Johnson, Erik

English

Scholarship at Parkland

Parkland CollegeAstronomy Courses Natural Sciences Courses2015Astronomy 102 Stars, Galaxies, The UniverseSpring 2015Erik JohnsonParkland College, ejohnson@parkland.eduOpen access to this Course Materials is brought to you by Parkland College's institutional repository, SPARK: Scholarship at Parkland. For moreinformation, please contact spark@parkland.edu.Recommended CitationJohnson, Erik, "Astronomy 102 Stars, Galaxies, The Universe Spring 2015" (2015). Astronomy Courses. Paper 12.http://spark.parkland.edu/ast_course/12 Astronomy 102 Stars, Galaxies, The Universe 2015 Spring  Instructor: Erik Johnson Email: ejohnson@parkland.edu Phone: 217-353-2096 Office: L212 Observing hotline: 217-373-3782 ext. 6407# Observing texts: 815-683-6111  Student contact hours: to be determined, please take the survey!  Course websites:  cobra.parkland.edu (assignments, announcements, quizzes, email)   natsci.parkland.edu/ast/102 (backup in case Cobra isn’t working)   bcs.whfreeman.com/deu5e/ (book companion site; contains animations, flashcards, practice quizzes)  Textbook: Discovering the Essential Universe by Neil Comins, Sixth Edition (Fifth Edition is also acceptable) The textbook is available for purchase or rental in the bookstore, and the ebook is available for a 180-day rental at the bookstore or at ebooks.bfwpub.com/deu5e.php  Clickers: We will use iClickers every day, and 10% of your overall grade will be based on using them. They may be used for several courses at Parkland and at other institutions. You may use the iClicker GO app as well.  Lab packet: We've printed all the lab procedures and you can buy them at the bookstore. They are the cheapest way to print the procedures. Check the lab schedule and bring the appropriate procedure for each lab.   Software: You will frequently use the free Stellarium planetarium software during this course. You must complete the tutorial by the end of the first lab. Stellarium is available at stellarium.org.  Class room, days, and time: L146; Mon, Wed, Fri; 11:00-11:50 (001) or 1:00-1:50 (002) Lab room, day, and time: L146; Thu; 10:00-11:50 (001) or 1:00-2:50 (002) Final exam: May 11 (Mon); 11:00-1:00 (001) or May 12 (Tue); 11:00-1:00 (002)  Disabilities: If you believe you have a disability for which you may need an academic accommodation (e.g. an alternate testing environment, use of assistive technology or other classroom assistance), please contact: Cathy Robinson, Room U260, 217-353-2082, crobinson@parkland.edu.   Courtesy: Do not bring food or drinks to the planetarium, and don’t turn on any lights when the dome is dark. Please set all cell phones to silent mode or off while you are in class. If you are concerned about possible emergencies, consider having people contact Public Safety (217-351-2369) on your behalf.   Census date rosters and midterm: At the end of the second week of class, I am required to assess your attendance. If you have not attended to that point, you will be dropped with no refund of tuition and fees. After this census date, you should not plan on an instructor withdrawal if you want to withdraw from the course. You are ultimately responsible for your own withdrawal by the withdrawal date. Non-attendance after the census date will result in a failing grade if you don't withdraw yourself.   Veterans: I welcome student veterans of military service to join Student Veterans at Parkland (SVAP), a student group that meets Wednesdays at 3:00 PM in U299. For further information about veterans' issues, please contact Kristina Taylor, Financial Aid Advisor/Veterans Certifying Official, 217-351-2228 or ktaylor@parkland.edu or Lori Williams, Professor of English/Student Veterans at Parkland Faculty Advisor, 217-373-3792 or lwilliams@parkland.edu.   Addenda: Please access Cobra to view the college-wide policies, which contain invaluable information to help you succeed at Parkland. Go to cobra.parkland.edu/shared/shared%20content%20files/syllabus_addendum.html.  Study Groups: You are encouraged to work with other students on assignments, but all submitted answers must be in your own words, and each student must submit his/her own assignment.  Email: Email is probably the quickest way to contact your instructors. I will often email you through your Cobra account, but you can forward those emails to another account of your choice. All assignments, labs, etc. must be submitted into the specific submissions dropbox for each assignment on Cobra in order to get credit for the assignment.    Grading: 900-1000 points A Pre- and Post-Assessment and Syllabus Quiz: 15 points  800-899 points B Quizzes (40 points each, seven): 280 points  700-799 points C Clicker questions participation: 100 points  600-699 points D Lab Activities (20 points each, 13 of 14): 260 points  0-599 points F Sky Drills (five points each, two): 10 points  or < 60% (< 156 points) on labs Sky Quizzes (20 points each, two): 40 points   Observing session and report: 80 points   Course Project: 90 points   Final Exam: 125 points   Total: 1000 points   Pre- and post-course assessments: You must complete a thirty-question, multiple-choice quiz on Cobra within the first couple days of class. It is ungraded, and you will receive five points upon completion of the assignment. You will also have a post-course assessment available with similar grading guidelines.  Syllabus quiz: To ensure you have read through the syllabus, you must also pass the syllabus quiz to access certain portions of the course. You may take the quiz multiple times in the first week to ensure you know the material and earn all five points.   Quizzes and final exam: There will be seven quizzes throughout the semester and will be taken on Cobra. You are given two chances to take each of the seven unit quizzes. Your total grade will be the average of the two quizzes, but you may choose to take the quiz once. You must take each quiz before the deadline, or your grade will be a zero. The quizzes cover the recent class material, while the final exam is cumulative. The date for the final exam is on the first page.  Participation: Participation will be worth 100 points and is based on punctual attendance and using the iClicker. Your iClicker activity will be scored based on answering questions, not answering them correctly. If a student is late more than twice, it will be marked as an absence. If a student falls asleep or is repeatedly texting, they are not mentally present and may be counted as absent. Three or more unexcused absences will result in a 20 point deduction.   Laboratory activities: Lab activities occur only one day a week, and can’t be made up. However, the lowest score of your labs will be dropped. Completing all of the labs is worth 10 extra credit points. The Lab Procedures have more information and will be covered in your first lab.  Sky drills and sky quizzes: You will be quizzed on constellations, asterisms, and other sky objects in the planetarium. A list of the objects you will need to know is given on the website. A drill session will be given during class to prepare you for each Sky Quiz. Attendance at each drill is worth five points. Dates for these drills and quizzes are given in the schedule and on the Sky Quizzes page. Optional extra or make-up practices will be held and are also listed on the Sky Quizzes page.  Constellation Project: A research project will be completed during the semester. The project is worth 90 points. The project involves studying the stars contained within a certain constellation. It will include analysis of the data you collect, a final written report, and a poster. Details of the project can be found on the website.   Observing session: Stellarium is a wonderful tool, but nothing can compare to the real night sky. You will receive 60 points for simply attending the observation, but you will not receive any points until you submit a typed report about the session. The report is worth 20 points, should contain at least 800 words, and must be turned in within one week of the observing session. The report should include a description of the observing conditions, a summary of what you did during the session, a description of each object observed, and a definition of each type of object observed (i.e. if you observe a planetary nebula, write a definition of a planetary nebula).  The observing session takes place at the CUAS Observatory, about 15 minutes’ drive from Parkland. You will be required to sign up for the session you wish to attend. Dates and times for these observations will be provided in class and on Cobra. These are scheduled between the last quarter and new moon phases. See the Observing Schedule page for more information. All observing sessions are "weather permitting." Contact the hotline or me via text before coming to the session. Here are the driving directions: goo.gl/maps/9Sifd       Extra credit: There is a 70 point limit on extra credit earned. Several opportunities are listed below and on the website.   Extra credit opportunities this semester: Saturday Engineering for Everyone lecture every other Saturday at 10:15 AM, check the schedule for astronomy topics World of Science lecture first Friday of the month at 7:00 PM, check the schedule for astronomy topics Staerkel Planetarium shows Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM all semester Prairie Skies shows at Staerkel Planetarium Fridays at 7:00 PM all semester Family Skywatch at CUAS Observatory on Saturdays around the first quarter Moon at 19:30 Feel free to ask me about other potentially eligible events.  Tentative Schedule:  Week Sections Topics Special Notes Lab (*laptops) 1/12 1-1 – 1-5;  1-14 The Night Sky Planetarium (F) Stellarium Tutorial* 1/19 1-1 – 1-5; 2-1 Motion of Stars;  Scientific Method  Stars of the Seasons* 1/26 3-1 – 3-11 Light; Telescopes no class (M); Quiz 1 Scientific Method* 2/2 3-12 – 3-18 Atoms; Spectra Project Introduction (M); Planetarium (F) Telescopes 2/9 9-1 – 9-10 The Sun Quiz 2; Project part 1 due (W); Sky Drill #1 (F) Spectra 2/16 10-1 – 10-3 Magnitude and Distance Quiz 3; Sky Quiz #1 (F) Solar Observing* 2/23 10-4 – 10-12 Stellar Spectra; Luminosity; HR Diagram Project part 2 due (W);  Sky Drill #2 (F) no lab 3/2 11-1 – 11-8 Nebulae: Stellar Birthplaces Midterm (F); Sky Quiz #2 (F) Stellar Parallax and Proper Motion* 3/9 11-9 – 11-15 Stellar Lifespans and Deaths Quiz 4  Properties of Stars 3/16 12-1 – 12-10 Supernovae  Project Part 3* 3/23   spring break  3/30 12-11 – 12-18 Black Holes Quiz 5 Distance to the Pleiades 4/6 13-1 – 13-7 The Milky Way Project paper due (M) Ages of Star Clusters 4/13 13-8 – 13-18 Other Galaxies and Redshift Quiz 6 Monster of the Milky Way* 4/20 13-19 – 13-23 Quasars and Active Galaxies  Distance to Galaxies 4/27 14-1 – 14-15 Big Bang Theory Project poster due (M);  Poster session (W) Hubble Law* 5/4 15-1 – 15-6 Exobiology Quiz 7; no class (F) Life in the Universe* 5/11   Final Exam: 11:00 Monday (001) or 11:00 Tuesday (002)   

Astronomy 102 Stars, Galaxies, The Universe Spring 2015

SPARK: Scholarship at Parkland | Parkland College

Parkland College
Astronomy Courses Natural Sciences Courses
2015
Astronomy 102 Stars, Galaxies, The Universe
Spring 2015
Erik Johnson
Parkland College, ejohnson@parkland.edu
Open access to this Course Materials is brought to you by Parkland College's institutional repository, SPARK: Scholarship at Parkland. For more
information, please contact spark@parkland.edu.
Recommended Citation
Johnson, Erik, "Astronomy 102 Stars, Galaxies, The Universe Spring 2015" (2015). Astronomy Courses. Paper 12.
http://spark.parkland.edu/ast_course/12
 Astronomy 102 Stars, Galaxies, The Universe 2015 Spring 
 
Instructor: Erik Johnson Email: ejohnson@parkland.edu Phone: 217-353-2096 
Office: L212 Observing hotline: 217-373-3782 ext. 6407# Observing texts: 815-683-6111 
 
Student contact hours: to be determined, please take the survey! 
 
Course websites:  cobra.parkland.edu (assignments, announcements, quizzes, email) 
  natsci.parkland.edu/ast/102 (backup in case Cobra isn’t working) 
  bcs.whfreeman.com/deu5e/ (book companion site; contains animations, flashcards, practice quizzes) 
 
Textbook: Discovering the Essential Universe by Neil Comins, Sixth Edition (Fifth Edition is also acceptable) 
The textbook is available for purchase or rental in the bookstore, and the ebook is available for a 180-day rental at the 
bookstore or at ebooks.bfwpub.com/deu5e.php 
 
Clickers: We will use iClickers every day, and 10% of your overall grade will be based on using them. They may be used 
for several courses at Parkland and at other institutions. You may use the iClicker GO app as well. 
 
Lab packet: We've printed all the lab procedures and you can buy them at the bookstore. They are the cheapest way to 
print the procedures. Check the lab schedule and bring the appropriate procedure for each lab. 
  
Software: You will frequently use the free Stellarium planetarium software during this course. You must complete the 
tutorial by the end of the first lab. Stellarium is available at stellarium.org. 
 
Class room, days, and time: L146; Mon, Wed, Fri; 11:00-11:50 (001) or 1:00-1:50 (002) 
Lab room, day, and time: L146; Thu; 10:00-11:50 (001) or 1:00-2:50 (002) 
Final exam: May 11 (Mon); 11:00-1:00 (001) or May 12 (Tue); 11:00-1:00 (002) 
 
Disabilities: If you believe you have a disability for which you may need an academic accommodation (e.g. an alternate 
testing environment, use of assistive technology or other classroom assistance), please contact: Cathy Robinson, Room 
U260, 217-353-2082, crobinson@parkland.edu. 
  
Courtesy: Do not bring food or drinks to the planetarium, and don’t turn on any lights when the dome is dark. Please set 
all cell phones to silent mode or off while you are in class. If you are concerned about possible emergencies, consider 
having people contact Public Safety (217-351-2369) on your behalf. 
  
Census date rosters and midterm: At the end of the second week of class, I am required to assess your attendance. 
If you have not attended to that point, you will be dropped with no refund of tuition and fees. After this census date, you 
should not plan on an instructor withdrawal if you want to withdraw from the course. You are ultimately responsible for 
your own withdrawal by the withdrawal date. Non-attendance after the census date will result in a failing grade if you 
don't withdraw yourself. 
  
Veterans: I welcome student veterans of military service to join Student Veterans at Parkland (SVAP), a student group 
that meets Wednesdays at 3:00 PM in U299. For further information about veterans' issues, please contact Kristina 
Taylor, Financial Aid Advisor/Veterans Certifying Official, 217-351-2228 or ktaylor@parkland.edu or Lori Williams, 
Professor of English/Student Veterans at Parkland Faculty Advisor, 217-373-3792 or lwilliams@parkland.edu. 
  
Addenda: Please access Cobra to view the college-wide policies, which contain invaluable information to help you 
succeed at Parkland. Go to cobra.parkland.edu/shared/shared%20content%20files/syllabus_addendum.html. 
 
Study Groups: You are encouraged to work with other students on assignments, but all submitted answers must be in 
your own words, and each student must submit his/her own assignment. 
 
Email: Email is probably the quickest way to contact your instructors. I will often email you through your Cobra account, 
but you can forward those emails to another account of your choice. All assignments, labs, etc. must be submitted into 
the specific submissions dropbox for each assignment on Cobra in order to get credit for the assignment. 
 
  
Grading: 900-1000 points A Pre- and Post-Assessment and Syllabus Quiz: 15 points 
 800-899 points B Quizzes (40 points each, seven): 280 points 
 700-799 points C Clicker questions participation: 100 points 
 600-699 points D Lab Activities (20 points each, 13 of 14): 260 points 
 0-599 points F Sky Drills (five points each, two): 10 points 
 or < 60% (< 156 points) on labs Sky Quizzes (20 points each, two): 40 points 
  Observing session and report: 80 points 
  Course Project: 90 points 
  Final Exam: 125 points 
  Total: 1000 points 
  
Pre- and post-course assessments: You must complete a thirty-question, multiple-choice quiz on Cobra within the 
first couple days of class. It is ungraded, and you will receive five points upon completion of the assignment. You will also 
have a post-course assessment available with similar grading guidelines. 
 
Syllabus quiz: To ensure you have read through the syllabus, you must also pass the syllabus quiz to access certain 
portions of the course. You may take the quiz multiple times in the first week to ensure you know the material and earn 
all five points. 
  
Quizzes and final exam: There will be seven quizzes throughout the semester and will be taken on Cobra. You are 
given two chances to take each of the seven unit quizzes. Your total grade will be the average of the two quizzes, but you 
may choose to take the quiz once. You must take each quiz before the deadline, or your grade will be a zero. The quizzes 
cover the recent class material, while the final exam is cumulative. The date for the final exam is on the first page. 
 
Participation: Participation will be worth 100 points and is based on punctual attendance and using the iClicker. Your 
iClicker activity will be scored based on answering questions, not answering them correctly. If a student is late more than 
twice, it will be marked as an absence. If a student falls asleep or is repeatedly texting, they are not mentally present and 
may be counted as absent. Three or more unexcused absences will result in a 20 point deduction. 
  
Laboratory activities: Lab activities occur only one day a week, and can’t be made up. However, the lowest score of 
your labs will be dropped. Completing all of the labs is worth 10 extra credit points. The Lab Procedures have more 
information and will be covered in your first lab. 
 
Sky drills and sky quizzes: You will be quizzed on constellations, asterisms, and other sky objects in the planetarium. A 
list of the objects you will need to know is given on the website. A drill session will be given during class to prepare you 
for each Sky Quiz. Attendance at each drill is worth five points. Dates for these drills and quizzes are given in the 
schedule and on the Sky Quizzes page. Optional extra or make-up practices will be held and are also listed on the Sky 
Quizzes page. 
 
Constellation Project: A research project will be completed during the semester. The project is worth 90 points. The 
project involves studying the stars contained within a certain constellation. It will include analysis of the data you collect, 
a final written report, and a poster. Details of the project can be found on the website. 
  
Observing session: Stellarium is a wonderful tool, but nothing can compare to the real night sky. You will receive 60 
points for simply attending the observation, but you will not receive any points until you submit a typed report about the 
session. The report is worth 20 points, should contain at least 800 words, and must be turned in within one week of the 
observing session. The report should include a description of the observing conditions, a summary of what you did during 
the session, a description of each object observed, and a definition of each type of object observed (i.e. if you observe a 
planetary nebula, write a definition of a planetary nebula). 
 
The observing session takes place at the CUAS Observatory, about 15 minutes’ drive from Parkland. You will be required 
to sign up for the session you wish to attend. Dates and times for these observations will be provided in class and on 
Cobra. These are scheduled between the last quarter and new moon phases. See the Observing Schedule page for more 
information. All observing sessions are "weather permitting." Contact the hotline or me via text before coming to the 
session. Here are the driving directions: goo.gl/maps/9Sifd 
  
 
  
 
Extra credit: There is a 70 point limit on extra credit earned. Several opportunities are listed below and on the website. 
  
Extra credit opportunities this semester: 
Saturday Engineering for Everyone lecture every other Saturday at 10:15 AM, check the schedule for astronomy topics 
World of Science lecture first Friday of the month at 7:00 PM, check the schedule for astronomy topics 
Staerkel Planetarium shows Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 PM all semester 
Prairie Skies shows at Staerkel Planetarium Fridays at 7:00 PM all semester 
Family Skywatch at CUAS Observatory on Saturdays around the first quarter Moon at 19:30 
Feel free to ask me about other potentially eligible events. 
 
Tentative Schedule: 
 
Week Sections Topics Special Notes Lab (*laptops) 
1/12 1-1 – 1-5;  
1-14 
The Night Sky Planetarium (F) Stellarium Tutorial* 
1/19 1-1 – 1-5; 
2-1 
Motion of Stars;  
Scientific Method 
 Stars of the Seasons* 
1/26 3-1 – 3-11 Light; Telescopes no class (M); Quiz 1 Scientific Method* 
2/2 3-12 – 3-18 Atoms; Spectra Project Introduction (M); 
Planetarium (F) 
Telescopes 
2/9 9-1 – 9-10 The Sun Quiz 2; Project part 1 due (W); 
Sky Drill #1 (F) 
Spectra 
2/16 10-1 – 10-3 Magnitude and Distance Quiz 3; Sky Quiz #1 (F) Solar Observing* 
2/23 10-4 – 10-12 Stellar Spectra; 
Luminosity; HR Diagram 
Project part 2 due (W);  
Sky Drill #2 (F) 
no lab 
3/2 11-1 – 11-8 Nebulae: Stellar 
Birthplaces 
Midterm (F); Sky Quiz #2 (F) Stellar Parallax and Proper 
Motion* 
3/9 11-9 – 11-15 Stellar Lifespans and 
Deaths 
Quiz 4 
 
Properties of Stars 
3/16 12-1 – 12-10 Supernovae  Project Part 3* 
3/23   spring break  
3/30 12-11 – 12-18 Black Holes Quiz 5 Distance to the Pleiades 
4/6 13-1 – 13-7 The Milky Way Project paper due (M) Ages of Star Clusters 
4/13 13-8 – 13-18 Other Galaxies and 
Redshift 
Quiz 6 Monster of the Milky Way* 
4/20 13-19 – 13-23 Quasars and Active 
Galaxies 
 Distance to Galaxies 
4/27 14-1 – 14-15 Big Bang Theory Project poster due (M);  
Poster session (W) 
Hubble Law* 
5/4 15-1 – 15-6 Exobiology Quiz 7; no class (F) Life in the Universe* 
5/11   Final Exam: 11:00 Monday (001) or 
11:00 Tuesday (002) 
 
 


https://spark.parkland.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1011&amp;context=ast_course

Astronomy 102 Stars, Galaxies, The Universe Spring 2015

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