1 Astronomy 301: Unique number 47635 Introduction to Astrononomy. Instructor: John Scalo Classroom and time: Welch Hall 3.502, MWF 9-10. Professor: John Scalo Office: R.L. Moore 15.204 Phone: 471-6446 (office), or 478-2748 (home) email: [email protected] Office hours: M 10:30-12:00, F3-4, or after any class, or by phone (see below) My schedule is probably more open than yours, so if those times interfere with classes or work, just tell me a time that would be convenient if you need to talk to me about course material. If you don’t have a 10am class, we can also talk outside the classroom (in the foyer) after class. For short questions there is usually no need for you to walk all the way to my office. I welcome phone calls at home—it is an extremely efficient way for us to communicate while a particular question or problem is on your mind. I usually cannot give adequate answers to questions by email, but it is fine if you have non-subject matter comments that do not require a reply—especially welcome are any suggestions or criticisms as the semester progresses (e.g. “You tend to mumble” or “I can’t read your handwriting on the board” etc.) Teaching Assistant: Julie Krugler Hollek Office: R. L. Moore 17.307 Phone: 471-8414 email: [email protected] Office hours (tentative): MT 1:30-3:30 (or Th 2:30-4:30 when exam is on Friday) If office hours require revision, we will send out a group email as well as announce it repeatedly in class. Before each exam we will shift office hours if necessary so that some occur on the day before the exam. Changes like this are ordinarily posted in the “announcements” box at the course web site (see below). Textbook: Chaisson, E. and McMillan, S. Astronomy Today, 6th Edition Vol. II, Stars and Galaxies. It is crucial that you purchase the sixth edition, and that you buy volume II of the two-volume version, which comes bundled with an online access code (called “Mastering Astronomy” by the publishers). To compensate for the steep price of the one-volume textbook, I am using only the second volume of the two-volume version, but this will require that students study for one of the exams using the textbook web site—so you do need the “Mastering Astronomy” access. (Details later.) Basically, you purchase an expensive text, but only have to buy half of it. If you attempt to purchase online, note that there is a 7th edition that was just published, but do not buy the 7th edition, since my notes and assignments and review sheets etc. will be keyed to the page numbers and organization of the 6th edition. The 6th edition of Astronomy Today Volume 2 is $82.40 at amazon.com, with used from $62.00. At that site, or at any site listed in BestBookBuys.com, I see no way to be sure you would be purchasing the second volume of the 2-volume edition we are using, or that it has the access code to the ebook and other online materials. For comparison in case you are tempted, the ISBN of the correct book is 9780321586995. If you want to take a chance with an online purchase, I suggest you immediately buy the new version from the Co-op and return once your online version arrives and you verify that it has the access code. I am using the same textbook for this course in the Spring, so you will be able to sell the textbook to the Co-op at the end of the semester for a sadly small fraction of its value, if you can part with it. It is important that you have the textbook no later than Friday Aug.27, and that you take time to look through it, to see the layout, level of math, and generally get familiar with what this course is about. Course web page. http://www.as.utexas.edu/astronomy/education/fall10/scalo/301.html Make sure you keep this handy. I may try to set up a link through Blackboard, but I will not be keeping lecture slide materials at Blackboard. You could also navigate to the course website through the Astronomy Department web site, http://www.as.utexas.edu/astronomy/education/courses.html by just clicking on AST 301 Scalo. The course website will contain the syllabus; an outline of most class lectures (usually as pdf files); a way for you to easily check your exam scores (link to Blackboard); and a simple way for me to distribute handouts or make slight revisions to the reading assignments or subsections covered on exams. I urge you to check the website often, and keep the url in a handy place.2 Course Prerequisites: None. Grading: 90% of your grade is based on exams, 10% on pop-quizzes (see below). “Homework” is not turned in but contributes to exam scores (see below for explanation). Exams: 90% of your grade will be based on 7 exams (about one every two weeks, beginning with Exam 1, Friday, Sept 10). All exams will be weighted equally except that your lowest exam score will only receive a weight of 1/2 compared to the others. So you have to take all the exams, but if you have an off day (or week, etc.) it won’t hurt your final grade too much. The topics and dates of the exams are listed on the last page. In case there are any errors or emergency changes, they will be announced heavily in class and at the class website, but outside of these, the exam dates are firm. There will be no comprehensive final. The exams will consist entirely of multiple choice questions. I will prepare you for the nature of the exam questions by occasionally giving sample questions during lectures, by pointing out the types of information that I expect you to understand or remember, and giving examples on review sheets. There is a good multiple choice interactive self-testing part of the text web site that I urge you to use (you need an access code), since the exam questions will be of that form, and some will be taken from this source. I will suggest which questions to try as we finish each chapter. In case of medical or other non-academic emergencies or situations, contact me as early as possible—it may be possible for you to take an exam a day or so early or late in these cases (but not for academic reasons). We will try to return exam grades through the UT Blackboard system within one or two days of the day of the exam. You will turn in your exams, but can compare your answers with an exam marked with correct answers, located at the back of the classroom, a couple of days later. For this reason, you should record your answers (e.g. 15a, 16d, …) on a
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