Download Syllabus Astronomy 305 Evening Spring 2008

Amended Syllabus
Astronomy 305 (Sec. EF)
Spring 2015
Text: Official: Explorations, Seventh Edition (2013), by Thomas Arny and Stephen
Schneider, McGraw Hill, New York
Acceptable: You may also use any other recent college astronomy text (>2005), new or used,
although the chapter nos. will be different from those given below. If you are not sure it is
acceptable, see me.
Instructor: Prof. D. Greenberger, my office: MR 314 (MR=Marshak bldg.), Tel: (212)-650-5577,
email: [email protected].
You can also always leave me a message with the Physics office: MR 419; Tel: (212)-650-6832.
My tentative office hours are before class on Mondays and Wednesdays, 1:00 - 2:00 PM, although I
sometimes have a meeting and may run late. You can also make an appointment to see me at any time.
Lectures are 2:00 to 3:40 PM in room MR 3, on Mondays and Wednesdays, with no break.
Week of
Mon. Wed.
Material to be Covered
(Mon.)
MR3
Jan. 26
X
√
Intro. to Astronomy, Basic Facts: i, ii, 1
Feb. 2
√
√
Basic Facts and History: 1, 2, 4; Notes-1
Feb. 9
√
√
Newton's Laws: 3; Notes-2
Feb. 16
X
√(M)
Feb. 23
√
E1
Earth, Moon: 6, 7; Review; Exam 1
Mar. 2
√
√
The Solar System: 8; Terrestrial Planets: 9
Mar. 9
√
√
Terrestrial Planets: 9; Outer Planets: 10
Mar. 16
√
√
Outer Planets: 10; Comets, Asteroids, Minor Planets: 11;
Mar. 23
√
√
Comets: 11; The Sun: 12;
Mar. 30
√
√
Light and Atoms: 4: Notes-3, 4;
Apr. 6
X
X
Spring Break Review;
Apr. 13
√
E2
Atoms, Quantum Theory: Notes-4; Exam 2
Apr. 20
√
√
Atoms, Notes-4; The Stars: 13, 14; Notes-5;
Apr. 27
√
E3
The Stars; Death of Stars: 15; Exam 3
May 4
√
√
Our Galaxy, the Milky Way: 16; Galaxies: 17; Notes-6;
May 11
√
E4
Relativity: Notes-7; Cosmology: 18; Exam 4
May 18
MR3
Newton's Laws: 3; Gravity: 3: Notes-2
There will be NO final.
√ = (yes)-class held; X = (no)-no class; √ (M) = class held (but Mon. schedule); E1, E2, E3, E4 = Class
Exam (tentative dates).
The numbers after topics refer to the chapters of the text Explorations, where the material is
covered. "Notes" refers to several sets of short notes, available on Blackboard, that supplement the text,
and that you will also be responsible for. Besides the notes, there will be several sets of sample exam type
questions for various topics, posted on Blackboard and labeled "Q and A".
Ground rules
(The change in the syllabus is that there will be four class exams and NO final, rather than two
plus an optional class exam, plus a final. The grading is described below.)
The above syllabus is tentative. You will be responsible only for what is actually covered
in class, unless told otherwise. Attendance will be taken and counted. Excessive absences (more
than 4) will cost heavily (1 point off for each absence). 10 absences will result in being dropped
from the course (or a very heavy grade penalty). On the attendance sheet, sign your full name (not
initials). Since attendance counts, signing for someone else will be considered a serious offense,
equivalent to cheating. Signing and then leaving is a breach of etiquette.
There will be four multiple choice exams and NO final. Please arrive on time for the
exams. (People will be allowed to leave about 20 minutes after the exam begins and to keep their
question sheets. As a result, if you are more than 20 minutes late, exams will be circulating on
campus, and therefore you cannot take the exam.)
There will be no optional extra exam, and I will not drop the lowest grade. However, if
you take all four exams, I will only count your lowest grade half as much as the other grades. But
if you miss an exam for any reason, you must take all the other exams, or you will receive an INC,
and must officially arrange to complete the course. Anyone who misses two exams will receive an
INC. If you miss more, you will receive a WU. If you miss one exam, I will count a weighted
average of the other three exams, including your lowest grade.
We will follow the new college academic integrity guidelines, which can be found on the
college website (no cheating, which will include using a cell phone or texting during an exam).
These guidelines are included below.
The only math needed is to understand powers of 10. Anything else will be taught in class.
The only scientific skill needed is to be able to pay attention and take class notes at an adult level.
This is not an easy skill and is totally incompatible with texting or browsing the internet.
Note: In the science library on the first floor of Marshak, a copy of the text will be placed on
reserve. There will also be other astronomy texts on reserve, and they can be useful.

This is a very large class, so the constant ringing of cellphones is a serious annoyance to
the entire class. Make sure your cellphone is OFF before you enter class. It should not be visible
during the class. If your cellphone is visible during an exam, this will be taken as prima facie
evidence of cheating.
Technical Details
Course description from the college catalog:
Designed to fill the 30000-level core science requirement. The course covers the description of the
fundamental physical laws that underlie the motions of the heavenly bodies, including Newtonian
mechanics, the Einsteinian theory of relativity, and atomic theory; planetary, stellar, and galactic
evolution; the methods, techniques, and instruments used by modern astronomy, including the
Hubble Space Telescope and planetary space probes. Two 1-1/2 hour lectures. Three credits.
Course objectives:
1. The students should understand some history of the subject, especially Greek astronomy;
2. To understand important phenomena like the seasons, phases of the moon, precession of the
equinoxes, tides, eclipses, etc.;
3. To understand the changes brought about in the renaissance, esp. Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler,
Newton;
4. To understand Newton's laws and their implications;
5. To understand the solar system, the planets, moons, asteroids, comets, etc.;
6. To understand the sun, the stars, the life and death of stars;
7. To understand the galaxy, other galaxies, cosmic evolution, the "big bang", and modern
developments;
8. To understand the role of modern physics in astronomy: relativity, light, quantum theory.
Mandatory CCNY Academic Integrity Statement:
Academic Integrity and Plagiarism.doc
Academic Integrity and Plagiarism
The CUNY Policy on Academic Integrity can be found at
http://web.cuny.edu/academics/info-central/policies/academic-integrity.pdf
This policy defines cheating as “the unauthorized use or attempted use of material, information,
notes, study aids, devices or communication during an academic exercise.” The CUNY Policy
on plagiarism says the following about plagiarism (the CUNY Policy can be found in Appendix
B.3 of the CCNY Undergraduate Bulletin 2007 -2009 as well as the website listed above):
“Plagiarism is the act of presenting another person’s ideas, research or writings as your own."
The following are some examples of plagiarism, but by no means is it an exhaustive list:
1. Copying another person’s actual words without the use of quotation marks and footnotes
attributing the words to their source.
2. Presenting another person’s ideas or theories in your own words without acknowledging the
source.
3. Using information that is not common knowledge without acknowledging the source.
4. Failing to acknowledge collaborators on homework and laboratory assignments.
5. Internet plagiarism includes submitting downloaded term papers or parts of term papers,
paraphrasing or copying information from the internet without citing the source, and “cutting and
pasting” from various sources without proper attribution.
The City College Faculty Senate has approved a procedure for addressing violations of
academic integrity, which can also be found in Appendix B.3 of the CCNY Undergraduate
Bulletin.
Be aware that if we suspect plagiarism we will follow this procedure, no exceptions
made; i.e. we will report you to the Academic Integrity Official. Disciplinary sanctions range from
failing the class to expulsion from the college. If you are unclear about what may or may not
constitute academic dishonesty, please ask. At this point in your academic career, you should
expect little tolerance for breaches of academic integrity.