syllabus

Schedule and Assignments (coming)

Week 0: Jan. 19 - Jan. 23

• Intro Class on Wednesday Jan. 12st @ 9:30am
• First Class on Monday Jan. 26rd @ 3:30pm

Week 1: Jan. 26 - Jan. 30

• Topics: Class overview, coordinate systems, basic optics.
• Observing Project #1 (see 'assignments' in menu at left)

Week 2: Feb. 2 - Feb. 6

• Topic: Observed properties of the Sun. Overview of the electromagnetic spectrum, black bodies, and energy levels.
• Reading: Chapter 1 -- Seeing the Sun
• Observing Project #2

Week 3: Feb. 9 - Feb. 13

• Topic: Our Sun in more detail. The interior of our sun. Solar Cycle.
• Reading: Chapter 2 -- The Working Sun
• Observing Project #3

Week 4: Feb. 16 - Feb. 20

• Topic: Stars beyond our own. How do we observe them? What can we measure? Intro to photometry, a critical tool for our big observing project after spring break. Classification of the stars. Magnitude system.
• Reading: Chapter 3 -- Measuring Stars
• Observing Project #4

Week 5: Feb. 23 - Feb. 27

• Topic: HR diagrams, Intro to stellar evolution, absorption,
• Reading: Chapter 4 -- Comparing Stars
• Observing Project #5

Week 6: Mar. 2 - Mar. 6

• Topic: Interstellar medium, Star formation to main sequence.
• Reading: Chapter 5 -- The Formation of Stars.
• Observing Project #6
• Orion
• Spitzer Video 1
• Spitzer Video 2
• Orion side by side

Week 7: Mar. 9 - Mar. 13

• Topic: Nuclear reactions, hydrostatic equilibrium, influence of mass.
• Reading: Chapter 6 -- The Main Sequence Life of Stars
• Observing Project #7

SPRING BREAK from Mar. 14 - Mar. 29

Week 8: Mar. 30 - Apr. 3

• Topic: Continuing stellar evolution. Begin working on photometry project.
• Reading: Chapter 7 -- The Life of Stars Beyond the Main Sequence
• Homework 8 due

From here to the end of the semester we will be focused on the big observing project. We will finish reading the book, but less emphasis will be placed on remaining chapters. The time line for the project will be determined once we have the telescope and equipment hooked up.

Week 9: Apr. 6 - Apr. 10

• Topic: Evolution beyond the Main Sequence
• Reading: Chapter 7

Week 10: Apr. 13 - Apr. 17

• Topic: Planetary Nebula and Supernovae
• Reading: Chapter 8
• Today's Links
• Star Formation Game

Week 11: Apr. 20 - Apr. 24

• Topic: End state of stars
• Reading: Chapter 9
• Today's Links

Week 12: Apr. 27 - May 1

• Topic: Class presentations (?)
• Reading:

Week 13: May 4 - May 8

• Final class meeting on Monday
• Topic: Catch-up and Wrap-up