Astronomy & Cosmology: Ph 109 Fall 2007
Course Web Page
Solutions to the main final exam questions are
available here.
Logistics
Lecturer The author of this page is the course lecturer,
Dr. Jerry Sellwood.
Office Hour My office hour is Monday 3:20-4:40. I can be found
in room 308 in the Physics &
Astronomy Building, Busch Campus, telephone 445-5287. I am also
available to offer help and answer questions for a few minutes just
before or just after every class.
e-mail I prefer not to provide individual help with course
material by e-mail - please ask in class or in my office hour.
Questions on logistics not already on this web page etc. can be
sent to me at sellwood_at_physics.rutgers.edu.
Classes Classes are period 7 (6:40 - 8:00 pm) on Tuesdays &
Thursdays in the Physics Lecture Hall on Busch Campus. Copies of my
powerpoint slides are available on this
page, which is password protected. As these notes contain
copyrighted material, the username & password you need can be given
out only in class.
Overview
The course describes the historical foundations of astronomy, and
modern knowledge of our solar system and how it might have originated.
Our solar system comprises the Sun, planets and their associated
moons, and other minor bodies orbiting the Sun. The huge quantity of
information now available is expanding all the time, so the emphasis
of the course is on how astronomers know what they claim to know, and
how confident they are of their claims.
The companion course, PH 110, covers the structure and evolution of
stars, the properties of galaxies, and the past, present, and future
of the Universe. The two courses are independent; if you wish to take
both, they can be taken in either order or concurrently.
The 109/110 sequence is intended for non-science majors. There are no
college-level prerequisites, but minimal high school math and science
preparation are assumed. Students with college-level science & math
credits should consider taking Ph 341/342 instead, which covers much
of the same material as 109/110, but at a more advanced level.
Textbook
The book for both 109 & 110 is Astronomy: Journey
to the Cosmic Frontier 4th edition (2006) by John D. Fix,
published by McGraw-Hill. This excellent book is comprehensive, right
up-to-date and very well illustrated. It contains too much material
even for a two semester course. Some of the material you will have to
read yourself and other material can be omitted altogether, but those
with a strong interest should be able to enjoy the whole book.
Algebra in the Equation panels in the book is aimed at readers
who enjoy simple math and will not be tested in the exams. The
publisher provides a website
associated with the book.
The book is available as a single volume hardback, which is ideal if
you plan to take both 109 and 110. The book is also published in two
separate softcover volumes (1 & 2) which are separately slightly more
than half the price of the combined hardback volume. If you plan to
take only 109 then volume 1 might be adequate, but it does not include
chapter 27, which is included in the syllabus. Furthermore, I have
been unable to find anywhere that volume 1 can be purchased. If you
wish to search for yourself, the details are: Astronomy: Journey to
the Cosmic Frontier. Volume 1: The Solar System 4th edition
(2006) by John D. Fix, published by McGraw-Hill (Custom publishing)
ISBN-13 9780073126111.
Rutgers University Bookstore offers the new hardback book bundled with
a WebAssign Access Code, or a less expensive used book without the
access code. If you choose to buy the used book from them or a book
from another source, you can buy an access code separately from the RU
Bookstore or directly from WebAssign. Books may also be purchased
on-line e.g. from
Barnes & Noble.com.
Syllabus
The lectures will not follow the book very closely. I will
omit some parts and provide additional material over and above that
provided in the book in other areas. A preliminary outline of the
topics of each lecture is listed here,
together with an indication of the most relevant chapter.
Reading Assignments
The reading assignments given in the syllabus are incomplete as I will
frequently draw material from many different chapters, especially when
discussing the different properties of planets. It should be noted
that I will expect all students to have read the entirety of Chapters
8 thru 15 by the end of the course, as well as the sections listed
separately for each class.
Homework
Weekly homework will be assigned and collected
on-line on the web using the WebAssign system. Click here for detailed instructions for
WebAssign. To use this system after September 18, you must purchase a
WebAssign access code (available at the bookstore or on-line
from the WebAssign website). All assignments must be submitted
through the web, using a browser. You can use your own computer, or
any of the Rutgers student computing center machines (see
http://rucs.rutgers.edu/services/instruction).
Deadlines Assignments are due on Mondays one minute before
midnight every week beginning Sep/10 and ending on Dec/10 (except for
Oct/1 & Nov/5). Assignment scores and answers will be available from
WebAssign immediately the submission deadline is passed. No late
homework submissions will be accepted.
Copied Homework It can be beneficial to discuss homework
questions with your fellow students, but your submitted answers
must be your own. Representing someone else's work as your own
is a serious infringement of academic integrity that is reportable to
your College Dean.
Homework scores There will be twelve homework assignments and
your ten best homework scores will count towards your grade for the
course. Completing the homework assignments is the best way to ensure
a good grade because: (1) homework counts for 1/4 your overall score
for the course, (2) homework scores are generally higher than exam
scores, and (3) many of the exam questions will test the material
covered in the homework - thorough preparation for the homework will
help a lot with the tests also.
Examinations
There will be three examinations: two mid-terms and a final. The
mid-terms will be held at the usual class time and location on
Thursdays September 27 and November 1. The final exam will be on
Tuesday December 18 at 4:00 pm and will be held in the main auditorium
of Beck Hall on Livingston Campus (near the Rutgers Athletic Center).
All exams will be multiple choice and computer graded. Material from
the text, lectures, and homework assignments will be used in selecting
exam questions, which will not be cumulative. Sample mid-term and
final exams will be posted on this website.
Alternative Final Exam There will be an alternative final exam
on Friday December 14 at 10 am room SEC 210 (the SEC building is right
next to the Physics Lecture Hall). Anyone who would prefer, for
whatever reason, to take the earlier make-up instead of the
regular final on December 18, please notify Dr. Sellwood by the time
of the last class (Tuesday December 11).
Grades
Your course grade will be determined by your overall score out of 400,
which is made up as follows. Each exam will each be scored out of
100 making a maximum possible exam score of 300. The other 100 points
will be given for your ten best homework scores.
Exam scores and final grades will be available through WebAssign.
Learning Centers
The Learning Resource Centers provide a
little support for this course. the Math and Science LCs on Busch and
Douglas offer video tapes, experimental apparatus and computer
demonstrations. If there is a demand, the LRCs will try to set up
free tutoring help.
Students with Disabilities
If you have a disability, you are
urged to speak to Dr Sellwood early in the semester to make the
necessary arrangements to support a successful learning experience.
Also, you must arrange for Dr Sellwood to receive a letter from your
College's Disability Concerns Coordinator verifying that you have a
disability. A list of the College Coordinators can be found at this
website.
Observing
There are viewing sessions (which are open to the
public) using telescopes located on the roof of the Physics &
Astronomy building on Busch campus. They are held every 2nd and 4th
Thursday of each month when the sky is clear. See the web site
for more information. Attendance at these observing sessions is
optional.
Astronomy on the web
This is a
good web page for astronomical information. Those who like photographs
of planets, etc, can find all NASA's pictures on their Solar
System website.
Click here for information about
the Southern Africa Large Telescope (SALT), which has recently begun
observations in South Africa. Rutgers owns a 10% share of this
exciting new facility.
You might like to take part in the
GalaxyZoo project, which involves the general public in
classifying galaxies. Start
here to find out more - it can be addictive!