Astronomy 3090: Observational Astronomy

Office: 112 Overman Hall, 419-372-8653, laydena(at)bgsu(dot)edu

Text: Pathways to Astronomy, (2009) by Schneider & Arny (any edition, optional)

Class Schedule: MW 8:30-9:45 pm in 184 Overman Hall (or Observatory, or Planetarium)

Office Hours: MW 3:30-4:20pm, TR 12-1pm, F 2:30-3:20, or by appointment

Overview: In this course, you will learn the principles and methods of astronomical observing through hands-on activities with the BGSU Observatory telescopes. We will practice the techniques of good science: systematic and well-planned observations, careful recording of observations and data, and reflection on your findings in the context of what is known about astronomy. The level and scope are appropriate to give you a solid background for a lifetime of amateur astronomy, or as a starting point for a professional career in astronomy.

Current Reading (for HW#2 due Mon Aug 27):

Dolan's Constellations - defining regions of the night sky; star and object names
Kaler's "The Constellations" is a classic resource.
Ridpath's "Star Tales" has excellent descriptions of constellation myths and history (see Ch.3).
SEDS constellation page.
Celestial Names and Magnitudes.
Sky & Telescope "Sky At a Glance" article.

Basic Class Stuff:

Note: always bring to class your calculator, notebook, pen/pencil.
Syllabus (PDF format)
Target dates for Practical Exams:
- #1 Naked-Eye Observing -- Sep 1-8
- #2 8-in Telescopes: Sep 20
- #3 20-in Telescope: Oct 4
Answers to selected homeworks and activities, along with grades, at my.bgsu.edu
Quick access to links used in homework assignments
Other useful and interesting links
- Celestial Names and Magnitudes
- Greek alphabet (litterally, alpha, beta, ...) used in star names (alpha Per, omicron Ceti, etc)
- Constellations - defining regions of the night sky; star and object names.
- US Naval Observatory "Data Services" including Sun/Moon rise/set/twilight, etc.
- Monthly starcharts (with planets, great for printing out) from the Sudekum Planetarium.
- Sky & Telescope Observing Highlights and Interactive Sky Chart.
- Solar System Orrery (watch the planets orbit with real dates; good for setting up Planet Board).
- Planet Finder Charts: Pluto, Uranus & Neptune
- Some objects worth finding with the 8-in telescopes (ACL's picks).
- Catalogs of Celestial Objects and Information Sources.
- Messier Catalog listed in R.A. order (thanks to SEDS).
- Wide field Messier Star Charts for star-hopping with 8-in telescopes (or try25x39° FOV) .
- Narrow Messier Finder Charts -- use binocular Chart (10x14°) for context then Telescope Chart (5x7°) to home in..
- Neil and Andy's Seeing Page and movies of speckle patterns due to seeing (also this movie from here).
- Simulated effects of light polution on an astronomical image.
- Descriptions and pictures of Double Stars, Star Clusters, Nebulae, & Galaxies.
- US Naval Observatory Data Services & Astronomical Almanac online (tables of Sun, Moon, Planet phenomena).
- Other Astronomical Tools for rise/set/airmass as fn(time) for any RA/Dec, etc.
- Geocentric equatorial coordianates (RA/Dec) of 7 planets
- Daily Asteroid Ephemeris -- get RA/Dec for your favorite bright asteroid!
- Convert between UT date/time (in hh:mm:ss) and Julian Date (decimal days).
- Convert beween equatorial and galactic coordinates.
Astrophotography/CCD Projects -- ground rules, expectations, and possible topics.
Astrophotography Exposure Time Estimates.
CCD Observing Procedure: (1) Basic, (2) Advanced.
- typical bias frame, dark frame, and flat field frame with our CCD.
- coaxing MS Excel to do astronomical plots.
Weather sites:
- Cleardarksky.com observing profile for BGSU
- Visible-light and IR (water-vapor) satellite images (animated loops).
- National Weather Service (click on Wood County)
Fall 2010 Observing Project Showcase (for now it has Instructions and a Sample Project)
Tips from Sky & Telescope on buying telescopes and binoculars.
Telephone Numbers: Observatory Control Room 2-8123, 0.5-m Dome 2-1604.

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.
Significant Figures: Counting the number of, Adding/Subtracting of, Multiplying/Dividing of, and a "Fable".
Other Astronomy Links -- lots of material for amateur astronomers!
Astro Picture of the Day -- a daily glimpse of astronomy as it unfolds.
Latest news from NASA -- recent findings from satellites, etc (sign up for email updates).
Space Weather forecasts -- solar activity, geomagnetic storms, northern lights, meteors, etc.
Telescopes! NOAO (CTIO, KPNO, Gemini), Keck, ESO/VLT.
Satellite tracker -- know when to look for ISS, Shuttle, etc.
Physics and Astronomy Music -- toe-tappin' fun.

ACL --Fall 2012