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AST1002 Horizons in Astronomy

Spring 2018, Session 3 (Jan 22 - Apr 22)

Midterm exam scheduled for March 13 (Ch 1 - 5, 8, & part of 9)

Final exam scheculed for April 19 (Ch 10, 12 - 15)

Midterm Review Questions

Midterm Review Questions (Answers)

Course Slides (Ch1, Ch2, & Ch3)

Course Slides (Ch4, & Ch5)

Course Slides (Ch 8)

Course Slides (Ch 9)

Project 1

Course Slides (Ch 12), First Half

Project 2, Due April 22

Final Exam Review Questions

Final Exam Review Questions (Answers)

Video Review for Final Exam: Video 1/3 Video 2/3 Video 3/3

Section #: 595654
Class Time: TR 5:00PM - 6:40PM
Room: 7/272

(Official) Office Hours:

M : 11A - 12P
T : 1130A - 1230P and 330P - 430P
W : 11A - 12P and 4P - 5P
R : 1130A - 1230P and 2P - 4P

If I'm in my office, feel free to ask me questions, whether or not it's during the "official" office hours.



Course Materials:

Textbook: "Astronomy: The Universe at a Glance," by Chaisson and McMillian. ISBN: 9780321799760


Course Content:

This course will cover the contents in the following chapters of the textbook:

We will have a short quiz (2 problems) at the start of all Tuesday lectures, reviewing the material covered in the previous week. These quizzes won't involve any calculations and will be on broad topics within the chapter. These quizzes will be handed out an collected within the first 10 minutes of class. If you are running late, but still attend the majority of lecture, the professor maintains the ability to allow you to take the quiz immediately following class, but this allowance is not guaranteed; if you don't show up until the very end of class and ask to be allowed to take the quiz without an excused absence as defined in the Student Handbook, the professor reserves the right to refuse.

In addition to the weekly quizzes, there will be two projects assigned during the semester. The topics of these projects will be discussed when they are assigned, the first to be assigned (roughly) one-quarter of the way through the semester, and the second to be assigned (roughly) three-quarters of the way through the semester. These projects are to be completed individually; any copying/plagarizing/etc. will be an instance of Academic Misconduct as outlined in the Student Handbook and will not be tolerated.

Finally, there will be two exams administered during the class: a mid-term and a non-cumulative final exam (dates TBA). Each exam will be multiple choice, focusing mainly on conceptual and historical questions, but may have a few computational questions, so make sure to bring a scientific calculator to each exam. Do not bring a graphing or programmable calculator. The professor will not have extra calculators on exam day, so please make sure to bring one with you.


Grading Scheme:

Everything in the class is worth the same amount: a midterm, a final, two projects, and quiz grades (lowest quiz is dropped).


Quizzes (lowest is dropped) 20 points
2 Projects 20 points (x2)
Midterm Exam 20 Points
Final Exam 20 points
Total 100 points

Grading Sale:

Points Final Grade
90.0 - 100.0 A
80.0 - 89.9 B
70.0 - 79.9 C
60.0 - 69.9 D
< 59.9 F