Astronomy 50: The Solar System
Winter term 2007, Instructor: Francis Wilkin
tentative Syllabus | Labs |
Textbook
webpage | APOD
| Union
College Observatory
Wednesday Feb 28 Planetarium Trip (to Schenectady Museum). Counts as major part of Lab 4.
Show begins at 3:15, van at Old Chapel at 3:05.
Second exam Friday March 2 in class (optionally, Quiz 3). Covers up to Monday's class on Feb 26.
Final exam will be Tues, Mar 20 at 1pm in NWSE114 (usual classroom)
Planetarium field trip Feb 28, 2007
Old stuff:
Recommended hw for chapter 6: QR: all; TQ: All; Problems: 1, 3, 5. Number 4 is interesting; TY: All
Week of Jan 22-26:
Lab 2 is this week (Jan 23 and 25)
Observatory Open House Saturday Jan 27 from 8-9:30pm. See Saturn's rings, lunar craters, etc.
Ch5: The Earth: please read up to 5.4 for monday, the rest for wednesday.
Ch 5 recommended hw: QR: All; TQ: 3, 7; P: 1,2; TY: All
Essay 2 (Keeping time): please read "The Day" p179-182; also see the questions at the end of the essay:
QR: 1,2,3; TY 1, 2,3
Also read 6.1-6.3 for friday Jan 26
Supplementary references:
The Ozone hole
The Greenhouse effect
Earth's Interior
The Moon
Ch 4: skip
Reading: In ch3, all but 3.7
Recommended hw for ch3: QR 1-6,8,9; TQ: 1-3,6,7; Probs: 1,3-6; TY: 1-5
Recommended hw for ch2: QR: 1,2,3,7,8;
TQ: 2,3;
Problems: 1,2 or 3, 7;
TY: 2,3,4,5
Third reading assignment: Finish reading chapter 2
Second reading assignment: 1.3,1.4,2.1-2.4
First HW: Ch1 QR 1-4,7-10; TQ 3; Problems 3,4; TY 1,2,4,5
First reading assignment: Preview, Appendix, and p32-40 in Ch 1.
What's up in the sky now? Check here.
Venus is low in the southwest after sunset (On Jan 2nd, it was gone by about 5:20 pm, so look early).
It will be getting higher and easier to view as the term progresses.
Saturn is visible just about all night and well-placed near Regulus,
the brightest star of the constellation Leo.
Even a small telescope will show its rings and largest moon.
Check out the spectacular Astronomy Picture of the
Day!
Current
Moon Phase