ASTRONOMY 110L, Sec. 1 — Survey of Astronomy Laboratory
UH MANOA — Spring 2006
Course Information & Policies
LAB:
Tuesdays 7:00–10:00 p.m.
Physical Science Building (“PSB” or “PhySci”) Rm. 112, with
carpooling to various locations (Kapiolani Park, Sandy Beach, WCC Imaginarium)
INSTRUCTOR:
E-mail:
Course Web page:
Office:
Office Hours:
T.A.:
Michael Nassir
nassir@hawaii.edu
CORRECTED: http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/~mikenas/astr110lab/
Watanabe Hall, Rm. 426, (808) 956-2922
Mondays 1:30–4:00 p.m., in Watanabe 426 (I recommend that you call or e-mail first, to
let me know you’re coming) or other times by appointment
Brad Jacobs
E-mail: bjacobs@ifa.hawaii.edu
Office: Institute for Astronomy, Rm. C-225, (808) 956-6680
Office Hours: CORRECTED: Thursdays 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., in Watanabe 403, (808) 956-2975
Course Description
This laboratory is a one-semester complement to ASTR 110 lecture, Survey of Astronomy, an introduction to
planets, stars, galaxies, and cosmology. Co- or prerequisite: ASTR 110 or equivalent, or consent. Our course
will cover apparent motion of the night sky, Moon, and planets; major constellations and bright stars; binocular and
telescopic observation of fainter objects; and basic scientific and astronomical techniques. We will perform both
one-night and long-term observing projects, as well as some indoor exercises. Our schedule will be subject to
frequent revision based on weather and astronomical events, and will not be synchronized with any ASTR 110
lecture section.
Equipment & Materials
REQUIRED TEXT:
OPTIONAL TEXT:
Ridpath, Stars and Planets, 3 rd ed. (2001), paperback: ISBN 0-691-08913-2
Gupta, ed., Observer’s Handbook 2006, paperback: ISBN 0-9738109-0-4
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
• Pencil and eraser (for in-the-field sketching; pencil also has the advantage of being waterproof!)
• Scientific calculator (capable of power-of-10 notation and advanced math functions; only needed occasionally for
calculations at home)
OPTIONAL MATERIALS (but highly recommended!):
• Warm clothes (especially during winter, and on windy nights)
• Beach mat, towel, or picnic blanket (for sitting on moist grass outdoors)
• Clipboard or hardcover notebook, with metal clips or clothespins (makes in-the-field observations and
sketching much easier on windy nights)
• Folder or 3-ring binder (for safekeeping of observations for long-term projects, and for organizing lab handouts)
You will be provided with 8-inch Dobsonian telescopes & eyepieces, 10×50 Binoculars, red flashlights, and other
observing equipment as needed in lab. You are welcome to bring your own binoculars, telescopes, and red
flashlights, if you wish. Note: White flashlights, cell phone lights, etc. are FORBIDDEN in lab, except during setup and clean-up!
Please return all equipment in good condition at the end of the night — it must be used by students in all three
lab sections. Please report any problems or breakage to your instructor or TA; do NOT allow the broken
equipment to be stowed only to become a rude surprise for the next night’s lab.
Grading
• Your final grade will be based on your overall course percentage relative to the other students in the class. An
overall percentage of 90% will guarantee you at least a final grade of A–; of 80%, B–; of 70%, C–; etc. In the final
determination of grades, these cutoffs may be lowered at the discretion of the instructor. Your overall course
percentage will be computed as follows:
Quizzes
30%
Assignments (Worksheets, Sketches, & Lab Reports) 70%
Attendance
see below
• Quizzes will be given most weeks at the start of lab in PSB 112, and will be short, 10-minute tests usually based
on the material covered the week before, or possibly a pre-lab quiz on the material assigned for that same night. —
you will be given advance warning about the topic(s) of the next quiz.
Quizzes may not be made-up for any reason, but all quizzes will be worth the same weight, and your TWO
lowest quiz scores will be dropped.
• Worksheets & sketches will be short assignments to be completed either in the field and/or during the week as
homework. They will typically be due the following week, although due dates may be postponed due to weather.
The number of points that each assignment is worth will vary, depending on the amount of time and work that it
requires.
Some missed assignments or observations can be made up during future lab sessions or at home (see your
instructor individually for details); any portions of assignments that cannot be made up will be given a score of zero.
• Extra-credit: A few activities will be optional, especially if they involve meeting at a time outside of regular class
hours to observe a special astronomical event, observe the Sun midday, or to attend a public lecture. By completing
optional activities, you can boost your Assignment point total and potentially make up for missed work. (Extracredit points will not affect your Quiz point total, only your Assignment total.)
• Lab reports will be assigned at the culmination of two or three long-term projects. Lab reports should be short
(two or three-page) reports in which you present the results of your measurements or observations, and will follow a
simplified science lab report format (introduction, procedure, observations, analysis, conclusion). More details will
be provided on the format to follow and the content required for each report. Since writing the reports requires
additional time and preparation at home, the lab reports will be worth a correspondingly greater point value than
other worksheets.
• Late assignments will be penalized with a –5% deduction for each calendar day past their due date. Due dates
may be extended for the class as a whole, based on weather or other problems; or for absent individuals on an
individual basis, based on the nature on the assignment. However, once a due date is set, penalties will be applied
after that date. You may turn in assignments at any time during business hours by sliding them under my office
door, Watanabe 426, whether I am in or not.
• Exams: There will be no midterm or final exam for this lab, only weekly quizzes.
Attendance
Attendance will be taken at all lab sessions. We will have indoor activities in PSB 112 in case of inclement
weather, so you should plan to attend lab every Tuesday night, rain or shine! We will meet every Tuesday from
January 10 to May 2, with one exception for Spring Break (March 28). We will not meet during finals week.
While your attendance will not be used directly in the calculation of your overall course percentage, it may be
used as a factor in determining the final grade for “borderline” students. Participation is essential to gaining
familiarity with the night sky and with the tools of astronomy.
Missed quizzes cannot be made up (see “Quizzes” policy above). Some missed worksheets, sketches, or other
observations can be made up, either in part or in full (see “Worksheets” policy above). (New due dates will be
determined individually in each case.) Some observations and projects, however, are one-time-only and are
therefore impossible to “make up”; you will simply receive a zero score for that assignment or portion thereof.
If you know in advance that you will be absent for lab, please contact your instructor well ahead of time to
discuss making up work. After an unanticipated absence, please e-mail or contact your instructor as soon as
possible — do not wait until the following Tuesday night.
Collaboration
Working in pairs or groups is common in science labs, and indeed is encouraged: teamwork can help you to make
measurements faster and to catch errors, and explaining something to another person is a great way to learn it better
yourself. However, even if you are “working with” a classmate while using the telescope or making a measurement,
there are a few guidelines to follow:
(1) You are each strongly encouraged to make the observation yourself, individually, so that you each get the
educational value and experience of using the equipment and “seeing for yourself.” Then, after you have each tried,
you can compare your results as a “sanity check.” If your results differ just a bit, then keep your own results —
most scientific measurements vary slightly due to “random error” (we will discuss this later), so you should not
change yours to match your friend’s result. After all, how do you know which result is “correct,” yours or your
classmate’s? Record what you see or measure. (If your results differ wildly, then in that case it is appropriate to try
to figure out “what went wrong.” Small variations, however, are common and are a natural part of random error.)
(2) Any final work (lab reports, worksheet answers, etc.) should be in your own words. If you do work together
with a partner to make a particular measurement or observation, make a note on your worksheet or lab report of who
your lab partner was. Again, complete the final report or worksheet in your own words, even some of the initial
data or measurements are identical to your partner’s.
Any passages or calculations that are simply copied or plagiarized from another student, or from any other
uncited source (textbooks, encyclopedias, websites), will be given a score of zero. Your submitted work should
reflect your own understanding of the material.