ATS1745M 6.0 HISTORY OF ASTROOMY
Division of atural Science, Faculty of Science and Engineering
Winter 2013 Course Outline
COURSE DIRECTOR: Robin Metcalfe, 217A Bethune College x30353, ns1745b@yorku.ca
(Please include S1745M & your name in the subject of all emails)
COURSE WEB PAGE: http://moodle.yorku.ca
OFFICE HOURS: Posted on course web page
COURSE DESCRIPTIO: This course follows the evolution of discoveries and theories about
Astronomy from pre-historic times up to the present. We begin by looking at sites like Stonehenge
and Newgrange, where we find evidence that the motions of the Sun and stars were understood in
prehistoric times. We then look at the astronomical knowledge amassed by ancient civilizations such
as the Mayans, Babylonians and Egyptians, followed by the Greek explanations for the cosmos and
the beginnings of Astronomy as a science. The first half of the course concludes with the early
history of modern astronomy and covers figures like Copernicus, Brahe, Kepler, Galileo and Newton.
The 2nd half of the course covers discoveries about our solar system, the stars, galaxies and the
universe from the 19th century up to the present day. This includes the history of our missions to
space, recent discoveries about the birth and evolution of the universe, discoveries of new planets
beyond our solar system, and theories about black holes, dark matter and dark energy.
MATH/SCIECE COTET: The purpose of the NATS course requirement is to increase
scientific literacy. Therefore, roughly 50% of the course content deals with scientific concepts, while
the other 50% covers the stories behind the science. No background in either History or Astronomy is
required. Assignments require a small amount of arithmetic at the Grade 10 level.
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK: This course is based on the material covered in The History of
Astronomy, by Couper and Henbest (2007). This book presents, in an enjoyable and non-scientific
way, the history behind the most important and relevant discoveries in Astronomy. The textbook
material is supplemented by the lectures, which present the scientific details of each discovery. It is
recommended that students read each chapter before the relevant lectures for that chapter. Students
are expected to read the entire book.
Please note: For chapters 1 and 2, the lectures cover only selected topics in the textbook, as
the lectures devote more time to the fundamentals of the sky. Students with no astronomy
background may find it helpful to read chapters 1 and 2 after the lectures for these chapters.
EVALUATIO:
32% Midterm Exam
32% Final Exam
15% Term Project
15% Homework assignments (best 5 out of 6, 3% each)
6% Reading quizzes (12 quizzes, 0.5% each)
COURSE FORMAT: The course material is delivered in two 3-hour lectures each week. The
lectures are driven by slides with bullet-point notes to summarize each concept. Students are
encouraged to take their own notes, using the bullet-points as a guide.
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COURSE WEBSITE: The course website is implemented by the Moodle learning management
system and is divided into a General Information box followed by 12 topic boxes, each of which
corresponds to a chapter in the textbook. The General Information box contains the following links:
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Important Dates: A schedule of all due dates and exam dates.
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Term Project: Instructions and submission of the term project, which entails three written
reports of recent articles pertaining to astronomical discoveries. Each report is due around the
first week of each month from February to April. Marks and feedback for each report are
typically posted within two weeks of the due date.
•
Course Announcements: A forum in which messages are occasionally posted by the Course
Director (e.g. exam information, changes to the schedule, etc.) Posts to this forum are
automatically emailed to all students enrolled in the course.
Note: To ensure that you receive the Course Announcements, please login to Moodle, then
click on Edit Profile in the Settings box to make sure that your email address is an account
that you check regularly.
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General Forum: A discussion forum where students can post general questions for the Course
Director. Questions that pertain to specific course material should be brought to the Course
Director during office hours.
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Students-Only Study Group Forum: A discussion forum where students can work together on
the homework assignments or the chapter review questions.
Each topic box contains the following:
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Diagrams and Animations: For convenience, the diagrams and animations that are shown
during lectures can be accessed from this link. This is provided so that the diagrams on the slides
do not need to be reproduced in your notes.
•
Reading Quiz: A short quiz on the chapter material in the textbook. Students have a limited time
to complete the quiz and cannot repeat a quiz once it is attempted. Quizzes for chapters 1 to 7 can
be completed any time before the midterm exam, and quizzes for chapters 8 to 12 can be
completed any time between the midterm exam and the end date of the winter term.
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Chapter Review Questions: A comprehensive set of review questions to assist students when
preparing for the exams. The chapter review questions cover all the material from each topic that
will appear on the exam. Some of the questions can be answered in a few words, others in a
couple of sentences or a simple diagram. You can find the answers in either the instructional
videos, the textbook or the online images. The exam questions will not be identical to the review
questions, but if you can answer all the review questions, you will be fully prepared for the exam.
Tips: Students are encouraged to work together on the review questions, either via the
Students-Only Study Group Forum (see above), or by messaging each other or getting together
in person. However, beware of copying other students' answers to the review questions and
attempting to memorize them. The purpose of the exams are to test your understanding of the
material, not your ability to memorize, so the more review questions you can successfully
answer on your own, the better you will do on the exams.
NATS1745M W2013 • COURSE OUTLINE • PAGE 2 OF 4
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Homework Assignments: Six of the topic boxes contain a link for submitting a homework
assignment. These assignments involve learning exercises pertaining to the scientific concepts
covered in class. The best 5 of the 6 assignments will count toward your final mark. The
assignment instructions and answer sheets will be distributed and discussed in class on the dates
specified in the list of Important Dates (see above). On these dates, the remaining class time will
be used as an optional work period where students can get assistance with the assignment from
the Course Director and Teaching Assistants. The assignments must be completed in pen or
pencil, then scanned/photographed and uploaded by the due date via the Homework Assignment
Upload link in the topic box. Homework assignments can also be brought in person to Bethune
217A by the due date. The marks for homework assignments are typically posted within two
weeks of the due date.
Tips: Students are encouraged to work together on the homework assignments, either via the
Students-Only Study Group Forum (see above), or by messaging each other or getting together
in person. However, each student must submit their own work.
EXAMS: There is a midterm and final exam. The format is multiple-choice and 3 hours in duration.
The midterm exam is held during class time in February and the final exam is held during the April
exam period. The final exam covers the material from the 2nd half of the course only. Please note the
following:
•
Exam conflicts: If you know in advance that you have a conflict with an exam date, the Course
Director must be notified at least 3 weeks before the exam so that an alternate exam date can be
schedule. For exam conflicts with other courses or for religious accommodations, go to
w2prod.sis.yorku.ca/Apps/WebObjects/cdm.woa/wa/curexam and click on the relevant link on
the left side of the page.
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Missed midterm exam: The Course Director must be notified by email no later than 24 hours
after the missed exam. To make up the exam, a statement from a health provider must be
provided within 48 hours of the missed exam. The only acceptable medical documentation is the
University’s Attending Physician’s Statement (APS), which can be downloaded from
www.registrar.yorku.ca/pdf/attend_physician_statement.pdf. No other form of doctor’s note will
be accepted. A make-up exam will be scheduled immediately following the time period specified
on the APS.
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Missed final exam: The same regulations apply as for a missed midterm exam, with the
exception that if a student misses the original dates for both the midterm and final exam, or if a
student misses the final exam as well as the make-up exam, the student must petition their home
faculty for an exam deferral. Information & deadlines for this petition can be found at
www.registrar.yorku.ca/exams/deferred/. ote: Petitions for an exam deferral may not be
successful, in which case the student will receive a zero for the exam.
MISSED DEADLIES: Late homework assignments or projects are penalized 10% per day,
including weekends. If a deadline is missed due to medical circumstances, the late penalty will be
waived if the Course Director is notified by email no later than 24 hours after the due date. An APS
(see Missed Exams above) must be provided within 48 hours of the missed deadline. If the
assignment or project is not submitted the day after the time period specified on the APS, the late
penalty will commence. Note that one homework assignment can be missed without penalty.
NATS1745M W2013 • COURSE OUTLINE • PAGE 3 OF 4
DISABILITY SERVICES: Students with physical, learning or psychiatric disabilities that may
interfere with the successful completion of the course requirements are encouraged to discuss their
concerns with a councilor at the Office for Persons with Disabilities (www.yorku.ca/cds/). Any
special accommodations that are required by the student should be brought to the attention of the
Course Director as soon as possible so that appropriate arrangements can be made.
COUSELLIG SERVICES: Many students face a variety of personal challenges throughout the
year which may have a negative effect on their academic performance. In such cases, students can
make use of York’s Personal Counseling Services (www.yorku.ca/cds/pcs/). A Personal Counselor
can help manage a student’s coursework under difficult circumstances.
CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE: In order to maintain a comfortable, non-disruptive and enjoyable
learning environment, it is imperative that students are considerate of each other and adhere to the
following simple rules:
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Cell phones, pagers, and other noise-making devices must be disabled.
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Entering and leaving the classroom during the lecture period should be kept to a minimum and
should be done as non-disruptively as possible.
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There should be no talking among students during lectures, except when discussion is being
encouraged by the lecturer.
USAGE OF PERSOAL ELECTROIC DEVICES: Laptops and other personal electronic
devices should be used exclusively for note-taking. Other activities such as web-surfing or chatting
online have absolutely no place in our classroom – they are disruptive and disrespectful to the
instructor as well as to other students.
ETIQUETTE: When making use of our online forums, students are required to maintain courteous
and respectful communication. Remember that Moodle is simply an electronic version of a regular
classroom, so the University's Student Code of Conduct continues to apply. To help you learn the
guidelines of acceptable ways to communicate in a cyber-classroom (also known as "netiquette"),
complete this online quiz available at www.albion.com/netiquette/netiquiz.html. Violation of the
Netiquette and/or the Student Code of Conduct will result in immediate loss of access to Moodle, and
any further applicable consequences in accordance with the Code.
CHEATIG AD PLAGIARISM: Any material submitted by a student for this course must be
their own work. Cheating and plagiarism are major academic offences and carry serious penalties,
ranging from a failing grade on the plagiarized work to expulsion from the university. For more
details, see York’s Academic Honesty Policy (www.yorku.ca/secretariat/policies/).
CAMPUS SAFETY: To ensure the safety of students while traversing York’s Keele campus in the
evenings, students are strongly encouraged to make use of York’s goSafe program. Students can
arrange for goSafe staff to accompany them to any destination on the Keele campus. More details
about this free program, as well as York’s free shuttle services, can be found at
http://www.yorku.ca/gosafe/.
IMPORTAT DATES: The undergraduate calendar is found at
www.registrar.yorku.ca/enrol/dates/. This site includes the term start and end dates, holidays, exam
periods, and add/drop deadlines.
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