Welcome to Intro Astronomy

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Welcome to Intro Astronomy
AST 1001-107/108 Dr. Dan Caton
Lab Dr. Jon Saken
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What we will do today

• Background info
• Go over course syllabus
• Discuss course objectives
• Why study astronomy?

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Astronomy at ASU

• 10-20 majors and a few grad students
  (prospective majors need to meet with department
  advisors)
• I am one of 4 Ph.D. astronomers here
• Me BA MA, USF Ph.D. Univ. Fla.

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Syllabus

• We will go over but not on paper all online on
  WebCT

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Office Hours
Around more than this MyDoor link on WebCT
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Telecommunication

• 262-2446 (fax -2049)
• e-mail catondb_at_appstate.edu (I check my e-mail
  all day (M-F) and will reply)
• Read or forward your ASU email!
• Messengers AIM Buddy DanielBCaton,MSN Add
  contact by searching for DansDesktop_at_hotmail.com
  (I do not use the Hotmail email, so do not send
  messages there)
• My homepage www.Dan.Caton.name
• WWW page for this course found on the WebCT
  system
• Dr. Jon Saken (lab) sakenjm_at_appstate.edu

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Textbooks

• The CosmosAstronomy in the New Millennium, 2nd
  Ed., Pasachoff and Filippenko, 2004. This is a
  paperback issued to you at the bookstore under
  the lease plan. Note that there is a different
  text used by the other sections of AST 1001! Make
  sure you get the right book!
• Demon Haunted World, Carl Sagan, paperback, 15
• Introductory Astronomy Lab Manual, sold in the
  bookstore. You will be given a 3-ring binder in
  lab.

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Where and when

• Lecture CAP 150, 330-445 Tuesday Thursday.
• Lab S306 Rankin South (not 354 as in schedule),
  Thursday night as scheduled. Starting this week.
  (May swap early/late on Thursday)
• The story on lab this year

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Description

• This course is the first of a two-semester
  sequence that satisfies the Core Curriculum
  Natural Science requirement. It is also an ND
  (Numerical Data) course. This course usually
  covers solar system astronomy--planets, the moon,
  comets, meteors, and some basics--light, optics,
  and telescopes. We may elect to deviate from
  this approach somewhat, based on items of current
  or topical interest. This course is a
  prerequisite for AST 1002, which covers solar,
  stellar and galactic astronomy.

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Attendance

• 80 of success is just showing up (Woody Allen)
• Lecture Attendance Lecture attendance is
  expected since exams are based primarily on
  lecture material. Attendance will also be
  checked with randomly given pop quizzes.
  Students missing lecture classes are responsible
  for finding out from their classmates whether
  there were any announced lab schedule changes.
• Lab Attendance 3 strikes and you are out, miss
  two outdoor labs and you are out (as well as
  required Intro to Telescope lab)

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Exams

• Two one-hour exams
• The Final Exam is part Exam 3 and part
  comprehensive, and is scheduled for 300 pm -
  530 pm, on Wednesday, December 14, 2005, here
  in CAP 150

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Special Needs

• Students with special disabilities are invited
  to disclose special needs to the instructor.

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Homework

• Homework exercises are to be done first on
  scratch paper and then neatly copied, in pencil,
  onto the paper provided, and turned in at the
  beginning of the class session on the due date.
  Messy work or folded/wrinkled/crumpled papers
  will receive a reduced grade.
• Homework grading includes grammar, spelling,
  and correct use of math and significant figures.
  No credit will be given for homework turned in
  after it has been graded and returned.

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Grades

• See syllabus on WebCT for weighting of grades
• one letter based on participation, positive or
  negative (thats life). Positive discussion,
  etc. Negative interruptions, rude entry/exit,
  cells, etc.
• Grades will be posted (WebCT)
• Seniors do not have to graduate
• Projected grade scale nominal

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Extra Credit

• Extra credit work is not assigned or accepted.
  This is because such work is usually done in
  lieu of the required work that has been assigned
  as part of a logically thought-out curriculum,
  and is thus illogical

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Schedule

• First eight chapters in Pasachoff (shorter book)
  no detailed schedule
• Half of Sagan (may pick and choose)
• Side discussions as news develops (example Sun
  ejected Coronal Mass Ejections yesterdayaurora
  tonight and tomorrow night?)
• We will cover the basics

From Statesville
SpaceWeather.com for info
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Style(s)

• PowerPoint (posted on WebCT).
• Chalk-talk (though may be digital pen and
  posted on web)
• Demonstrations (exciting and dangerous!)
• Videos
• Web exploration
• Impromptu discussions

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Caffeine / nicotine break
3rd floor
outside
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Objective 1Scientific Method vs. Pseudoscience
This will be the topic of discussion of Sagans
book. For now
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Which one of these is real science?

• Astrology (horoscopes)
• Homeopathic medicine
• Dowsing for water
• Faith healing
• None of these

Take a minute to discuss
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Popular Astro-Pseudoscience

• UFOs/Conspiracy Theory (maybe historical?)
• Related (?) Brown Mountain Lights
• Crop Circles, Christmas trees
• Astrology Lets do a test

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Exceptions?

• Skewing computer statistics
• Children recalling past lives
• Reading thoughts projected at you

Sagan, p. 302
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Scientific Method

• Develop a hypothesis and make predictions based
  on it.
• Test the predictions by experiment or, in
  astronomy, by observation. (Problem with UFOs)
• Modify hypothesis and repeat as needed until it
  may develop into a substantial theory.
• Theories that seem so well established that they
  are unlikely to be wrong are sometimes called
  facts. Some agreed upon, others debated
  (gravitation, human evolution).

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Occams Razor

• Occams Razor is a principle that says that
  given alternative explanations or theories that
  explain a phenomenon, the simplest is most likely
  to be true.

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Objective 2 Numbers

• Measure, record data
• Treatment of numbers (significant figures)
• Computer simulations
• Systems, theories and models
• Theory and data match errors

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Objective 3 Language

• The language of science astronomical terms
• Scientific publications

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Objective 4 The Web

• Resources (.gov, .edu )
• Evaluating a Web site how easy it is to publish
  (.org, .com )

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Objective 5 Science as a Human Activity

• Environment
• Global warming
• Nuclear waste
• End of oil era
• Big Science
• Science military
• Intelligent Design
• Science in the media (have already posted some
  items)

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Importance of Astronomy?

• Most noble the quest to just know!
• Fight Pseudoscience and the waste of lives (James
  Randi story UFOlogy)
• Practical? Spinoffs, maybe.
• More essential

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Deep Impact?
Back of envelope calculation (Sagan, p. xiv)
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Our Sun The Maunder Minimum
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Are We Alone?
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Our general plan this semester

• Overview appearance of the sky, distance scale
  of the universe
• Light production and focusing
• The Changing sky motions apparent and real
• Gravitation and motion
• The planets ours and exoplanets
• Construction debris

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For next time

• Read Pasachoff, Preface and Ch. 1
• Start Sagan, Preface and Chapter 1
• Will have lab details Thursday, but get your lab
  manual as soon as you can.
• Turn in your horoscope forms as you leave