exam, tba | all |
Evaluation
Grades will be based on total scores for:
- daily clicker questions (90 points);
- three "midterm" exams (60 points);
- three writing assignments (50 points);
- a comprehensive final exam (50 points).
There will be no alternate or "extra credit" assignments. For each writing assignment a student will read an article of their choice from a set of two selected for the class and write an outline and an abstract of that article. The final grade will be computed from the total of 250 points and scored as follows: > 90% = A; 80-89+% = B; 70-79+% = C; 60-69+% = D; and <60% = F. The instructor reserves the right to adjust these percentages if such an adjustment is warranted by the class score distribution, but under no circumstances will a student who earns a score of <60% or fails to turn in any element of the writing assignments receive a satisfactory (A, B, or C) grade.
A student should expect to spend about 6 hours per week reading, taking notes on the text, and studying for exams. Completion of the homework and writing assignments will also require about 12 hours over the course of the semester.
Attendance, Withdrawal, and Incomplete Policies
Regular participation and punctual submission of assignments are required for satisfactory completion of this course. Up to three absences will be excused if the student: (1) notifies the instructor by e-mail or phone, (2) schedules a time to make up the missed work before the next class session he or she attends, and (3) makes up the work as scheduled. If a student incurs six unexcused absences he or she will be dropped from the class. A student may withdraw before 20-Nov-2012 without receiving a grade, and is responsible for notifying the admissions and records office and completing all necessary forms. Arrangements for an incomplete must be made with the instructor, and an "I" will be granted only in the case of an unforeseen personal or family emergency.
Learning Disabilities
If you have a disability (learning, physical, psychological etc.) that may require classroom or testing accommodations please let me know as soon as possible to ensure these accommodations are implemented in a timely manner. If you have not already done so, please contact Disabled Students Program and Services (DSPS) in Eddy Hall, or call 938-5297, for authorization and coordination of disability verification and accommodation assistance.
Make-up Policy for Missed Work
Writing assignments, midterm exams, and daily clicker questions may be made-up if: (1) prior arrangements have been made with the instructor; and (2) they are completed before the next class period or before graded exercises are returned to the class (as appropriate). The final exam cannot be made up.
Late Assignment Policy
Writing assignments will be penalized 1 point for each class period they are late and will not be accepted after the graded assignments have been returned to the class.
Academic Integrity
Students are encouraged to collaborate with one another as they discuss assignments and prepare for exams. I expect that a student will work independently, however, when he or she takes exams, and writes his or her outlines and abstracts. If I find evidence that any students are not living up to this code of academic integrity (for example, because they submit identical or nearly identical writing assignments) I reserve the right to drop them from the class unless it is after the fourteenth week, in which case the students will receive F grades regardless of accumulated points.
