Astronomy and Cosmology (Physics 109 Section 1)
Fall 2019

COURSE OUTLINE

Lecturer: Prof. Jack Hughes, Busch Campus, Serin-307, Tel: (848)445-8878, e-mail: jph "at" physics.rutgers.edu

Office Hour: Monday 3:30pm-5:00pm, Serin-307, Busch Campus

Textbook: Required. The Cosmic Perspective: Fundamentals, 2nd Ed. by Bennett, Donahue, Schneider, and Voit (Publisher: Addison-Wesley/Pearson, ISBN-13: 978-0133889567; ISBN-10: 0133889564). Available from the bookstore in either print or e-book format (your choice).

iclickers: Required. Register your i>clicker on the sakai course site. When you first log on to Sakai you will be on the "My Workspace" page. On the left side, the second row there should be a tab that says "i>clicker". Click on that and follow the instructions.

Overview: In this course we shall discuss the historical foundations of Astronomy, the tools and techniques used by modern astronomers, the constituents of our solar system, and the processes by which it formed. The companion course, Ph 110 (taught this semester by Prof. Jha) covers the structure and evolution of stars, the properties of galaxies, and the past, present, and future of the Universe. There are no college-level prerequisites for either course, but typical high school algebra and science preparation is assumed.

Format: The course consists of 2 lectures each week on Wednesday from 11:30AM to 12:50PM and Friday from 1:10PM to 2:30PM in room 123 of Scott Hall on the College Avenue Campus.

Assessment: Grades will be determined based on three elements weighted equally: (1) in class iclicker quizes, (2) a midterm exam, and (3) a cumulative final exam. All quizes and exams will be closed-book format and will consist of multiple-choice questions. Iclicker quizes will be given on material that has been presented in class or covered in the assigned reading. There are no make-up iclicker quizzes, but the instructor will drop the two lowest scores (out of 12 total quizzes) to allow for missed quizzes. There will be a make-up final for students with a class conflict, a medical/family emergency, or other serious and unforeseen event. In all cases, documentation (your class schedule, a doctor's note, etc.) must be provided to take the make-up exam.

Exam Schedule:

Tutoring: We are fortunate to have two undergraduate tutors (Brandon Shane and Emanuella Macri) available for this course. The schedule for tutoring sessions is given below. All sessions are held on Busch Campus at the Learning Center.

Tutor Schedule:

Observing: Viewing sessions using the telescopes located on the roof of the Physics & Astronomy Building (Busch campus) are held on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month when the sky is clear, beginning at 8 pm or 1 hour after sunset, whichever is later. Attendance at these observing sessions is optional. For more information, see: http://www.physics.rutgers.edu/ast/ast-serin.html

How to succeed in this class:


The address of this page is http://www.physics.rutgers.edu/~jackph/2019s/intro.html

Please send any comments to Jack Hughes, jph "at" physics.rutgers.edu.

Revised Aug 14, 2019