Astronomy 111: Observational Astronomy Laboratory
Course Syllabus: Spring 2006
Section 0101 Tuesdays 7:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Section 0201 Wednesdays 7:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Meeting Locations:
(1) UMD observatory, Metzerott Road
(2) CSS 0201
(3) CSS 1220
or
(4) CSS 1109
Elyse Casper
Office: CSS 0228
(Ground floor of CSS building. Enter the door with the key swipe closest to the small parking lot, DD. Walk straight ahead
and then turn right at the first hallway. My office will be the 5th on your left. See map below.)
Office hours: by appointment only
Office Phone: (301) 405-1556
Messages: Email is the best way to contact me.
Email: ecasper@astro.umd.edu
Course Web site: www.astro.umd.edu/~astr100/astr111
I am here to help, so contact me if you have any questions.
Textbook: There is no course textbook. You are required to print the labs prior to coming to lab each week. They
will be available at www.astro.umd.edu/~astr100/astr111. Please don’t print them out more than a week before we
meet to complete the lab – I will be modifying the labs as we go.
Also required: Night Sky Planisphere, red flashlight
Lab Summary: ASTR111 Observational Astronomy Laboratory is a 1 credit hour course which requires two hours
of laboratory work per week. Topics will supplement material presented in ASTR 100. Topics include, but are not
limited to: astronomical coordinate systems, fundamentals of observing, lunar phases and surface features, seasonal
and daily motions of the sun, moon, and stars, and observations of stars in the Milky Way. This course will focus
on reinforcing the main topics in ASTR 100 through laboratory exercises.
Grading: 90% Labs and pre-lab quizzes
 12 labs worth 100 points each. Points will be awarded for completion, attendance,
participation, and correctness/thoroughness of answers which demonstrate your understanding
of the material.
 No more than 11 closed book pre-lab quizzes administered at the beginning of lab. You must
be present when the quiz is given to receive credit.
10% Observing Project – due April 7, 2006 by 5 PM
 You absolutely cannot procrastinate with this project! The observations alone will take at least
7 weeks to complete. I am giving you the week the project is due off so that you can really
focus on handing in a good project. I know that you will submit work that is polished, legible,
and well written as a result of this extra time.
Extra credit may be awarded if you attend Observatory Open House lectures at the University of Maryland, which
are held the 5th and 20th of each month. The evening begins with a lecture/presentation by a professional
astronomer that usually lasts about 45 minutes. If the weather is nice, observing follows on some of the larger
telescopes. See www.astro.umd.edu/openhouse for details and observing updates. If you wish to earn extra credit
this way, you MUST contact me at least one week prior to the open house so that I can let the director of the
observatory know that you will be coming.
Attendance Policy: Attendance at each lab section is required. Part of each lab grade is attendance and
participation. I expect you to be here every week on time.
If you know that you will be absent, contact me as soon as possible, and we will try to work something out. Except
in the case of an emergency, you must tell me about your absence BEFORE your lab. Email is preferred for such
communication.
Make up: Except in extreme cases, there will be no make up labs. In lieu of a make up lab, your lowest lab grade
will be dropped.
Academic Honesty: Academic dishonesty will NOT be tolerated. Among other things, this means 1) do not copy
anything from anyone, whether it is a book, your friend, or your neighbor, 2) do not let anyone copy from you. The
best way to avoid academic dishonesty is to answer questions in your own words. (You may quote and cite
textbooks in very small amounts, but the brunt of your answers must be in your own words.) Suspected acts of
academic dishonesty may be brought to the Honor Council. A full definition of academic dishonesty and the
consequences thereof can be found at www.studenthonorcouncil.umd.edu/code.html.
Poor Weather: If we are scheduled to meet at the observatory and the weather is bad (ex. rain, snow, or completely
overcast skies) we will be forced to do alternate labs. Whenever possible, I will let you know what lab we will be
substituting by noontime via email. If it is overcast and raining or snowing and we are scheduled to be at the
observatory, please don’t bother going over there. Meet me in CSS 0201 instead.
Misc.:
 Please make sure all of your work is legible. If I cannot read it, I cannot give you credit for a correct
answer.
 Please use proper English. I am not going to take points off of your labs for improper grammar, but it
makes my job a lot more difficult if I have a hard time understanding your work..
 If you pass in multiple pages, please staple them together.
 This course does involve math. Please remember to show all work! I’m afraid that no work = no credit.
 Please feel free to give me constructive criticism. I cannot promise that I will follow your every suggestion,
but I will certainly take your thoughts into consideration.
Schedule of labs – subject to change:
Class
LAB 1
LAB 2
LAB 3
LAB 4
LAB 5
LAB 6
LAB 7
LAB 8
NO LAB
LAB 9
LAB 10
LAB 11
LAB 12
MAKEUP LAB
Date
0101 – January 31st
0201 – February 1st
0101 – February 7th
0201 - February 8th
0101 – February 14th
0201 – February 15th
0101 – February 21st
0201 – February 22nd
0101 – February 28th
0201 – March 1st
0101 – March 7th
0201 – March 8th
0101 – March 14th
0201 – March 15th
0101 – March 28th
0201 – March 29th
0101 – April 4th
0201 – April 5th
0101 – April 11th
0201 – April 12th
0101 – April 18th
0201 – April 19th
0101 – April 25th
0201 – April 26th
0101 – May 2nd
0201 – May 3rd
0101 – May 9th
0201 – May 10th
LAB
Introduction / Celestial
Sphere and Planisphere
Naked Eye Observing
Location
CSS 0201 / Lounge
Spring Constellations
UMD Observatory
Introduction to telescopes
UMD Observatory
Field of View
UMD Observatory
Lunar Observing
UMD Observatory
Emission Spectra
CSS 1109
CLEA lab – Moons of
Jupiter
PROJECT DUE April 7,
2006 by 5 PM
Locating the Milky Way
CSS 2208
CLEA lab – Pleides
CSS 2208
CLEA lab – Hubble
Redshift
Fate of the Universe
CSS 2208
Makeup Lab
CSS 2208
UMD Observatory
NA
UMD Observatory
CSS 0201
Directions to the UMD Observatory on Metzerott Road:
(taken from www.astro.umd.edu/openhouse)
The Observatory is located on Metzerott Road between Adelphi Road and University Blvd in College
Park. From the beltway (I-495) take the College Park/Route 1 exit. You will head south on Route 1 for
about a mile until you see a sign for 193 West. You want to get on 193 West. The first light you come to
will be Metzerott Road. Take a right onto Metzerott Road. Once on Metzerott, you will go through a stop
light and the observatory is about a quarter of a mile on the left side of the road after the stop light. Our
entrance is slightly hidden, but you should slow down to turn left as soon as you pass a large "System
Administration" sign. We are almost directly across the street from the UM System Administration (3300
Metzerott Road).
If you do not have a vehicle, you can either carpool with a classmate who does or take the Adelphi North
Shuttle-UM from the “Regents Drive Garage” stop to the “Metzerott Rd. at System Administration” stop
(the sixth stop). The observatory is across the street. I suggest that you take the 6:45 shuttle. The pick-up
spot for the return trip to Regents Drive Garage is just outside of the observatory. A full schedule can be
found at http://www.transportation.umd.edu/pdf/AdelphiNorth.pdf.