Introduction to the Solar System
Introduction to the Solar System
AST2003 Section 6218 - Spring 2012
AST2003 Section 6218 - Spring 2012
Instructor:Professor
Professor
Stanley
F. Dermott
Instructor:
Stanley
F. Dermott
Office:216
216
Bryant
Space
Science
Center
Office:
Bryant
Space
Science
Center
Phone:
294
1864
Phone:352
352
294
1864
email
emaildermott@astro.ufl.edu
dermott@astro.ufl.edu
Lecture time and place: Tuesdays (4th period: 10:40 am – 11:30 a
Lecture time and place: Tuesdays (4th period: 10:40 am –
Thursdays (4th and 5th period) (10:40 am
Thursdays (4th and 5th period) (
pm), FLG 210
pm), FLG 210
Introduction to the Solar System
AST2003 Section 6218 - Spring 2012
Instructor: Professor Stanley F. Dermott
Office: 216 Bryant Space Science Center
Phone: 352 294 1864
email dermott@astro.ufl.edu
Lecture time and place: Tuesdays (4th period: 10:40 am –
Thursdays (4th and 5th period) (1
pm), FLG 210
email dermott@astro.ufl.edu
Lecture time and place: Tuesdays (4th period: 10:40 am – 11:30 am)
Thursdays (4th and 5th period) (10:40 am – 12:35
pm), FLG 210
Office hours: Tuesdays 11:45 – 12:45 pm,
Thursdays 12:45 pm - 1:45 pm
or by appointment
Teacher Assistant: Dr Naibi Marinas (Help with Mastering Astronomy and
Exam Reviews)
Office: 312 Bryant Space Science Center
Thursdays 12:45 pm - 1:45 pm
or by appointment
Teacher Assistant: Dr Naibi Marinas (Help with Mastering Astronomy and
Exam Reviews)
Office: 312 Bryant Space Science Center
Phone: 325 294 1848
Email: marinas@astro.ufl.edu!!
Class Website: http://www.astro.ufl.edu/~marinas/astro/AST2003.html
• Small bodies in the solar system and the clues that they offer to the
formation and evolution of the planets
Class Expectations and Obligations:
•I do not take class attendance; however, attendance to the lectures is
required. You are expected to arrive on time and remain until the lecture is
finished. Arriving late or leaving early disturbs your classmates and
instructor. The content described in class might not be always in your
textbook, so you will need to take notes in class.
•You are encouraged to ask questions in class and during office hours. Do
not wait until you are failing the class to come to see me. You can also ask
questions by e-mail.
•Reading assignments for each class will be given and must be completed
before next lecture. It is the best way for you to understand the lecture.
•NO TEXT MESSAGING OR ANY OTHER ELECTRONIC
COMMUNICATION DURING CLASS
•NO LAPTOPS MAY BE USED DURING CLASS, EXCEPT BY
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT WITH THE INSTRUCTOR.
Honor Code: Everyone in this class has to follow the University of Florida
Honor Code: We, the members of the University of Florida community,
pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honesty
and integrity.
Grading
Required Text: Astronomy Today Volume 1: The Solar System, Chaisson
and McMillan (7th Edition)
Course Contents:
Introduction to the Solar System is a General Education physical science (P)
course. There are no prerequisites for this class; however, a basic
knowledge of grade school level mathematics is sometimes needed.
The goals I would like you to achieve throughout this semester are:
• Become familiar with the nature, origin and evolution of our solar
system
Course Contents:
Introduction to the Solar System is a General Education physical science (P
course. There are no prerequisites for this class; however, a basic
knowledge of grade school level mathematics is sometimes needed.
The goals I would like you to achieve throughout this semester are:
• Become familiar with the nature, origin and evolution of our solar
system
• Understand that many aspects of our solar system are changing with
time
• Understand how science works and build scientific reasoning skills
The course is organized into three sections:
• The view of the universe as seen from the Earth and the tools that we
use to observe and understand what we see.
• The structure of the solar system and the natures of the terrestrial and
jovian planets
• Understand that many aspects of our solar system are changing with
time
• Understand how science works and build scientific reasoning skills
The course is organized into three sections:
• The view of the universe as seen from the Earth and the tools that we
use to observe and understand what we see.
• The structure of the solar system and the natures of the terrestrial and
jovian planets
• Small bodies in the solar system and the clues that they offer to the
formation and evolution of the planets
Class Expectations and Obligations:
•I do not take class attendance; however, attendance to the lectures is
required. You are expected to arrive on time and remain until the lecture is
finished. Arriving late or leaving early disturbs your classmates and
instructor. The content described in class might not be always in your
textbook, so you will need to take notes in class.
Grading
Examinations (75% of grade):
Three examinations will be given during the semester. All exams are worth
the same, so the average of your 3 exams will be 75% of your grade.
Makeup exams will be given ONLY for documented medical or family
emergencies. The tentative dates for exams are:
Exam 1 (Chapters 1-5) Thursday, February 9th
Exam 2 (Chapters 6-13) Thursday, March 22nd
Exam 3 (Chapters 14, 15, 16 and 28) Tuesday, April 24th
There will also be an optional final given on May 2nd . If this final is taken,
your score could be used to replace the lowest of the above 3 exams. Topics
in the final exam will span the whole course.
These are in-class exams and the dates could change. Remember to arrive on
time and to bring #2 pencils, an eraser and your UF ID card. Each exam will
focus on the set of chapters listed, but may also incorporate material from
previous units. The exams will not be curved.
Project and Homework (graded) (15 % of grade)
Quizzes (10 % of grade):
There will be short quizzes online for each chapter beginning in chapter 2.
The quizzes assess knowledge and comprehension of the reading
assignments. These problems will be very similar but not identical to
questions that will appear on the exams and are excellent preparation for
exams. The best way to do well in the exams is to come to class, read the
book, study the lecture notes and work on the website.
Project and Homework (graded) (15 % of grade)
Different projects will be assigned during the semester and they will be
posted in the Projects page of this website. Your first projects are listed
below and two additional projects will be assigned later on during the
semester.
Project 1: Mastering Astronomy Website
Register in the Mastering Astronomy website. Once registered, go to our
class website, the class code is PLANETS. Complete Assignment 1,
Introduction to Mastering Astronomy. This assignment will familiarize you
with the website so that it will be easier to study for exams later.
Project 2: Observing Project
Project 1: Observing Project (Due on Thursday, February 16th - in class)
Project and Homework (graded) (15 % of grade)
Different projects will be assigned during the semester and they will be
posted in the Projects page of this website. Your first projects are listed
below and two additional projects will be assigned later on during the
semester.
Project 1: Mastering Astronomy Website
Register in the Mastering Astronomy website. Once registered, go to our
class website, the class code is PLANETS. Complete Assignment 1,
Introduction to Mastering Astronomy. This assignment will familiarize you
with the website so that it will be easier to study for exams later.
Project 2: Observing Project
Project 1: Observing Project (Due on Thursday, February 16th - in class)
Sending in a pdf version by e-mail is preferable.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of astronomy is the opportunity to do
actual observations of the sky with your eyes, binoculars or a telescope.
Each student will watch the sky over the course of 4 weeks to see how the
location of stars changes in the sky.
Register in the Mastering Astronomy website. Once registered, go to our
class website, the class code is PLANETS. Complete Assignment 1,
Introduction to Mastering Astronomy. This assignment will familiarize you
with the website so that it will be easier to study for exams later.
Project 2: Observing Project
Project 1: Observing Project (Due on Thursday, February 16th - in class)
Sending in a pdf version by e-mail is preferable.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of astronomy is the opportunity to do
actual observations of the sky with your eyes, binoculars or a telescope.
Each student will watch the sky over the course of 4 weeks to see how the
location of stars changes in the sky.
Quizzes (10 % of grade):
There will be short quizzes online for each chapter beginning in chapter 1.
The quizzes assess knowledge and comprehension of the reading
assignments. These problems will be very similar but not identical to
questions that will appear on the exams and are excellent preparation for
location of stars changes in the sky.
Quizzes (10 % of grade):
There will be short quizzes online for each chapter beginning in chapter 1.
The quizzes assess knowledge and comprehension of the reading
assignments. These problems will be very similar but not identical to
questions that will appear on the exams and are excellent preparation for
exams. The best way to do well in the exams is to come to class, read the
book, study the lecture notes and work on the website.
Homework (non graded)
Your major homework responsibility will be to complete the reading
assignments given in class, so you can fully participate in the next class.
Your full attention and participation is expected during class time.
assignments. These problems will be very similar but not identical to
questions that will appear on the exams and are excellent preparation for
exams. The best way to do well in the exams is to come to class, read the
book, study the lecture notes and work on the website.
Homework (non graded)
Your major homework responsibility will be to complete the reading
assignments given in class, so you can fully participate in the next class.
Your full attention and participation is expected during class time.
If you have a documented disability and anticipate needing accommodatio
in this course let me know as soon as possible, and request that the
Counselor for Students with Disabilities send a letter verifying your
disability.
Homework (non graded)
Your major homework responsibility will be to complete the reading
assignments given in class, so you can fully participate in the next class.
Your full attention and participation is expected during class time.
If you have a documented disability and anticipate needing accommodations
in this course let me know as soon as possible, and request that the
Counselor for Students with Disabilities send a letter verifying your
disability.
Summary of Contribution of the various requirements to the final Grade:
3 Exams: 75 %
Quizzes: 10 %
Project and Homework: 15 %
spring 2012 calendar
This is a tentative schedule and it will change !!
January
10 - Introduction and course Overview 12 - course overview
17 - charting the heavens (chapter 1)
19 - charting the heavens (Chapter 1)
24 - the copernican revolution (Chapter 2)
26 - the copernican revolution (Chapter 2)
31 - radiation (Chapter 3)
February
02 - spectroscopy and telescopes (Chapters 4 & 5)
07 - review exam 1
09 - exam 1 (Chapters 1-5)
14 - the solar system: comparative planetology (chapter 6)
16 - the solar system: comparative planetology (chapter 6)
21 - The earth (chapter 7)
23 - the moon and mercury (chapter 8)
28 - venus and mars (chapters 9 and 10)
March
01 - jupiter and saturn (Chapters 11 and 12)
6 /8 - No Class / Spring Break
13 - Jupiter and saturn (Chapters 11 and 12)
15 - uranus and neptune (chapter 13)
20 - review exam 2
22 - Exam 2 (chapters 6 - 13)
27 - solar system debris (chapter 14)
29 - solar system debris (chapter 14)
April
03 - the formation of planetary systems (Chapter
15)
05 - the formation of planetary systems (chapter 15)
10 - the sun (Chapter 16)
12 - life in the universe (chapter 28)
17 - life in the universe (chapter 28)
19 - review exam 3
24 - Exam 3 (chapters 14-16, 28)
May
02 - optional final (flg 210 from 3:00 to 5:00 pm)
Summary of Contribution of the various requirements to the final Grade:
3 Exams: 75 %
Quizzes: 10 %
Project and Homework: 15 %
Approximate Grading Scale:
Approximate Grading Scale:
A >90
B+ 85 – 89.9
B80 – 84.9
C+75 – 79.9
C65 – 74.9
D+ 60 – 64.9
D 50 – 59.9
E < 50
!
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January 2012 Last updated at 01:20 ET
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Carbon• emissions
'will defer Ice Age'
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• By Richard
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Black Environment correspondent, BBC News
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Carbon emissions 'will defer
By Richard Black Environment corresponde
The climate, if not
species, of an Ice Age "ought" to return within 1,500 years
Continue reading the main story
The last Ice Age ended about 11,500 years ago, and when the next one should begin has not
been entirely clear.
Researchers used data on the Earth's orbit and other things to find the historical warm
interglacial period that looks most like the current one.
In the journal Nature Geoscience, they write that the next Ice Age would begin within 1,500
years - but emissions have been so high that it will not.
"At current levels of CO2, even if emissions stopped now we'd probably have a long
interglacial duration determined by whatever long-term processes could kick in and bring
[atmospheric] CO2 down," said Luke Skinner from Cambridge University.
Dr Skinner's group - which also included scientists from University College London, the
University of Florida and Norway's Bergen University - calculates that the atmospheric
concentration of CO2 would have to fall below about 240 parts per million (ppm) before the
glaciation could begin.
The current level is around 390ppm.
The root causes of the transitions from Ice Age to interglacial and back again are the subtle
variations in the Earth's orbit known as the Milankovitch cycles, after the Serbian scientist
Milutin Milankovic who described the effect nearly 100 years ago.
Glaciation and its reverse are related to cycles
discovered by Milutin Milankovic
The variations include the eccentricity of the Earth's orbit around the Sun, the degree to which
its axis is inclined, and the slow rotation of its axis.
8 January 2012 Last updated at 19:31 ET
Alien hunters: An array of hope
DNA message
But it gets even more intriguing. Paul Davies of the Beyond Center at Arizona State University
has proposed looking not for aliens but for footprints of alien technology, such as waste from
their nuclear energy technology. And he has other ideas.
"The one that most intrigues me is the possibility that the aliens may have engaged in some
kind of biotechnology - if they had come to Earth and tinkered with terrestrial micro-organisms,
or even made their own from scratch, the products of that could still be around."
In other words, if aliens came through our neck of the woods long before we were here to see
them, they may have left deliberate clues tucked in the DNA of microbes that have faithfully
copied the message for millions of years.
Prof Davies reckons that, since we're sequencing the DNA of life of all sorts anyway, we
should keep an eye out for this kind of "message in a bottle".
5 February 2011 Last updated at 08:33 ET
The moment Britain became an island
By Megan Lane BBC News Magazine
Ancient Britain was a peninsula until a tsunami flooded its land-links to Europe some 8,000
years ago. Did that wave help shape the national character?
The coastline and landscape of what would become modern Britain began to emerge at the end
Ancient Britain was a peninsula until a tsunami flooded its land-links to Europe some 8,000
years ago. Did that wave help shape the national character?
The coastline and landscape of what would become modern Britain began to emerge at the end
of the last Ice Age around 10,000 years ago.
What had been a cold, dry tundra on the north-western edge of Europe grew warmer and wetter
as the ice caps melted. The Irish Sea, North Sea and the Channel were all dry land, albeit land
slowly being submerged as sea levels rose.
But it wasn't until 6,100BC that Britain broke free of mainland Europe for good, during the
Mesolithic period - the Middle Stone Age.