Murphy's Spring 2014 ASTR 1220 Class Home Page

NOTE: This course is not appropriate for students that have taken Murphy's section of ASTR 1270. Much of the same material is covered in this course as in Murphy's section of ASTR 1270, though in a different format.

Lecture Notes:

A list of lecture dates and topics can be found below.  PDF versions of my PowerPoint slides can be found in the Resources tab on the left side of the page.

Course Materials:

For my section of ASTR 1220, you are required to have three items:

1. The textbook "The Cosmic Perspective," 6th Edition, by Bennett, Donahue, Schneider and Voit published by Pearson Higher Education. Do not purchase the abridged version of the text called "The Essential Cosmic Perspective."
2. A subscription to i>Clicker GO or an i>Clicker or i>Clicker2 classroom response device
3. Access to the WebAssign online learning system. 

You must also download and install a free copy of the planetarium program Stellarium. It is required for one of the labs.

Your options for purchasing these are:

1. Used textbook from the University Bookstore: Cost is $26.
2. You will need to purchase access to WebAssign for $65 at http://www.webassign.net/

 

Grades:

Your grade will be based on 3 quizzes, a final exam, 2 night lab exercises, in class questions, and weekly homework and Skynet Labs. On a 1000 point scale each is worth: 

 

Quiz 1	125 points	Thursday, February 6 from 2:00-3:15 p.m.
Quiz 2	125 points	Thursday, March 6 from 2:00-3:15 p.m.
Quiz 3	125 points	Thursday, April 10 from 2:00-3:15 p.m.
Exam	225 points	Thursday, May 8 from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (Block 10)
Classroom Questions	100 points
Weekly Homework and Skynet Labs	200 points	Due most Sundays at 11:00 p.m.
Constellation Lab	50 points	Maximum grade declines during semester
Telescope Observing Lab	50 points	Maximum grade declines during semester

 

 

The final exam is fully comprehensive. It will be approximately twice as long as a quiz and in the same general style.

Grades will be posted on the UVa Collab site http://collab.itc.virginia.edu in the Gradebook tab on the left. Your final grade is based on 1000 points with letter grades assigned as follows:

Letter Grade	Point range	Letter Grade	Point Range
A+	970-1000	C	730-769
A	930-969	C-	700-729
A-	900-929	D+	670-699
B+	870-899	D	630-669
B	830-869	D-	600-629
B-	800-829	F	0-599
C+	770-799	Pass	600-1000

 

 

I will send official correspondence via electronic mail. Therefore, you should immediately activate your U. Va. e-mail account if you have not already done so. If you use a mail service other than the University's, be sure to have your University mail forwarded to it. You will be responsible for reading all materials sent via electronic mail.

Attendance Policy:

It is in your best interest to attend class regularly. During most classes you will be asked to answer a number of questions using i>Clicker. Credit will only be given for answers completed during class. You must attend the scheduled quizzes and the final exam. See me at least two lectures before an exam if you have a conflict. Makeup exams are given only at the discretion of the instructor.

You must turn off your cell phone before class begins.

Please do not hold conversations with other students during class. Regardless of how quiet you believe you are, it is very distracting to the students around you.

If you bring a smart phone, tablet, or laptop to class everyday, please be respectful of me and the other students in the class. I ask that you restrict your use to class related note-taking and research. Working on non-class related projects is distracting to the students around and behind you and is distracting to me.

Honor Code:

As a graduate of the University of Virginia, I take the honor code very seriously. I assume that all exams and labs are bound by your honor to be your own work, even if you did not explicitly sign the pledge. In class you will, at times, be asked to work in groups. In these cases, I expect everyone in the group to contribute to the answer. I would consider it an honor violation if you submit a groups' answer but did not contribute to the discussion. If you are not sure what is allowed ask me to clarify.

Skynet Labs:

This semester, we will be using the Skynet world-wide network of robotic telescopes! Skynet consists of over one dozen telescopes in Chile, Australia, the United States, and elsewhere. During this course, you will be using the network of telescopes to complete lab exercises. You will log into Skynet, request observations, and they will be carried out automatically at a telescope in Chile or Australia. You will complete the lab assignments using the WebAssign online learning system. The first labs will not be due until February 9.

 

The Skynet labs are worth 200 points. The total number of points that you earn will be the weighted average percentage of all the assignments. For example, if you average 85% on the Skynet labs during the semester, you will earn 0.85x200=170 points. If you do not complete the lab by the due date and time in WebAssign, you can request an extension inside of WebAssign. The penalty for requesting an extension is 20% per day on the unanswered parts of the lab.

 

You may use your textbook and lecture notes when completing the labs.  You are welcome to work with other students so long as the final answer that you submit is your own.  If you don't know the answer to a question, it is fine if your partner helps you to figure out the answer.  If another student tells you the answer, and you submit the answer without attempting to understanding why it is correct, I would consider that an honor violation.

 

Our teaching assistant, Apurva Oza, will be offering laboratory help sessions on Thursday evenings from 8:00 to 9:00 p.m. in Clark 107. Please plan to attend these sessions for help with the labs. Although you are not required to attend the lab sessions, I strongly encourage you to do so!

Night Labs:

You will be required to complete two night labs this semester, the Constellation Lab and the Telescope Observing Lab.

 

Constellation Lab:

This lab consists of learning the names and locations of the brightest stars and constellations, completing a worksheet, and passing a short quiz. The lab can be completed in a single night and you may repeat it until you pass. The lab is graded pass/fail and the number of points that you receive depends on the date that you complete the lab:

Dates	Maximum possible grade
Jan 21 - Mar 06	50 points
Mar 17 - Apr 03	40 points
Apr 07 - Apr 29	30 points

 

You should complete the Constellation Lab as early as possible in the semester since the number of points that you receive will decline as the semester progresses; the lab gets very crowded as deadlines approach and you run the risk of being clouded out. There will be absolutely no exceptions to this schedule. The lab operates every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evening at both 9:00 and 10:00 p.m. and lasts one hour.  The lab is operated in the garage area adjacent  to the Astronomy Building (to the left of the Astronomy Building as seen from the Observatory Hill Dining Hall).  You must sign up for an observing session in advance. See the Lab Information page for more details.  If you completed the lab in a previous semester for another astronomy class, you must complete the lab again this semester.

 

You will significantly increase your chances of passing the quiz if you learn the names and locations of the major constellations and bright stars in the night sky. You can also get very good star maps at SkyMaps.com and Heavens-Above.  Go outside at night and use the star maps to locate the constellations and bright stars.  At the start of the lab, the teaching assistant may review their locations and names.

 

The  Constellation Quiz Lab will not operate if the skies are cloudy.  If you are in doubt, call the Astronomy Department Night Lab hotline at (434) 924-7238 after 7:00 p.m. to learn if the labs will be open. If you pass the lab, your grade will appear in the Gradebook on Collab within a week. If you do not pass the lab, you will receive an email and you should schedule another lab session.

 

Telescope Observing:

 

In this lab you will attend a single observing session at the Leander McCormick Observatory and sketch at least three objects as seen through the telescopes. The Telescope Observing Lab operates only on Monday and Thursday evenings and runs from 9:00-11:00 p.m.  See the Lab Information page for more details. You must sign up for an observing session in advance. You should meet the teaching assistant at the left entrance of the Astronomy Building (as seen from the Observatory Hill Dining Hall) no later than 9:00 p.m. to get a ride to the Observatory.  The lab will also be graded pass/fail. The number of points that you receive for passing the lab depends on the date that you complete the lab:

Dates	Maximum possible grade
Jan 27 - Mar 27 Apr 17	50 points
Mar 31 Apr 17 - Apr 28	40 points

You do not need to do any work or studying prior to the lab.  The teaching assistants will have the telescopes pointed at interesting objects.  You must make a quick, but accurate, sketch of the object and write a brief description of its appearance. If you pass the lab, your grade will appear in the Gradebook on Collab within 10 days. If you do not pass the lab, you will receive an email and you should schedule another lab session.

 

i>Clicker Classroom Exercises:

During most classes, I will ask you to respond to a number of questions using the iClicker student response system. I will use your responses to gauge the overall comprehension of the subject, to clear up any misunderstandings, and to learn your opinions on various topics. You will receive 1 point for each question that you answer and 1 bonus points for each question you answer correctly. Once you have earned 100 points, you will not earn any additional credit. I do not allow students to make up missed questions. You may not use another student's account to answer questions for them. Answering questions for another student, whether they are present or absent, is a violation of the honor code. To use i>Clicker, you will need a subscription to i>Clicker GO or you will need to purchase an i>Clicker or i>Clicker2 classroom response device. Please let me know if purchasing a subscription or a device is a financial hardship for you. I have a limited number of devices that I can loan out for the semester.

Additional Help:

I strongly encourage you to take advantage of my office hours. I am always happy to meet with you to discuss the material and answer questions. If the posted hours do not work for you because of a class, please schedule an appointment with me for another time. On cloudy evenings, when the night lab is closed, the teaching assistants are also available.

 Weather Pages:

Astronomy Department Night Lab weather hotline:  (434) 924-7238 (after 7:00 p.m.)

Current conditions at McCormick Observatory

National Weather Service forecast for Charlottesville

Clear Sky Clock for McCormick Observatory

Real-time satellite weather images

ASTR 1220 Introduction to the Stars, Galaxies, and Universe