Astronomy 110 Survey of Astronomy
Instructors: Nick Lee & Chao-Ling Hung
Required Text: The Essential Cosmic
Perspective, 2nd Edition, by Bennett
Lectures: MTWThF, 10:30-11:45 AM in
HIGP 110
A little bit about your Instructors
• Nicholas Lee (nlee@ifa.hawaii.edu)
– 4th year graduate student at IfA, Manoa
– Current research: What drives the star formation
in the brightest galaxies?
• Chao-Ling Hung (clhung@ifa.hawaii.edu)
– 2nd year graduate student at IfA, Manoa
– Current research: How does the appearance and
structure of galaxies change throughout the
universe?
First, a Questionnaire!
Relax!
It’s not graded.
Do your best.
Science Is Not…
• A list of previously known facts about nature
• A list of equations handed down from Ancient
times
• A set of laws that were discovered by Dead
White Guys a long time ago and are kept from
the general public
Science Is…
• a continuing process that
– seeks to understand the rules and laws of nature
– uses systematic observations
– uses mathematical models
– experimentally tests ideas
• subject to independent verification
These are the components of the scientific
method (observe, theorize, predict, test and
modify) used to comprehend the universe.
What is astronomy?
• Study of the Universe that we live in
• Basically everything outside of Earth’s
atmosphere
• Solar System
• Planets, Stars, Galaxies
• Dark Matter, Dark Energy
• Origin and fate of Universe
• Alien life??
• Not just the what, but the why and the how!
What do Astronomers do?
• Make observations using telescopes
• Analyze data/results of observation
• Create theories about what is seen and what might
exist yet unseen
• Create computer models that simulate what occurs in
the universe
• Invent, design, and build instruments that let us see
beyond the Earth!
BUT, most astronomers do NOT spend much time looking
through telescopes
A scientific theory is a collection of ideas that explain a
phenomenon in a way that is consistent with laws,
observations and experiments.
Goals of this Class
Help you develop…
• A basic understanding of the central ideas of
astronomy
• The skills and motivation to pursue lifelong
learning and become a valuable member of
society
• An understanding and appreciation of the
scientific method and how scientific ideas evolve
• An excitement for doing science!
NOT Goals of the Class
• Make you memorize equations
• Turn you into math majors
• Force you to sit through a boring lecture 5
days/week writing notes as fast as you can
• Teach you everything I know about astronomy
This is an ACTIVE Learning Class
• This is not a traditional lecture class, so it may
feel weird at first.
• You are not competing with your peers
• You will be discussing problems with your
classmates to solve problems TOGETHER
• This is much more like a real science or work
environment
• You are now actively involved in your own
learning, not simply passive observers.
Why Active Learning?
A commonly held, incorrect model
of a student’s conceptual framework
Why Active Learning?
Research shows the
traditional approach doesn’t
work!
“Lecture has often been described as
the process of taking the information
contained in the teachers notes and
transferring them into the students
notes without the information
passing through the brains of either”
Research shows that Active Learning
Techniques Help!
100
75
72%
Percent
Correct
50
25
52%
( N ~ 100 )
30%
0
Pretest
Post-Lecture
Post-Lecture Tutorial
Research on a Lecture-Tutorial Approach to Teaching Introductory Astronomy for Non–Science
Majors, Prather, E. E.; Slater, T. F.; Adams, J. P.; Bailey, J. M.; Jones, L. V.; Dostal, J. A., Astronomy
Education Review, 3(2) 2005
Ranking Tasks: Gender Effect?
( N ~ 100 )
100
75
Percent
50
Correct
Female
Male
Ranking Tasks
benefited both groups
equally.
25
0
Pretest
Post-Lecture
Study Trial
Post-Ranking
Tasks
Ranking Tasks: High vs. Low Pretests Groups?
( N ~ 100 )
100
76%
75
Upper Median
Group
Percent
50
55%
64%
59%
Correct
76%
Ranking Tasks
benefited both
groups equally.
Lower Median
Group
25
11%
0
Pretest
Post-Lecture
Study Trial
Post-Ranking
Tasks
So What is Active Learning?
• Think-Pair Share Questions
• Ranking Tests
• Post-Lecture Tutorials
Read – Come to class prepared
Risk – Be open with your opinions and your questions. Listen to and encourage
everyone’s ideas so they can take risks too.
Relax – Don’t take criticism of your ideas personally. Change your mind when evidence
shows that you should.
Respect – Act towards your peers as you would have been act to you.
Reason – Play the skeptic, but be critical of reasoning, ideas, and data. Not people.
Restate – Try to paraphrase another’s explanation if it is unclear to you. Focus on coming
to the best possible answer as a group.
Details (see syllabus)
• Class website:
http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/users/clhung/Astro110.html
• Grading
– Homeworks 20%
– Participation 20%
– Exams 30% each
• Homeworks are assigned through Mastering
Astronomy, and due every Tuesday @ 5 pm.
• NO cell phones, laptops, etc. in class
Mastering Astronomy
• When you buy your books for this class, you
should get an access code for mastering
astronomy.
• Sign up at masteringastronomy.com with the
following information:
– Your Access Code
– Course Code: LEE12SUM
– School’s Zipcode: 96822
• If you bought a used book, you need to buy an
access code online.
A tiny bit of Math
• Since astronomical numbers are so large, we
need a better way to describe them – scientific
notation
• Two terms – Digit and Exponent
• 1,500,000,000,000 = 1.5 trillion = 1.5 x 1012
• The exponent of 10 is the number of places the
decimal point must be shifted.
• Positive exponent: decimal point shifted to right
• Negative exponent: decimal point shifted to left
1.5 x 10-4 = 0.00015
Math with exponents
• Adding/subtracting:
– All numbers are converted to same power of 10
and then the digits are added or subtracted.
Example: (4.215 x 10-2) + (3.2 x 10-4) =
(4.215 x 10-2) + (0.032 x 10-2) = 4.247 x 10-2
• Multiplication/Division
– Digit terms are multiplied/divided normally and
the exponents are added/subtracted
Example: (3.4 x 106)(4.2 x 103) = (3.4)(4.2) x 10(6+3) =
14.28 x 109 = 1.428 x 1010
Class Action!
Class Action!
Class Action!
Lecture Tutorial
• Break up into groups of 2-3
– NO MORE THAN 3
• In your group, work through the following:
– Sun Size (pages 105-107)
– Discuss the answers – don’t be silent!
• I will be roaming around if you need help…
• If your group finishes, check your answers
with another group
Final Announcements
• Bring your ABCD cards and Lecture-Tutorial
books to class everyday!
• Homework 0 is due this Friday at 5 pm
– Introduction to Mastering Astronomy
• Homework 1 will be put on the website
tomorrow and will be due next Tuesday @ 5
pm
• Check the class website for lecture slides,
syllabus, and other important information.