Indiana University Northwest

College of Arts and Sciences

Department of Chemistry, Physics, and Astronomy

 

COURSE SYLLABUS

 

Course: AST-A 109

Course Title: Charting the Night Sky

Instructor: Gregg L. Williams (g.williams@mcpstars.org)

Credit Hours: 3

Semester: Fall 2019

 

CLASS SCHEDULE:

The class meets on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. from September 7 to November 23. There is no class meeting on Saturday, October 12 and 26. Saturday, December 7 is a class emergency make-up day.

 

CLASS LOCATION:

The class is meeting at the Merrillville Community Planetarium, which is located inside of Clifford Pierce Middle School (CPMS). The planetarium and CPMS are part of the Merrill-ville Community Schools and are located at 199 East 70th Avenue in Merrillville. Pierce is one block east of Broadway, two blocks south of 68th Place, and two blocks north of 73rd Avenue.

Please park on the west side of Pierce – the side closest to Broadway. There are no fees or parking passes required. Enter on the west side of Pierce at entrance marked “Main Office/ Planetarium”.

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course discusses the celestial sphere and the relations between the apparent motions of the sun, moon, and planets with respect to the stars. The course will emphasize how to locate and identify bright stars, constellations, deep sky objects, and planets in the night sky.

 

TEXTBOOK (required): Universe (Revised Updated Edition, 2012) by Martin Rees, published by Dorling Kindersley (DK)

 

PREREQUISITES: None

 

CANVAS:

Students are expected to check Canvas frequently.  Test objectives and class notes will be posted to Canvas prior to each class session.  Grades for class activities, student participation, assignments, and tests will be posted to Canvas.  Important announcements, including changes to the class meeting schedule and opportunities for extra-credit, may be posted only to Canvas.

 

RATIONALE:

Humans have always been fascinated by the sky. Sky objects were worshipped and the motions of the sky were the basis of our time keeping. Today, we continue to be interested in the sky – especially the night sky. This course provides a foundation for observing the sun, moon, planets, and stars.

 

INTENDED AUDIENCE:

This course is intended for students who want to know more about observing the sky and educators desiring to include more astronomy in their teaching.

 

INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES:

Lectures and discussions will be the primary instructional activities. Class notes will be available through Canvas. The course will make extensive use of the planetarium for demonstrations, teaching constellations, and class activities. Students are expected to attend all class meetings and participate in all class activities.

 

COURSE CONTENT:

1. The Celestial Sphere

2. Stars, Constellations, and Deep Sky Objects

3. Coordinate Systems

4. The Sun and Earth

5. The Sun, Earth, and Moon

6. The Planets and Their Motions

7. Observing Sky Phenomena

8. Binoculars and Telescopes

 

STUDENT EVALUATION: Students will be evaluated using the following:

• Tests (approximately 50% of the grade) – There will be four tests, each covering approximately one-quarter of the course material.

• Take home assignment (approximately 10% of the grade) – Each student will complete a take home assignment.

• Class activities (approximately 20% of the grade) – There will be planetarium programs, demonstrations, and/or lab activities that students are expected to participate and/or complete. If you miss a class activity, you will not be able to make-up the class activity for that class meeting.

• Student participation (approximately 20% of the grade) – Each student is expected to be present for all lectures at each class meeting and to participate by asking questions and contributing to discussions. Student participation is earned per class meeting; if you miss a lecture or class meeting, you will not be able to make-up the participation for that class meeting.

 

Course Grade Assignment

100 – 90% A

89 – 80% B

79 – 70% C

69 – 60% D

59% and below F

 

CLASS ATTENDANCE:

This course has been approved to enforce the IU Northwest Attendance and Course Commitment Policy and the full text of this policy is available at:

http://www.iun.edu/registrar/policies/couse-commitment-attendance-policies.htm

As a student in this course, you are expected to attend scheduled class meetings and actively participate in all class activities. Students who miss the first week of the course or who do not attend 50% of the scheduled class meetings before the end of the fourth week of the course may be subject to administrative withdrawal. Regardless of attendance, students who do not actively participate in this class by receiving less than 50% of their Class activities and Student participation scores during the first four weeks are subject to administrative withdrawal. Students who are administratively withdrawn from this class after the fourth week will not be eligible for a tuition refund. Administrative withdrawals may have an impact on the student’s financial aid awards and visa status.