Instructor: Dr. Spencer Buckner
Office: SSC B-326
Office Hours: MWF 10:15 – 11:15am
and 1:30 – 2:30pm
or by appointment
Class Meeting Time: Thursday evenings
Lecture: 5:30 – 6:30pm in SSC B-310
Lab: 7:10 – 10:10pm at the APSU Observatory
Observational Astronomy
2nd Edition by D. Scott
Birney, Guillermo
Gonzalez and Davis
Oesper
Also Recommended
I will buy a number of them from OPT at a slight
discount and resale them to you at cost. Let me
know which one you want.
During the semester you will be required to
learn the locations of 25 constellations and
30 named stars in the planetarium. The
planetarium test is an up or down test, no
partial credit. The last day to take the test is
Thursday December 11.
You will be require to keep a logbook of
your observations. The logbook will be
collected several times during the
semester and at the end of the semester. It
will be graded for completeness and
number of entries. You should have entries
for each observing lab as well as any
observations you make outside of class
Every log entry should include
•Date, time and location of observation
•Sky seeing conditions
•Instrument used (including focal length or f/ratio)
•Magnification and eyepieces used
•Description of the objects observed
There will be at least five observing labs during the
semester. Some of the labs will be completed in a
single night while others may take observations over
several weeks to complete. Each observing lab will
require a formal write-up and at least one lab will
require a short oral presentation to the class. Not
everyone will present the same lab. We will “draw
straws” for the order of presentation. The presentation
should be 7 to 10 minutes long and will be presented on
the Wednesday the lab write-up is turned in.
First Lab: Telescopic Observations of the Moon
Multiple night lab…observations over the next
four weeks. Lab write-up will be due September 25
Homework will be assigned from the Review Questions
at the back of each chapter. They will be due on the
Wednesday following the completion of the chapter.
Additional problems from other sources may also be
assigned to supplement the back-of-chapter questions.
First Homework set is due Wednesday September 4.
Chapter 1 # 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6
Answer in complete sentences, where appropriate.
Show your calculation on #6
The first project is to observe and properly log at
least 45 Messier objects. The observations can be
done during regular observing lab nights or on your
own. Some of the objects can be observed with
binoculars while others will require a telescope.
You will be requires to give a short (7 – 10 minutes)
oral presentation on either this project or the
second project during the final exam period
Wednesday December 10. A list of other projects
will be distributed within the first few weeks of
class.
Part of the requirements for the introductory astronomy
classes is to attend a 1st Quarter Observing Night and a
Dark Sky Observing Night. You will serve as set-up and
take-down for those nights. All nights start at 7:30pm.
The nights are
First Quarter Nights
Dark Sky Nights
Tuesday September 2
Wednesday October 1
Thursday October 30
Tuesday
September
16
Monday
October 20
Wednesday
Thursday
September
October 16
24
Thursday
Monday
November 13 November 17
We will meet in B-310 approximately 45 minutes prior to
the start time. On weeks when there are observing
nights, there will be no lab. The class lecture will take
place during those weeks.
Tonight: becoming familiar with how to set-up
the various telescopes. If possible, make
observation of the Moon. Expect to stay the full
time
Next Week: 1st Quarter Observing Night on
Tuesday so no lab. You can make some lunar
observations during the evening, though.
Week after: class meets here for lecture then
migrates to the Farm for lab (if clear). Plan on
carpooling. If cloudy: cloudy night lab.
A useful fiction but it has its limitations
On the Earth, the angle f is the latitude while the
angle l is the longitude. A third quantity, the
altitude, is needed to describe the position in 3D
The Alt-Az coordinates are tied to your locale.
Azimuth is the angle around from due north (0°)
and altitude is the angle above the horizon.
Third quantity, distance to object, isn’t used.
 (Right Ascention) is the
angle around from the
Vernal Equinox
(Declination) is the angle
above (+) or below (-) the
celestial equator
The celestial equator is the
projection of the Earth’s
equator onto the celestial
sphere. The Vernal equinox is the point where the Sun
crosses the celestial equator moving northward
Useful for specifying the positions and
orbits of objects within the solar system
Useful for galactic orbit calculations. Many sky
survey star maps use galactic coordinates
The Meridian Telescope
Measure when an object crosses the meridian and,
given your longitude, you have its Right Ascension
Find the angle between the
object and the North (or
South) Celestial Pole and
you have the compliment of
its declination
5-Minute Essay
My name is ___________.
I am a (sophomore, junior, senior, other)
My major is _____________.
I am taking Observational astronomy
because I want to learn_____________.
When I graduate, I want to __________.