Spring 2005
    Astronomy & Cosmologies
    updated 30.April.2005
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    Welcome to the Astronomy & Cosmologies 2005 homepage.
    A&C is a one-quarter, full-time (16-credit), partly web-based program at The Evergreen State College with Dr. E.J. Zita <zita@evergreen.edu>. We will disucuss our Universe readings, do workshops and quantitative examples together, and prepare for observing and research.

    Our first Astronomy class meets at 1:00 pm Monday 28.March.2005 in the Computer Applications Laboratory (CAL)

    In Science Seminar, a required part of Astronomy & Cosmologies, we will discuss Cosmology readings on Monday evenings, and Astronomy readings on Wednesday evenings. We hope to have many of these seminars online. Additional students may join just Science Seminar for 4 or 8 credits. All SciSem students are required to attend both Monday and Wednesday, for week 1 only (even those students only enrolled for one day, or 4 credits), to register on WebX and organize your preseminar team.

    Our first Science Seminar meets at 5:00 pm Monday 28.March.2005 in the Computer Applications Laboratory (CAL)

    IMPORTANT: Order your texts online well before class starts - see details below.

    SCHEDULE - All classes will be in the CAL on Monday and Wednesday.
    Students will also meet in teams to do homework the day before classes.

    weekend
    Monday
    Tuesday - no class
    Wednesday
    Thus/Fri - no class
    * read
    * meet teams
    * post assignments
    1:00-4:00 Astronomy in CAL

    * read
    * meet teams
    * post assignments

    Office hours 3-4 in Lab II 2270 or 2272


    * meet workshop team
    * post workshop report
    * weekly online quizzes
    * weekly essay
    * research projects
    * recommended workshops: PowerPoint or WebPage Authoring
    5:00-6:30 Seminar (online after week 1, hopefully)
    5:00-6:30 Seminar (online after week 1, hopefully)
    7:15-10:00 Astronomy in CAL

    observe on roof after class, if clear weather
    Zita's Tuesday schedule (in Lab II 2270 or 2272)
    1:00-3:00: Solar physics research and Energy Systems contract meetings
    3:00-4:00: Office hours (back to the original time)

    TEXTS:
    Order your texts online well in advance, so you have them all on the first day of class. The College bookstore will probably not have our texts, and not all are available on reserve in the Library. Booksellers or publishers are linked to text titles below. Other online sources include Amazon, Powell's or Alibris.You are required to have your own copy of texts at every class meeting. If you are waiting for yours to arrive, you are still responsible for copying chapters (e.g. from your classmates' texts) and reading them in advance to complete your preseminar assignments.

    REQUIRED for Astronomy & Cosmologies are all the texts below, including those for Science Seminar:

    * Universe, Edition 7, by William Kaufmann III and Roger Freedman. You can get by with just one volume (Stars and Galaxies), but if you want to read about planets too, get all the chapters. This is our primary text for class.

    * National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Night Sky. This excellent reference text helps you find and understand objects in the sky, and includes classic stories about them. This is our primary text for observing sessions.

    Astronomy: Seminar:

    * REQUIRED for Science Seminar (and for A&C)
    See Seminar Syllabus

    MONDAY: Science Seminar on COSMOLOGIES (4 credits)
    * Ancient Astronomers (Exploring the Ancient World), by Anthony F. Aveni, pub. Smithsonian Books (1993) ISBN: 0895990377
    * New Larousse Encyclopedia Of Mythology, by Robert Graves, pub. Crescent (1987) ISBN: 0517004046. This is out of print, but there are plenty available at used book dealers online (linked to title). The sooner you order, the better price you may get.
    Recommended, not required: National Audubon Society Field Guide to the Night Sky includes histories and myths about all the constellations.

    WEDNESDAY: Science Seminar on ASTRONOMY (4 credits)
    * Big Bang: The Origin Of The Universe, by Simon Singh, pub. Fourth Estate (2005) ISBN: 0007162200. All of Singh's books are brilliant and clear, and this is the best new book out on our topic. NPR interview with Singh
    * Subscription to Sky and Telescope magazine.

     
    REQUIRED EQUIPMENT:
    Most will be available in the College bookstore, except the binoculars, tripods, and flashlights.
     
    Planisphere, a flat plastic disc starfinder Binoculars (10 x 50), with a  tripod and mounting hardware. With this, you can see the moons of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn! Observing notebook with  unlined pages
    Protractor, a flat plastic semicircular tool for measuring angles Flashlight with the lens painted or taped red.  3-ring binder for your portfolio
    Clear plastic ruler (ruled in centimeters) Calculator is optional. Scientific notation and trig functions are useful. Fancy graphing calculator is overkill.

    Universe Figs

    Maintained by: E.J. Zita