Physics
109: Astronomy & Cosmology
“Planets near and far”
01:750:109:01
Rutgers University, Fall 2023
Prof.
Chuck Keeton
Class
meetings: Tuesday/Friday 10:20-11:40am, AB 4225
Office
hours: TBD
Learning
management system: Canvas
Communication
- please use Canvas as much as possible:
· For general
questions about the course, please try Canvas Chat.
· For questions
about specific topics in the course, please use Canvas Discussions.
· For confidential
matters, please use email through Canvas Inbox.
Course Description
This course describes how we understand
planets in our Solar System and around other stars. There are no college-level
prerequisites, but typical high school algebra and science preparation are
assumed. The companion course, Physics 110, focuses on stars, galaxies, and the
universe. The two courses are independent; you can take one or both, in either
order.
This course is intended for non-science
majors. Students who have completed two semesters each of physics and calculus should
consider taking Physics 341/342 instead. Those courses cover similar material
as Physics 109/110 but at a more advanced level.
SAS Core Curriculum Learning Goals for the Natural Sciences
This course meets SAS core curriculum natural science requirements:
· Understand and apply basic
principles and concepts in the physical or biological sciences.
· Explain and be able to assess the
relationship among assumptions, method, evidence, arguments, and theory in
scientific analysis.
Active Learning
Evidence
shows that students learn best when they “try not just to comprehend and remember but also to
apply, analyze, synthesize, evaluate, and theorize” (Ken Bain). Furthermore, in my experience doing science and
learning about science share a lot of the same activities:
· read what other
people have written
· ask questions,
search for answers
· test your own
understanding
· try explaining
what you understand to someone else
· use a diagram or
related tool to illustrate your thinking
· reason about
something you have never seen before
I
have therefore designed class time to let you engage in these activities. In
order for them to be effective, it is important that you read the book
before class. If you come to class prepared, we will all find class time
to be productive and, I hope, even fun.
Topics
·
Understanding the Sky
·
Seasons
·
Phases of the Moon, Eclipses
·
Historical Astronomy
·
Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion
·
Newton’s Laws of Motion and Gravity
·
Light and Telescopes
·
The Solar System
·
Planetary Surfaces and Interiors
·
Planetary Atmospheres
·
Jovian Planets and Moons
·
Pluto and Beyond
·
Comets and Asteroids
·
Exoplanets
Course Materials
·
Astronomy 2e from OpenStax (free; digital
ISBN-13: 978-1-951693-50-3)
·
Canvas
·
Access
to a laptop (preferred) or other electronic device
·
Stellarium astronomy
software (free download)
Course Structure
This
class will meet in person Tuesday/Friday 10:20-11:40am in AB 4225. Attendance
and active participation are expected. As discussed above, class time will
include activities to enhance your learning by engaging with the material.
Office
hours will be offered in person at a time to be determined.
Assessment
Your
course score will be based on the following elements:
·
weekly
online homework (20%)
·
astro news item (10%)
·
individual
observing project (10%)
·
group
poster project (20%)
·
in-class quizzes
(20%)
·
final
exam (20%)
Weekly homework
will be assigned in Canvas and will be due on Mondays at 11:59pm. It will
consist of multiple-choice questions that assess your understanding of material
from the previous week’s classes as well as new material from assigned reading.
You may discuss material with the instructor or other students in the class
(e.g., in study groups), but you are expected to complete the homework
assignments on your own. I will drop your one lowest homework score when
computing the semester average.
There
will be four in-class quizzes on dates to be announced in class. There will be
a final exam on a date to be scheduled by the university. The quizzes and final
exam will have multiple-choice and short-answer questions similar in style to
questions from homework and in-class activities. They will be closed
book/notes/laptop/phone; you must not consult anyone else while taking a quiz
or exam. Makeup quizzes will not be permitted; I will drop your one
lowest quiz score when computing the semester average. A makeup final exam will
be scheduled only in the case of an official exam conflict, a medical/family
emergency, or another serious and unforeseen event.
Concepts
from this course should help you understand and appreciate ongoing developments
in astronomy. To help you make connections, I will ask you to submit a brief
report about an astro news item. The report should
identify the discovery or development, discuss why it is important, explain how
it illustrates principles from class, and present conceptual and/or
quantitative questions like those in class. Details will be given in class.
Concepts
from this course should also help you understand and appreciate things you see
in the night sky. To help you make those connections, I will ask you to conduct
a small project to observe the sky and record what you see. You will observe
with your own eyes; no telescope or other equipment is needed. Details will be
given in class.
NASA has
created posters that are meant to depict objects in our Solar System or planets
orbiting other stars as possible travel destinations. We will examine them in
class, and then you will work in groups to create one for an exoplanet of your
choice. The goal is to use concepts from this class to understand how
astronomers discover exoplanets and determine their properties, and to convey
that understanding in a visually interesting way. Details will be given in
class.
Course
scores will translate to letter grades as follows:
· 90-100 = A
· 85-89.9 = B+
· 80-84.9 = B
· 75-79.9 = C+
· 70-74.9 = C
· 60-69.9 = D
· below 60 = F
Changes: The course schedule and guidelines are subject to
change. Any changes will be communicated promptly and clearly.
Absences: Students are
expected to attend all classes; if you expect to miss one or two classes,
please use the University absence
reporting website
to indicate the date and reason for your absence. An email is automatically
sent to your instructors.
· If you have been
told to quarantine, or are experiencing symptoms of any transmissible disease,
please do not attend in-person class meetings. Contact the professor to make
arrangements for handling such absences.
Fostering
an equitable and inclusive classroom:
All instructors, students, and staff associated with the Physics and
Astronomy Department are expected to follow the Department’s Policy against
Discrimination and Harassment https://physics.rutgers.edu/about-us/about-us-policy-affirmation. As stated in
this policy, “The Rutgers Department of Physics & Astronomy strives to foster an
academic, work, and living environment that is respectful and free from
discrimination and harassment. The
Department recognizes the human dignity of each member of the community and
believes that each member has a responsibility to promote respect and dignity
for others so that all community members are free to pursue their educational
and work goals in an open environment, to participate in the free exchange of
ideas, and to share equally in opportunities.”
The faculty and staff at
Rutgers are committed to your success. Students who are successful tend to seek
out resources that enable them to excel academically, maintain their health and
wellness, prepare for future careers, navigate college life and finances, and
connect with the RU community. Helpful resources include the Rutgers Learning
Centers and school-based advising
(for SAS, SOE, SEBS, and RBS).
Additional resources that can help you succeed and connect with the Rutgers
community can be found at https://success.rutgers.edu.
Please
visit the Rutgers Student
Tech Guide for resources
available to all students. If you do not have the appropriate technology for
financial reasons, please email the Office of the Dean of Students – Student Support (deanofstudents@echo.rutgers.edu) for assistance.
If you are facing other financial hardships, please visit the Office of
Financial Aid.
Disability
Accommodations: Rutgers University welcomes students with disabilities into all
of the University's educational programs. In order to receive consideration for
reasonable accommodations, a student with a disability must contact the
appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially
enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation: https://ods.rutgers.edu/students/documentation-guidelines. If the
documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your
campus’s disability services office will provide you with a Letter of
Accommodations. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the
accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. To begin this
process, please complete the Registration form on the ODS web site at: https://ods.rutgers.edu/students/getting-registered
Rutgers University takes
academic dishonesty very seriously. By enrolling in this course, you assume
responsibility for familiarizing yourself with the Academic Integrity Policy and the possible penalties (including suspension and
expulsion) for violating the policy. As per the policy, all suspected
violations will be reported to the Office of Student Conduct. Academic
dishonesty includes (but is not limited to):
· Cheating
· Plagiarism
· Aiding others in
committing a violation or allowing others to use your work
· Failure to cite
sources correctly
· Fabrication
· Using another
person’s ideas or words without attribution
· Re-using a
previous assignment
· Unauthorized
collaboration
· Sabotaging another
student’s work
If in doubt, please contact
the professor. Also review the Academic Integrity Policy and Academic Integrity Resources for Students.
Use
of external website resources (such as Chegg.com or others) to obtain solutions
to homework assignments or exams is cheating and a violation of the University
Academic Integrity policy. Cheating in the course may result in grade
penalties, disciplinary sanctions or educational sanctions. Posting homework
assignments or exams to external sites without the instructor's permission may
be a violation of copyright and may constitute the facilitation of dishonesty,
which may result in the same penalties as cheating.
The
Rutgers honor pledge will be included on all major assignments for you to sign:
“On my honor, I have neither received nor given any unauthorized assistance on
this examination/assignment.”
Almost
all original work is the intellectual property of its authors. This includes
not just books and articles, but the syllabi, lectures, slides, recordings,
course materials, presentations, homework problems, exams, and other materials
used in this course, in either printed or electronic form. You may not copy
this work, post it online, or disseminate it in any way without the explicit
permission of the instructor. Respect for an author’s efforts and intellectual
property rights is an important value that members of the university community
are expected to take seriously.
The
university provides a number of resources to support your physical and mental
well-being. Several valuable resources and listed here and you are encouraged
to contact the Professor for more guidance about university resources.
Report
a Bias Incident If you experience or
witness an act of bias or hate, report it to someone in authority. You may file
a report online and you will be contacted within 24 hours. The bias reporting
page is here.
Bias
is defined by the University as an act, verbal, written, physical,
psychological, that threatens, or harms a person or group on the basis of race,
religion, color, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression,
national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, civil union status,
domestic partnership status, atypical heredity or cellular blood trait,
military service or veteran status.
Click here to report a bias incident
CAPS
is a University mental health support service that
includes counseling, alcohol and other drug assistance, and psychiatric
services staffed by a team of professionals within Rutgers Health services to
support students’ efforts to succeed at Rutgers University. CAPS offers a
variety of services that include: individual therapy, group therapy and
workshops, crisis intervention, referral to specialists in the community, and
consultation and collaboration with campus partners.
Crisis Intervention: http://health.rutgers.edu/medical-counseling-services/counseling/crisis-intervention/
Report a Concern: http://health.rutgers.edu/do-something-to-help/
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932-1181, 3 Bartlett Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, http://vpva.rutgers.edu/
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Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance provides confidential
crisis intervention, counseling, and advocacy for victims of sexual and
relationship violence and stalking to students, staff, and faculty. To reach
staff during office hours when the university is open or to reach an advocate
after hours, call 848-932-1181.
(848)
445-6800, Lucy Stone Hall, Suite A145, Livingston, 54 Joyce Kilmer Avenue,
Piscataway, NJ 08854, https://ods.rutgers.edu/
Rutgers University welcomes students with disabilities into
all of the University's educational programs. In order to receive consideration
for reasonable accommodations, a student with a disability must contact the
appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially
enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation: https://ods.rutgers.edu/students/documentation-guidelines. If the documentation supports your
request for reasonable accommodations, your campus’s disability services office
will provide you with a Letter of Accommodations. Please share this letter with
your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your
courses as possible. To begin this process, please complete the Registration
form on the ODS web site at: https://ods.rutgers.edu/students/getting-registered.