Astronomy 107, Autumn 2021, U.
Louisville
Check this website frequently for
course announcements and information.
Instructor: Dr. Gerard Williger, Natural
Science Bldg (NS) 206
Contact:
tel 852-0821, e-mail gmwill06* where *=@louisville.edu
Here are links for my homepage and
my teaching
page (with grading history)
Office
hours: After class
for one hour AND by appointment.
As a general policy, I don't
answer questions about an assignment or
test on the day it's
due/given. It's not a good way to study, and it
can swamp me. I'll happily be available before due dates,
though.
Meets: Tue/Thu 3:30-4:15pm in
the planetarium + lecture hall (LE, Strickler 102, big lecture
room),
tests/exam plus other lectures),
and the online as
announced
Class number: 107-02
3 credits
COVID-19
RESOURCES/LINKS
SPECIAL NOTES FOR THE SWITCH TO ELECTRONIC INSTRUCTION AS OF
MAR. 18, 2020 and all "hybrid" courses thereafter,
DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC:
The class is during the COVID pandemic, and changes may be
made at any time. Things to note:
1) Homework will be submitted via paper unless otherwise
noted. See "Weekly
Assignments" for due dates
2) Lectures will be given mostly in person. Often, I
will afterwards post slides/audio files on the class
protected site
3) A class discussion board for students to pose and answer
each other's questions will be created on BlackBoard.
4) Testing will be in person unless otherwise noted.
UL
Student Support Page for the COVID-19 situation.
In addition to the instructor and
your classmates, these people can help you.
It is your responsibility
to get help when you need it.
Graders/Tutors: Grader: Stacy
Hicks (sghick04@)
REACH tutors: Jacob Schagene and Anthony Wood (book appointments
via the REACH
Center)
PLC tutors: John Pritchard (official for 107,
jgprit01@), Justin Hill (official for 107, jahill09@), Wade
Roemer (official for other classes but knows astronomy,
wade.roemer@), Rosie Fasullo (official for other classes but
knows astronomy, rbfasu01@)
General PLC hours: Mon 10-4pm, Tue 10am-2pm, Wed 10am-4pm,
Thu 10am-4pm, Fri 11am-4pm, in Nat Sci 304
Students
who know Astronomy: Pritchard Mon 12-2, Thu 1-3, Fri 12-1;
Hill Tue 11-2, Wed 2-4; Roemer Mon 11-12, 1-2, Thu 12-1;
Fasullo Tue 12-2, Fri 2-4
Our
2009-2010 Learning Assistant, Russell Tabolt, and several
other good students (most or all A-Stars)
had
this advice
for
students how to do well.
The
Learning Assistant LA program is normally sponsored by the REACH Center,
which
offers many tutoring services, including math help. We do
not have an LA
this
semester.
Please contact the REACH Center, the Physics Learning
Center (PLC, in Nat Sci 304, open Mon 11-3, Tue 11-2, Wed 11-3,
Thu 11-3, as drop-in tutoring, staffed by physics majors/grad
students), or an A-Star if you need help.
A-Stars:
See the A-Star page for a
list of current A-stars.
Tutoring:
REACH Center,
including math tutoring in Strickler 226, tel 852-8114
This course uses high school math (algebra and trigonometry).
UL undergraduate admissions
standards are here.
Some Kentucky high school standards for math and
science are here.
If you need help, come to
the REACH center or PLC, the tutors or Dr. Williger.
Many students in this course have found that they can handle
the math
once they get a little help. If you are in remedial
math or in Math 105/107/109 (remember
that Math 111 is the gen-ed requirement) you should
definitely
get weekly tutoring until you consistently get at least 50%
on the quizzes.
Please note that the lab is a different, completely INDEPENDENT
course (Physics & Astronomy 108), which, if taken,
need not be during the same semester.
You
need to bring these items to face to face class each
time:
non-graphing
calculator, pencil, clicker, to be ready for a POP
QUIZ
(possible any time, either on paper or via
clicker).
Click
for details and quiz/test/class ETIQUETTE.
YOU WILL NEED TO BUY A
CLICKER AND (FOR EXTRA CREDIT) A PLANISPHERE -
DETAILS HERE
Click HERE
- HOW TO REGISTER YOUR CLICKER (scroll down on FAQ page)
OBJECTIVES and
TEXTBOOK: click here for details
As usual with college courses,
you are expected to spend 2-3 hours reading, doing homework,
studying,
etc. for each credit hour of the class. It's a 3
hour course,
so
that means 6-9 hours outside
work per week ON AVERAGE. Some people need more,
some less. If
you need help, please come to the instructor,
grader, tutors, your fellow classmates, the Physics Learning
Center and/or the Reach Center.
We're
all here to help. But, you need to take responsibility for
yourself to seek help if you need it.
Here are some words of
wisdom for effective studying from a student.
Here are more
words of wisdom to succeed in college astronomy
(and other classes) from Jeff Bennett, a renowned
college astronomy educator,
and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific.
WEEKLY
ASSIGNMENTS: Reading, Homework, Challenge
Pblms, Pre/post tests: (link)
ASTRO-NEWS
titles
and links to news in astronomy - REQUIRED READING for quizzes
and tests!
LINKS Equations used
in class, including a few REQUIRED EQUATIONS to
learn, constellation
sites
to extra material (fair game for extra credit) and
in-depth explanations and student questions.
SUPPLEMENTAL
MATERIAL in-depth explanations, chapter by
chapter, plus simulators and other fun stuff.
For Autumn 2019: See the Netflix series "The Universe"
for more material about what we are studying.
The first
episode is on the sun and relates well to our class
work. Thanks to Joe Vicars for the
recommendation!
PROTECTED
which has answers to homework/quizzes/tests,
PowerPoints, in-class assignments etc.
HOMEWORK
POLICY: on paper unless otherwise announced, policy on
copying/cheating and other rules
TEST
POLICY
COURSE BUILDING/ROOM BY DAY:
LOCATION:
About half the classes
classes will be in the Planetarium (PL) About
half will be in the Strickler 102 Lecture
Hall (LE).
Schedule (subject to
revision)
TUE
____ THU
08/24PL
08/26LE
08/31LE
09/02LE
09/07PL
09/09PL
09/14LE
09/16PL
(planetarium air
conditioning broken on
14 Sep)
09/21PL
09/23LE
09/28PL
09/30LE Midterm 1 (Ch 1-6)
Midterm break 10/07PL
10/12PL
10/14LE
10/19PL
10/21LE
10/26PL
10/28LE
11/02PL
11/04LE
Midterm 2 (Ch 7-13)
11/09PL
11/11LE
11/16PL
11/18LE
11/23PL
THANKSGIVING
11/30PL
12/02LE
CUMULATIVE FINAL EXAM: TUESDAY Dec 14
at 5:30-8pm, as voted by the class
GRADING
POLICY: in a nutshell,
participation (clickers) 12.5%, homework 12.5%, 2
midterms 18.75% each, cumulative final 37.5%,
Historically, 3-5% is roughly 1/3 of a letter
grade (the difference
between a B+ and A-), but the exact scale varies from
semester to semester.
I reserve the right to change the weighting formula in
case of substantial missed work for medical or other
excused absences.
EXCUSED ABSENCES: If you have a written, verifiable
excuse from a third party (doctor, sports coach etc.), I
can excuse
you from a homework assignment due that day or a paper
quiz that day. For a death in the family etc.
take care of your family first, but I would eventually
like to see some sort of documentation (newspaper notice
etc.) after the fact. For a test, I need written
documentation and please
notify me a week in advance to talk about the
possibility of a makeup. The University Testing
Center administers (and charges for)
make-up tests and final exams - see here.
If you miss a Big Quiz/Midterm or the Final Exam, speak
with me in real time (phone, Microsoft Teams etc.)
I generally don't excuse missed clicker points, in-class
assignments etc. If you miss several of those,
please
See the Frequently Asked Questions link below for more
details.
IF YOU MISS
CLASS:
Get notes etc. from a classmate.
The slides already covered are
usually available on the class protected
site.
There is usually an audio file for
each class, too, on the class protected
site.
Get help from a tutor or the
instructor as needed.
Missed clicker points cannot be made
up. However, clicker points are
calculated such that a student can miss
20-25%
of the lectures without
penalty, on average.
EXTRA
CREDIT DETAILS There are several
assignments offered each semester. They will be
announced as they come up.
1)
SURVEYS:
1a) Do the student survey. If you did not do it in
class, an electronic copy will be offered.
1b) Do the pre-course diagnostic survey, due on Tue 31 Aug at
3:30pm on BlackBoard. It is worth 2 bonus clicker points.
You have one hour and one try with BlackBoard. Since
BlackBoard often times out when one is logged in from off-campus,
I strongly
urge you to do the survey WITH A GOOD INTERNET CONNECTION. Let me
know if it "hangs". I may be able
to fix it in that case, but it is not guaranteed. Please do
not look up answers from any source. Your diagnostic survey
grade is only based on
participation. It will help me to teach the course better if
your answers are given honestly, without looking up answers.
It is worth 2 participation points (about 0.2% on your grade -
bonuses do add up). Let me know if you have a technical
problem with the survey.
1c) Do the mid-course diagnostic survey. It is on
BlackBoard, due on Tue 9 Nov at 3:30pm.
1d) Do the post-course diagnostic survey. It is on
BlackBoard, due at **1pm on Wed Dec 15**.
You have one hour and one try for this survey, with no
back-tracking of answers, so ensure that you have a good Internet
connection before you start.
It is to help me teach better, so please do not look up any
answers if you do not know them.
It is worth 2 bonus participation points.
1e) Do the official UL online course survey at the end of the
course. Upload a screenshot which shows that you did
it. It is worth 2 participation points. To get the credit,
i) DO the survey by **9am on Wed Dec 15**, and
ii) UPLOAD your screenshot to the BlackBoard assignment by that
time/date.
2) Astrophotos.
a) See the Extra
Credit page for details on taking pictures of sunrise/sunset
(6 photos, spaced
7-10 days apart, worth up to +2% on your grade) moon phases (4,
spaced 5-9 days apart, up to +1% on your
grade), planets (at least one photo, including a planet and either
another astronomical object or ground objects for reference)
and sunspots (2, spaced about 7 days apart, worth up to +1% on
your grade). There are
mandatory worksheets associated with each one, as these are
treated as scientific observations.
NEW: Help NASA track the growing problem of satellite
constellations (Starlink etc.) by photographing and uploading
them.
See the Extra
Credit page for details.
The deadline for each assignment is at 9am on Thu 29 Apr
(EXTENDED).
There is no extra credit for a planetarium show or planispheres
during COVID/hybrid semesters,
because the planetarium is mostly closed.
3) Watch "A Private Universe" (20' video, linked from the class
supplemental
site, Ch 1). Feel free to use other material,
including
`Radio Wave Errors: Students Mistaking Radio Transverse
Electromagnetic Light Waves as Longitudinal Sound Waves', linked
from the class supplemental site (Ch 1 listing).
As *always* expected in college-level academic work, type on
paper, and cite your sources. Submit a PDF file, and use 12
point type.
In about 150-200 words (about a half page), summarize the video.
Then, in about 200-250 words (maximum one page), write about
(a) any misconceptions about astronomy (or other science) you have
had so far in your academic history, or
misconceptions you think others might have, and how you
think they arose in either inside or outside the classroom
(GIVE A DETAILED EXAMPLE),
(b) how those misconceptions were overcome (or not overcome), and
(c) how you think we can help to correct those misconceptions in
Astronomy 107, possibly including but not limited to
smaller class size, weekly recitations with a TA, tutoring, using
visual aids, Astronomy 108 labs, group assignments or
anything else you can think of. I will share results
with our department and college.
As usual in a college course, grammar, spelling and style count.
Each error in grammar or spelling will reduce the grade by 10%.
DUE: By noon, on Tue Dec 7 (EXTENDED).
I will create a BlackBoard assignment for uploading your papers.
Worth: up to 1.5% on your participation grade.
4) Attend the Bullitt
Lecture in Astronomy on Thu. Oct. 7 at 8pm in the
Planetarium. The speaker is
Dr. Nathan De Lee (NKU), on exoplanets and life in the
Universe. Write a 200 word summary, to be uploaded on
BlackBoard by noon on Tue. Dec. 7 (EXTENDED). It should be
written in college-level prose, and grammar, spelling and style
count.
It is worth up to +1% on your participation grade.
The slides and an audio file are on the class protected site.
5) Vote in the survey to select the final exam date/time:
(1) Sat Dec 11, 4:45-7:15pm, or (2) Tue Dec 14, 5:30-8pm, or (3)
both are OK.
The survey is on BlackBoard and the deadline is Tue Nov 2 at
4:45pm (end of class). It's good for one bonus clicker
point.
6) Submit a mnemonic for the stellar spectral classes
OBAFGKM and an additional one for brown dwarfs
(including LTY), via a BlackBoard forum.
Deadline: TUE 9 Nov, by NOON, so I can review them
to make a first-round vote in class at 3:30pm. See the forum
for details.
You get an extra participation point for each entry (maximum of
one per category) and the first,
second and third places get 5, 3 and 1 bonus clicker points
respectively.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS!
OBAFGKM:
1st: Only Billy Angrily Grabs Karaoke Mikes (E Koressel)
2nd: Oh Boy A Fancy Giraffe Kicked Me (K Walden)
3rd (tie): Only Bankers Are Finding Gorilla Killing Men (A Couri)
3rd (tie): Open Bar: A Free Gin & Kalamata Martini? (C
Nelligan)
OBAFGKMLTY:
1st: Oh Boy A Fancy Giraffe Kicked Me. Listen To Yelling. (K
Walden)
2nd: Only Bankers Are Finding Gorilla Killing Men, Like The Young
(A Couri)
3rd: Open Bar: A Free Gin & Kalamata Martini? Let's Talk
Yesterday. (C Nelligan)
7) Solar Crossword.
The due date is Tue 9 Nov at the beginning of class.
The clues and crossword grid are on the protected
site in the file ch10_crossword.pdf
Then answer the questions on the BlackBoard test. You can
get up to 5
bonus clicker points for it, scaled by the percentage you get
right.
I recommend that you do it BEFORE Big Quiz 2, to learn the
material.
8) Photograph the Nov 19, 2021 partial lunar eclipse.
See instruction sheet here. Fill it in upload it to
BlackBoard by 9am on Wed Dec 8.
It's worth up to 2% extra credit on your grade if you fill in the
sheet correctly and submit up to six
photos showing a time progression of the eclipse. Since it's
a penumbral eclipse, it may be difficult
to photograph except near maximum. You must have a time
for each photo down to the
minute, you must note your location, the local weather conditions
and the location of the moon
in the sky: direction (N,NE,E,SE,S,SW,W, or NW) and altitude in
degrees. Your fist at arm's length
subtends about 10 degrees.
9) Summarize in about 200 words the Astronomy on Tap lecture by
Chris Graney
to be held on Wed Dec 1 at 7pm at Monnik Beer Co. (1036 E Burnett,
Louisville 40217). Upload your summary on BlackBoard. Grammar,
spelling and style count.
It is worth up to +1% on your participation grade.
The slides and audio file are on the class protected site.
The due date is EXTENDED till 1pm on Wed Dec 15.
FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
Cheating is
grounds for automatic
failure of the course.
ZERO TOLERANCE.
The official University
definition and procedures
are in
Sections 5-6 of the
Student Handbook
I use cheating detection
software. I will
report cheating or
allegations of cheating
to the Dean. COPYING HOMEWORK FROM
ANOTHER PERSON OR A
REFERENCE
(INCLUDING WIKIPEDIA),
USING COMMUNICATIONS
DEVICES OR
PASSING INFORMATION ON
CALCULATORS DURING TESTS,
"CLICKING" FOR SOMEONE
ELSE (AUTOMATIC PENALTY IS
AT LEAST -2% ON YOUR GRADE
FOR EACH PARTY AND EACH
OFFENSE AND A REPORT TO
THE DEAN),
TRYING TO GAIN UNFAIR
ADVANTAGES COMPARED TO
OTHER
STUDENTS AND
PLAGIARISM ARE ALL
EXAMPLES OF
CHEATING. AVOID EVEN
THE
APPEARANCE OF
CHEATING. SHARING
CALCULATORS IS PROHIBITED
DURING TESTS.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES IS
IT *EVER* ACCEPTABLE TO
COPY SOMEONE ELSE'S WORK
VERBATIM AND TURN IT IN AS
YOUR OWN.
THIS INCLUDES IF YOU'RE
COLLABORATING OPENLY ON
HOMEWORK (ALLOWED) OR TWO
STUDENTS ARE MARRIED TO
EACH OTHER.
This policy is
done to protect the
integrity of the grades of
the vast majority of
students who
are honest. Rather
than cheat, it is far easier
to ask for help in the
class.
I ask for everyone's support
toward this goal.
Here
is an example of cheating on
homework. See
"Close the Book. Recall.
Write It Down." at the
bottom of
my teaching
page.
Announcements:
If you are interested in more looking
through telescopes and learning about
astronomy, check out the
Louisville Astronomical Society at www.louisville-astro.org.
There are students in the
organization, including
Kyle Kenner, who was in a
previous Astronomy 107 class.
ASTRO-POETRY: Class member from
Autumn 2008 Morghan Tyler wrote some
inspired poetry:
In
Stars Tonight
Astronomy
Lab Sestina
Syllabus
(subject to revision): the
Earth-Moon system, nature of light,
telescopes, planets,
moons, comets & asteroids, the
Sun, stars (their births, lives,
deaths and planetary systems),
the Milky Way galaxy, other galaxies,
the Big Bang and early history of the
Universe.
The 2 page summary will be posted on
BlackBoard.
In case of ambiguity or conflict, the
class website is the final authority
for class policy.
Two
big
things you can
do to improve
your
performance:
DO HOMEWORK
and GET HELP
WHEN YOU NEED
IT.
FINAL
GRADING
CURVE:
(Original
guaranteed
maxima)
A+ >100%
A
80.0-100%
(90-100%)
A-
75.0-80.0%
B+ 71.0-75.0%
B
67.5-71.0% (80-90%)
B-
64.5-67.5%
C+ 61.0-64.5%
C
58.0-61.0% (70-80%)
C-
54.5-58.0%
D+ 50.0-54.5%
D
45.0-50.0% (60-70%)
D-
42.0-45.0% (55-60%)
F
<42.0%
guessing on
tests with
full
participation
and all
homework
attempted but
done wrong:
40%
During the
semester, I
reserve the
right to relax
the grading
scale. A
grade of
A-,A,A+ or
"benefit of
the doubt"
when a student
is near a
grade
boundary also
depends on
conduct: no
cheating,
knowingly
letting
someone copy
off your work
or anti-social
behavior.
If you
want to talk
about your
grade, please
make an
appointment to
speak in real
time (not just
e-mail).
UL regulations
state that
BlackBoard is
the preferred
method of
distributing
information
about grades.
Since only
about a third
of your grade
is determined
by the
withdrawal
deadline at
mid-semester,
nearly
everyone has a
chance at a
good grade (B
or better) at
that point, if
good effort
has been made
on homework
and
participation.
IN
CASE YOU
WITHDRAW:
Withdrawing
from a class
is a loss of
time and
resources for
both the
student and
the
University.
Please let Dr.
W and your
academic
advisor know
why. It
will help to
minimize
withdrawals in
the future.