Introduction to Discovering Astronomy Professor Arthur ...

Discovering Astronomy

Introduction to Discovering Astronomy

Professor Arthur Trew [email protected]


Prof Andy Lawrence

[email protected]

Dr Ken Rice

[email protected]

Prof Arthur Trew

[email protected]

the lecturers



This course is accessible to students taking a variety of courses. It is an introduction to the concepts and methods used by astronomers and discusses what, as a consequence, we know about the universe.

The recommended textbook is ‘The Cosmic Perspective’, Sixth Edition, by Bennet, Donahue, Schneider and Voit. The course relies fairly heavily on this book and it could be worth getting a copy.


Online course material

The course homepage can be accessed by registered students through the MyEd portal https://www.myed.ed.ac.uk/. This will include copies of the lecture notes, self-test problems, and additional course questions. All notices, announcements, and assessment grades will also be posted, and there will be a discussion board allowing you to ask questions about the course or provide feedback.

The website also contains a link to the registration form that must be completed so that tutorial groups can be arranged.

Discovering Astronomy G

Crickets

We will be using crickets (formally known as a Personal Response System) during lectures. If you don’t already have a cricket, you will be able to collect one after the this lecture in M2A Appleton Tower. The use of the crickets will be anonymous and they will be used primarily to promote interaction during the lectures, they will not affect your exam marks.


Tutorials

You will attend a total of 5 tutorials, 1 every 2 weeks. Tutorials are held on Mondays and Fridays from 3.10 to 4.00pm, and you will be divided into groups this week. If you have a preference for a particular day, note this on your registration form.

During tutorials, you will work in groups to answer questions similar to those in the exam. At the end of each two week period you will hand in your solutions, three of which will be assessed – but you should hand in all 6. The best 4 tutorial marks will count towards your final degree mark.

The tutorial deadlines are the first lecture on the Monday after the end of each two week period. The exact dates of these are shown in the course booklet. We will not accept work handed in after these deadlines. Tutorials will be returned at the 2.10pm Monday lecture one week after the deadline and common mistakes reviewed at the 4.10pm lecture.


Assessed Coursework

In addition to tutorials, you will be asked to do one piece of coursework that will be assessed. Details of the assignment will be given several weeks in advance.

You must complete the coursework and hand it in on time. It will be marked and returned; there is a marking penalty of 5% per working day, for five days, with a mark of zero thereafter, for late work. The assessed coursework is included in the final mark for the course. Therefore marks lost for late coursework make it harder to pass the course.

You must include a “Own Work Declaration” when handing in the coursework. A mark will not be given if this form is not signed and returned with your work. The form is available from the course webpage on WebCT or can be downloaded from the School’s website.


Observing

Free tickets for the Visitor Centre’s public observing sessions on Friday nights will be able for first-year students interested in some stargazing and perhaps thinking about getting involved in outreach work. These tickets are limited and booking is essential. Contact the Visitor Centre (0131-668 8404, 2-4pm, [email protected]).


What is required to pass the course

At the end of the course there will be a two-hour exam consisting of a multiple choice, a short questions section, and a problem-solving/long questions section.

The course grade will depend on the degree exam, the coursework mark, and the tutorial marks. To the pass the course you will need an overall pass mark (40% on the University Common Marking scale) and you must score a minimum of 40% on the Degree Examination. The overall pass mark is calculated from:

2/3 examination 1/6 coursework assignment 1/6 assessed tutorial problems


Timetable Discovering Astronomy 17 September to 21 December Monday 14.10 Medical School, Meadows Lecture Theatre Monday 16.10 7 George Square, F21 Friday 14.10 Medical School, Meadows Lecture Theatre Week Module Lecturer

8 17 Sep M2 Introduction Prof AS Trew 17 Sep M4 Understanding the Heavens 21 Sep F2 Kepler’s Laws

2 24 Sep M2, M4 Newtonian Mechanics 28 Sep F2 Matter and Energy 3 01 Oct M2, M4 Modern Physics 04 Oct F2 Telescopes Coursework assignment set: Monday 8 October 4 08 Oct M2, M4 Stellar Properties & Structure * 8 Oct M2 - Tutorial 1 deadline 12 Oct F2 Stellar Properties & Structure 5 15 Oct M2*, M4 The Sun Dr WKM Rice 19 Oct F2 The Solar System 6 22 Oct M2*, M4 Planets, comets and Asteroids * 22 Oct M2 - Tutorial 2 deadline 26 Oct F2 Star and Planet Formation 7 29 Oct M2, M4 Extrasolar Planets 02 Nov F2 Stellar Evolution 8 05 Nov M2, M4* Star Death Prof A Lawrence * 5 Nov M2 – Tutorial 3 deadline 09 Nov F2 The Milky Way Coursework deadline: Friday 9 November 9 12 Nov M2, M4 The Local Group 16 Nov F2 The Formation of Structure 10 19 Nov M2*, M4 The Formation of Galaxies * 19 Nov M2 – Tutorial 4 deadline 23 Nov F2 The Early Universe 11 26 Nov M2, M4 The Big Bang 30 Nov F2* Cosmology * 30 Nov F2 – Tutorial 5 deadline 3 – 7 December Revision Week 10 – 21 December EXAMS


… our starting place


Voyager 1


the Sun


the solar system


… to be in scale

• if the Sun is a football, the Earth is a peppercorn, how far apart should I put them?

1. 1m 2. 2m 3. 10m 4. 25m 5. 50m


… a multitude of stars


open clusters


star birth


globular clusters


galaxies: star cities


clusters of galaxies


clusters of clusters


The Big Bang


echoes of the Big Bang

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