Chipola College
Independent Study
Fall 2006
AST 1002
General Astronomy
Dr. Jeff R. Bodart, Instructor
AST 1002 - General Astronomy
Independent Study
Greeting from the Instructor
To the independent study student :
It is a pleasure to welcome you to the independent study program at Chipola College.
General Astronomy is a general science course which is designed to give you an appreciation
of the universe and a basic understanding of the various celestial inhabitants which surround
the earth and our solar system. As an independent study student in this course, I will be
relying on you to put forth the effort and time to keep up with the assigned material and
complete all required assignments before each exam. I also expect that the successful
student will spend some time pondering the different theories presented in the course and
think about how they relate to the perception of the universe around them.
I am hoping that you find the combination of the textbook and video tapes both
informative and enjoyable as you learn about the study of astronomy in this course. While this
is an introductory course providing a survey of astronomical objects and techniques, it will be
necessary to understand many of the intricate processes which work in the cosmos in order
to do well in the course. If you find it difficult to understand the material presented by the text
or tapes, I urge you to contact me or discuss any troublesome concepts during the regularly
scheduled communication hours; many times a brief explanation or illustrative example will
help clarify the problem better than reading the same paragraph over and over. The best way
to reach me is to leave a phone mail message with a phone number, best time to call, and
brief explanation of what the problem is, and I will call you back when I return to my office;
otherwise send an email to : bodartj@chipola.edu .
As you begin your journey into the study of astronomy, I hope you will take the time to
look up into the sky when it gets dark outside and think about the many points of light which
surround our earth as it races through the universe.
Sincerely,
Jeff R. Bodart
Astronomy Instructor
AST 1002 - General Astronomy
Independent Study Course Information
Course Description :
A course designed to aid the student in
understanding the relationship between
the earth and the universe. The natural
structure and theories of the solar system
are presented as a background to a discussion
of our galaxy and the universe. Topics discussed
include the earth, the solar system, historical
astronomy, constellations, space exploration,
theories of the origin of the universe, and the
construction of a telescope.
Instructor :
Jeff R. Bodart, Ph. D.
Email: bodartj@chipola.edu
web site:
www.chipola.edu/instruct/science/Bodart
D008 Natural Science Building
Chipola College
Marianna, FL 32446
Phone : 850-526-2761 Ext. 3252
Communication
Hours :
I will be available to independent study
students in my office from 4:30-5:30
PM on Thursdays. All exams and
review sessions are also scheduled in this time
block.
Course
Materials :
Text - Discovering the Universe
Neil F. Comins and William J Kaufmann III
(7th Edition-W.H. Freeman and Company).
Available for purchase at the Chipola Bookstore
Video Tapes - Coast Telecourses
Series : Universe: The Infinite Frontier
Taped segments 1-26
Available for checkout at the Chipola Library
Important
dates :
Drop/Add
Last day to withdraw from a class
Last day to resign from all classes
August 16-25
November 2
November 15
AST 1002 - General Astronomy
Course Information (continued)
Exams :
Course
Objectives :
Student
Evaluation
and Grading :
All exams are scheduled to be given in Room D005 in the
Natural Science building from 4:30-5:30 on Thursday
evenings according to the attached exam schedule.
If you cannot attend a scheduled exam, call my office
number above or email beforehand to arrange for a make-up
exam.
-
Provide an understanding of the origins of astronomy and
the discoveries that led to our present understanding of
the universe around us.
-
Become familiar with the basic operation of several
types of telescopes and how they are used to provide
information about celestial objects.
-
Study the relationship between the earth, moon and
sun and recognize how the motions of these bodies
affect our perception as observers on the earth.
-
Survey the sun and planets in our solar system and the
theories which explain the formation of planetary systems.
-
Examine the formation of stars from interstellar clouds
and recognize the stellar remnants associated with a
star’s death.
The multiple choice exams in this course will be based
on the text material assigned on the attached schedule.
The taped segments are used to reinforce the assigned
reading and provide a visual description of the material
presented. As part of your preparation for the exams,
you should study the Q&A section from the internet course
material that accompanies the text; several exam questions will
come directly from the Q&A. The five exams count for 80% of your
grade, and the other 20% comes from class assignments or
observational activities which will be handed out after the
scheduled exam period. Assignments will be collected at the next
scheduled exam period. The final exam is not comprehensive!
Your grade in the class will be based on your performance on the
exams and assignments according to the following percentage
scale:
93-100% (A)
83-92% (B)
70-82% (C)
60-69% (D)
AST 1002 - General Astronomy
Independent Study Assignment and Exam Schedule
The schedule provides a framework for studying the material required for the
exams in a timely manner. You are responsible for finishing all assignments and study
material before taking each of the section exams.
Date (Week of):
Assignment:
Aug
21
Text: Chapter 1: Discovering the Night Sky
Video: Prgm. 1-Scale of the Cosmos, Prgm. 2-The Sky
Prgm. 26-Life on Other Worlds
28
Text: Chapter 2: Gravitation and the Waltz of Planets
Video: Prgm. 4-The Origin of Modern Astronomy
Sept
5
11
Oct
Text: : Chapter 2: Gravitation & the Waltz of Planets
Video: Prgm. 5-Newton. Einstein & Gravity
Exam I
Text: Chapter 3: Light and Telescopes
Video: Prgm. 6-The Tools of Astronomy
18
25
Text: Chapter 5: Formation of the Solar System
Text: Chapter 6: Earth and Moon (p.148 to p.161)
Video: Prgm. 3-Cycles of the Sky, Prgm. 20-Planet Earth
2
Exam 2
Text: Chapter 7: The Other Terrestrial Planets and Their
Comparison to Earth
Video: Prgm. 21-Moon and Mercury
Video: Prgm. 22-Venus and Mars
Text: Chapter 8: The Outer Planets
Video: Prgm. 23-Jupiter and Saturn,
Prgm 24-Uranus, Neptune & Pluto
Exam 3
Text: Chapter 10: The Sun: Our Extraordinary Star
Video: Prgm. 8-The Sun
Text: Chapter 10: The Sun (continued)
Text: Chapter 11: Characterizing Stars
9
18
23
30
Nov
6
Apr
13
20
27
Text: Chapter 11: Characterizing Stars (continued)
Video: Prgm. 10-Stellar Formation
Exam 4
Text: The Drake Equation (p.491).
Text: Chapter 12: The Lives of Stars from Birth to Middle Age
Video: Prgm. 11-Lives of Stars,
Prgm. 12-Death of Stars
Text: Chapter 13: The Deaths of Stars
Text: Chapter 14: Black Holes: Matters of Gravity
Video: Prgm. 13-Neutron Stars and Black Holes
Final exam – Dec. 7, 5:30 pm, D005
AST 1002 - General Astronomy
Independent Study Student Information
Fill out the following information and return it to the Independent Study Instructor at the end of
your instructor’s orientation session. It is important to fill in all information accurately so the
instructor can reach you in case of an exam or other schedule change.
Please print all information on the lines below.
Student Name
.
Student I. D.
.
CJC Major
.
Address
.
Street
.
City
Telephone #
State
Zip
Best time to call
Cell
Home
e-mail
I learned about the Independent study program from :
a friend
class schedule
CJC staff
PAEC
other
.
I have read and understand the entire contents of the AST 1002 Independent study syllabus
and agree to make every effort possible to be successful in this course.
.
Signature