PES 1050 General Astronomy I: Fall, 2011
TR 9:25-10:40 Engineering #103
Course Syllabus
Course Description: The methods and
results of modern astronomy (mainly
applied to our solar system planets and Sun) at an elementary
level. This course is primarily a lecture course,
with limited mathematics required. However, it is a
science course, and as such we will explore
scientific reasoning and methods. We will study the
observation methods used by ancient and modern
man to examine the universe around us.
Instructor: Robert G. Gist
Office and Hours: SENG A-418, (Mon 11a-12:30,
Tue 1-2, Wed 6-7)
UCCS e-mail: rgist@uccs.edu
Web Site: http://www.uccs.edu/~rgist
Credit Hours: 3
Prerequisite: None
Text: Pathways to Astronomy, 3rd ed, by
Schneider/Arny, McGraw-Hill
Attendance: Attendance will not be monitored. It is each student’s responsibility to cover any
material due to missed lectures. Call the Snow Line (255-3346) for school closures.
Arrangements should be made in advance for absence due to religious or spiritual
observances.
Scope of Material: My lectures will follow the outline of the text, and will cover much of the
same material. You will get a good sense of what I see as important (i.e. test-able) material
from the book. Exams will be based on lecture material and on the sections of the book that
correspond to the lecture.
In-class & At-home projects: We will perform some in-class demonstrations and projects.
These will provide some interactive examination of the topics we will be covering. Some
projects will require effort and/or observation outside of class. No special equipment will be
required; only your eyes and your mind (and paper and pen). Both the in-class and at-home
projects are participation grades and will count as 20% of your final grade.
Exams: Exams will be in multiple-choice format. I will give you at least a week’s notice as to
the exact date of the exam as well as the material you will be responsible for on each test. In
addition to the three mid-term exams there will be a comprehensive final exam during finals
week in this classroom. All exams are weighted equally. Unless arrangements have been
made prior to any exam, there will be no make-up exams. The lowest exam grade will be
dropped to allow for unforeseen absences on exam day.
Extra Credit: For each exam, including the final, there is the opportunity to earn extra credit by
finding, summarizing and referencing up to 10 articles related to space. Each completed
article is worth 1 percentage point added to the exam. They are due on the day of the exam,
and it is not necessary to include the actual article. Selected articles should be recent (within
the last year or so) and the short (2-3 sentences) summaries should be written in your own
words.
Grades: In summary, your grade will be weighted as
In-class & at-home projects 20%
shown. The letter grade ranges are posted on my
Exams (4)
80%
website. Ranges include +’s and –‘s.
Disabilities: Students with a disability who require accommodations should provide a letter of
accommodation from Student Enrichment Services (MH 105, x3354) within the first two
weeks of the semester. Accommodations requests for tests are required a week prior to the
scheduled exam.
Calculators: Calculators will be necessary for some in-class and at-home projects. A basic
calculator capable of trigonometric functions and square roots is sufficient. Calculators will
not be required for exams.
R. Gist
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PES 1050 General Astronomy I: Fall, 2011
TR 9:25-10:40 Engineering #103
Schedule (subject to change)
Date
23-Aug
25-Aug
30-Aug
1-Sep
6-Sep
8-Sep
13-Sep
15-Sep
20-Sep
22-Sep
27-Sep
29-Sep
4-Oct
6-Oct
11-Oct
13-Oct
18-Oct
20-Oct
25-Oct
27-Oct
1-Nov
3-Nov
8-Nov
10-Nov
15-Nov
17-Nov
22-Nov
24-Nov
29-Nov
1-Dec
6-Dec
8-Dec
15-Dec
R. Gist
Topic
Tue
Thu
Tue
Thu
Tue
Thu
Tue
Thu
Tue
Thu
Tue
Thu
Tue
Thu
Tue
Thu
Tue
Thu
Tue
Thu
Tue
Thu
Tue
Thu
Tue
Thu
Tue
Thu
Tue
Thu
Tue
Thu
Thu
Section in Text
Introduction and Overview
Units 1-3
Observing the Night Sky
Unit 5, 13
History & Observability
Units 10-12
Forces, Laws of Gravity & Motion
Units 4, 14-19
Labor Day Holiday
Forces, Laws of Gravity & Motion
Units 4, 14-19
Light and Atoms
Units 21-25
Light and Atoms
Units 21-25
Telescopes
Units 28-32
Telescopes / Review
Units 28-32
Exam #1
The Earth
Units 37-38
The Earth
Units 37-38
Timekeeping
Units 6-9
The Earth & Moon
Unit 39
The Moon
Unit 39
The Moon / Review
Unit 39
Exam #2
Solar system overview
Units 34-36
Terrestrial Planets
Units 40-42
Terrestrial Planets
Units 40-42
Terrestrial Planets
Units 40-42
Terrestrial Planets
Units 40-42
Jovian Planets
Units 45-47
Jovian Planets
Units 45-47
Jovian Planets
Units 45-47
Dwarf planets & other bodies
Units 43, 48-50
Thanksgiving Holiday
Dwarf planets & other bodies / Review
Units 43, 48-50
Exam #3
The Sun
Units 51-53
The History and Future of the Sun
Units, 60, 65
Final Exam
8:00am to 10:30am
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