Astronomy 201H: Modern Astronomy (Honors)

Instructor: Prof. Andy Layden

Email: laydena @ bgsu . edu

Office: 112 Overman Hall, 372-8653

Text: "Discovering the Universe,” Comins & Kaufmann, 2005 (7th ed.).

Class Schedule: MWF 1:30-2:20 pm in 184 Overman Hall

Office Hours: MWF 2:30–3:20 pm, T 4-5 pm, R 5-6 pm, or by appointment.

Class Stuff:

• • Note: always bring to class your textbook, calculator, notebook, and a ruler.
• • Course Overview and Learning Outcomes
• • Calendar -- important dates and a rough week-by-week list of topics to be covered.
• • Grading Policy
• • Stargaze Schedule -- review this before you walk over to your stargaze session!
• • Extra Credit -- simple ones at the Stargaze and more complex ones for at home.
• • Worksheets -- for help and practice on math problems.
• • Homework -- visit here to get the answers to past homeworks.
• • Check your grades via myBGSU.
• • Short Research Papers -- general information, possible topics and sources, and some cautions.
• • Long Research Papers -- general information, possible topics and sources, and some cautions
• • Study tips, format, and some sample problems for Exam #1.
• • Note on scope and content of Final Exam (new).

Other Interesting Stuff:

• • Academic Success Techniques videos from Dartmouth, including Note-taking strategies
• • Ohio State Education Standards relating to Astronomy -- what pre-service teachers need to know.
• • Astro Picure of the Day -- a daily glimpse of astronomy as it unfolds.
• • Hubble Space Telescope public outreach (pictures, news stories, etc).
• • NASA planetary astronomy: Mars Rovers, Cassini at Saturn, and other missions.
• • Latest news from NASA and news on space weather (sign up for email updates).
• • Aurora Watch -- near the peak of the 11-year sunspot cycle, Northern Lights are common.
• • Planetarium shows at BGSU (follow the link for titles and show times).
• • Earth & Sky -- NPR's radio spot on Astronomy, Earth and Environmental Science.
• ° Constellations -- how to find your way around the sky.
• • Other Astronomy Links -- lots of material for amateur astronomers!
• • Physics and Astronomy Music -- toe-tappin' fun.