AST 201 Fall 1997 Detailed Syllabus and Reading for Unit III.
NOTE: This information is available on the web page for the class.
Address is: http://www.pa.msu.edu/courses/AST201. Click on "calendar"
for syllabus information. As the semester progresses, the homework
and quiz solutions will also be available on the web. The books
"Introductory Astronomy and Astrophysics" by Zeilik, Gregory and
Smith (known as ZGS) and "Astronomy, a Physical Perspective" by
Kutner (known as Kutner) are now in the P/A library on reserve.
1.
History, naked eye observations (sun, moon, planets,
stars), heliocentric model, equatorial coordinate system,
sidereal time, constellations.
Reading: Ch. 2; ZGS Ch. 1,3; Kutner Ch. 22. Date: 10/6
2.
Kepler's laws, Newton's description of celestial
mechanics, orbits.
Reading: Ch. 7; ZGS Ch. 1,2; Kutner Ch. 22. Date: 10/8
10/9 Recitation section
Go over homework problems, lecture
questions.
3.
Earth and Moon, seasons, precession, phases, eclipses,
tides, formation of moon.
Reading: Ch. 2,8; ZGS Ch. 3,4; Kutner Ch. 22,23. Date: 10/10
4.
Mars, including Pathfinder results; terrestrial planets.
Reading: Ch. 8; Kutner Ch. 24, ZGS Ch. 5; handouts. Date: 10/13
5.
Jupiter, including Galileo results; gas giants, atmospheres.
Reading: Ch. 8; ZGS Ch. 6; Kutner Ch. 25; handouts. Date: 10/15
10/16 Recitation section
Homework and lecture questions.
6.
Comets, Oort Cloud, Asteroids; the Sun.
Reading: Ch. 8,13; ZGS Ch. 7,10; Kutner Ch. 26,6. Date: 10/17
7.
Planetarium - be at Abrams planetarium for regular class time.
Date: 10/20
8.
Development of life on Earth, extraterrestrial life?
Reading: Handouts. Date: 10/22
10/2 Recitation section
Homework and lecture questions
9. Homework #3 due, Quiz #3 (in class).
NOTE: HW#3 includes the moon lab.
Date: 10/3