The relevant reading is given as chapter and section in both Zeilik and Gregory, Introductory Astronomy and Astrophysics, and in Zeilik, Astronomy: The Evolving Universe. You should refer to this when working on your homework. The reading goes over the material on which the homework is based, and we may not be covering it explicitly in class.
Homework is due on the indicated date. The assignment refers to the chapter and problem ("chapter:problem") in Zeilik and Gregory, Introductory Astronomy and Astrophysics. There are no assignments from Astronomy: The Evolving Universe.
Please come to class prepared. It will be much easier to follow along if you look over the reading and in-class exercises ahead of time.
| Date | Main Concept | Introductory Astronomy & Astrophysics |
Astronomy: The Evolving Universe |
Exercise | Homework | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Aug 25 | Circular orbits | P2-2; 1-4 | 4; 5 | The Mass of the Sun | |
| Wed | Aug 27 | Observing orbits | 1-4 | 4-1; pg.81 | The Moons of Jupiter (*) | Finish Mass of the Sun |
| Wed | Sep 3 | Motion under gravity | P5-4; 1-2,5 | 3-5 | Central Force Orbits (+) | 1:4 |
| Mon | Sep 8 | The Planets | 2-1; 5; 6 | 9; 10; 11 | Solar System Scales | 1:5; Mars Pathfinder |
| Wed | Sep 10 | Rings and Debris | 7-1,2,3 | 12 | Tidal Forces | Solar System Scale Model |
| Mon | Sep 15 | Electromagnetic Radiation | 8-1 | 5-3 | Diffraction (+) | 6:6; 7:15 |
| Wed | Sep 17 | Atomic Spectra | 8-2,3,5 | 5-3,4 | Using a Spectrograph | 8:2,3 |
| Mon | Sep 22 | Blackbody Radiation | 8-6 | 13-3 | Blackbody Radiation | 8:6,10 |
| Wed | Sep 24 | Optical Telescopes | 9-1,2 | 6 | Make a Telescope | 8:11 |
| Mon | Sep 29 | Stellar Magnitudes | 11-1,2,3,4 | 14-1,2,3 | Parallax | 9:10 |
| Wed | Oct 1 | Binary Stars | 12-1,2,3,4 | 14-6 | Binary Stars (+) | 11:11 |
| Mon | Oct 6 | Stellar Spectra | 8-4; 13-1,2 | 14-4 | Stellar Spectra (*) | 12:4 |
| Wed | Oct 8 | HR Diagrams | 13-3 | 14-5 | The Pleiades (*) | 13:2 |
| Wed | Oct 15 | The Galaxy | 14; 19-4; 20-1A | 18 | Mapping Spiral Arms (+) | 13:18 |
| Mon | Oct 20 | The Interstellar Medium | 15-1,2 | 15-1 | Reddening | 14:4,6 |
| Wed | Oct 22 | Star Formation | 15-2,3 | 15-2,3,4 | Protostar Collapse (+) | 14:15; 15:8 |
| Mon | Oct 27 | Stellar Structure | 16-1A,1B,1C | 16-2,3 | Stellar Interiors I (+) | 15:19 |
| Wed | Oct 29 | Stellar Processes | 16-1D,2 | 16-4 | Stellar Interiors II (+) | 16:7 |
| Mon | Nov 3 | Stellar Evolution | 16-3,4 | 16-1,5,6,7 | Stellar Evolution (+) | 16:8,11 |
| Wed | Nov 5 | Novae and Supernovae | 18-5 | 17-3,4 | Energy from SN1987A | 16:9 |
| Mon | Nov 10 | Compact Stars | 17-1,2,3 | 17-1,2,6 | Pulsars (*) | 18:5 |
| Wed | Nov 12 | X-Ray Binaries | 18-6 | 17-7,8 | Properties of SS433 | 17:5 |
| Mon | Nov 17 | Cepheid Variables | 18-1,2 | pg.366,419 | The Distance to M81 | 17:11; 18:10 |
| Wed | Nov 19 | Other Galaxies | 21; 22 | 19 | Hubble's Law (*) | 18:1 |
| Mon | Nov 24 | Active Galaxies | 24 | 20 | The Center of M87 | 21:1 |
| Mon | Dec 1 | The Big Bang | 25 | 21-1,2,3,4 | The Age of the Universe | 24:8 |
| Wed | Dec 3 | The Birth of the Universe | 26 | 21-4,5,6,7 | Is the Universe Flat? | 25:4 |
| Mon | Dec 8 | Course Review | ||||