Astronomy 212H: The Solar System (Honors)

Instructor: Prof. Andy Layden

Email: laydena(at)bgsu(dot)edu [anti-spam]

Office: 112 Overman Hall, 372-8653

Office Hours: MWF 3:30-4:20pm, TR 2:30-3:30pm (notice the change!), or by appointment.

Text: Pathways to Astronomy, Schneider & Arny, 2009 (2nd Edition).

Class Schedule: MWF 11:30am-12:20 pm in 184 Overman Hall

Basic Class Stuff:

• • Syllabus including stargaze instructions (pdf format)
• • Local Weather (click on Wood County) for deciding on visiting Stargaze.
• • Check your grades at myBGSU.
• • Extra Credit -- Simple ones at the Stargaze and more complex ones for at home (also extra "Trips to the Board").
• • Worksheets and Math Reminder for help and practice on math problems.
• • Answers to first Reading/Study Questions (to demonstrate good depth and form).
• • Extra Material from Lectures -- so you can review what we saw.
• • Answers to Activities will appear here as they are completed.
• • Research Papers -- topics, due dates, and general ground rules.
• • Study tips for Exam#2
• • Planet Mission Project -- general information and possible sources.
• • Note: always bring to class your textbook, calculator, notebook, and a ruler.
  • Calculators must do square roots and scientific (exponential) notation,
  • the Texas Instruments TI-30Xa or Sharp EL-506VB are good examples.

Other Interesting Stuff:

• • Academic Success Techniques videos from Dartmouth, including Note-taking strategies
• • Ohio State Education Standards relating to Astronomy -- what teachers need to know.
• • Cassini Mission orbiting Saturn -- nifty pix!
• • Messenger -- return to Mercury!
• • Mars Exploration Rover Mission ramblin' around Mars -- very cool!
• • Astro Picure of the Day -- a daily glimpse of astronomy as it unfolds.
• • NinePlanets.org
• • 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.

Critical Thinking Links:

• • BadAstronomy.com -- highlighting "bad astronomy" in movies, television, & media.
• • Skeptical Enquirer and skeptic.com -- devoted to scientific investigation of "paranormal" events.
• • Urban Legends Reference Pages -- did Bubble-Yum contain spider eggs? and much more.