Syllabus
Astronomy Fall 2013
Astronomy 101-003 Fall2013
Tues & Thurs, 1100 – 1215, Regener Hall 103
3 hrs credit
Instructor:
T. Howard
thowardz@unm.edu
Office hours: available after class, office area behind Regener; see me at end of class
Week 1 begins Tuesday, 20 August (first class meeting)
Week 16 ends Thursday, 5 December (last class meeting)
Course description from UNM catalog:
“Conceptual description of our fascinating universe: early astronomy, Newtonian
synthesis, Earth, Moon, planets, asteroids, comets, the sun, our solar system, stars, black
holes, galaxies, dark matter, dark energy and cosmological mysteries.”
Course objectives: to achieve a comfortable working knowledge of the sky and major
celestial objects; to learn the basic structure of our universe as we currently know it; and
to understand the important questions being addressed by modern-day astronomy, and the
scientific methods used to do so.
Text: Astronomy: A Beginner’s Guide to the Universe, 7th ed., Chaisson & McMillan
(Addison-Wesley, 2013) ISBN 10: 978-0-321-81535-4.
Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites.
Grades: will be based on the following assignments and weightings -2 project assignments worth 8 points each
Mid-term exam (in-class, open book/notes) worth 45 points
Final exam (in-class, open book/notes) worth 45 points
Total grade is sum of all points earned
More details and posting of instructions in week 2
Final grade based on 100 point scale with + and – grades (UNM standard)
A = 93 – 100, B = 85-92, C = 76 – 84, D = 68 – 75.
Top and bottom 2 pts in each range are +/-.
Attendance Policy: Regular attendance and participation in class is required. I do not
grade on the basis of attendance; nevertheless, students are responsible for all
assignments and other course administration announcements as given in class. UNM
Pathfinder policies apply, which in part means that instructor drops based on nonattendance are possible. This policy applies regardless of the grading option chosen.
Accommodation Statement: Accessibility Services (Mesa Vista Hall 2021, 277-3506)
provides academic support to students who have disabilities. If you think you need
alternative accessible formats for undertaking and completing coursework, you should
contact this service right away to assure your needs are met in a timely manner. If you
need local assistance in contacting Accessibility Services, see the Bachelor and Graduate
Programs office.
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Syllabus
Astronomy Fall 2013
Academic Integrity: The University of New Mexico believes that academic honesty is a
foundation principle for personal and academic development. All University policies
regarding academic honesty apply to this course. Academic dishonesty includes, but is
not limited to, cheating or copying, plagiarism, fabricating information or citations,
facilitating acts of dishonesty by others, having unauthorized possession of examinations,
submitting work of another person or work previously used without informing the
instructor, or tampering with the academic work of other students. The University’s full
statement on academic honesty and the consequences for failure to comply is available in
the college catalog and in the Pathfinder.
Cell phones, laptops, etc: Please mute or turn off your cell phones or other electronic
gadgets while in class.
Course Website: will be available next class; used for reference materials
Schedule: Note, the instructor will provide details of reading assignments at each class.
Class schedule by week and topic: approximate
Date
Topics
Week 1
Introduction,
practical astronomy
Planetary motion
Light & Telescopes
Solar System
*** NOTE ***
Earth, Moon, Terrestrial
Planets
Jovian Planets
The Sun
The stars
Fall Break Thurs 10/10
Stars, Interstellar
medium
Stellar evolution
The Milky Way
Galaxies
Intro to Cosmology
Cosmology
Life in the Universe
Thanksgiving week
Exoplanets, Astrobiology
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12
Week 13
Week 14
Week 15
Week 16
Text
chapters
Ch. 0, 1
Week of (Monday)
Ch.1, 2
Ch. 2, 3
Ch. 4, 5
Aug 26
Sep 2
Sep 9
** No class 9/12 **
Sep 16
Ch. 5, 6
Ch. 7, 8
Ch. 9
Ch. 10
Ch. 10, 11
Ch. 12, 13
Ch. 14
Ch. 15, 16
Ch. 16, 17
Ch. 17
Ch. 18
Ch. 18
Aug 19
Sep 23
Sep 30
Oct 7
** No class 10/10 **
Oct 14
Oct 21
Oct 28
Nov 4
Nov 11
Nov 18
Nov 25
** No class 11/28 **
Dec 2
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