Physics 202A-005, Astronomy & Cosmology Lab

Lab Schedule (Fall 2009)

Thursday 11:30 am - 1:40 pm

Tiernan 408

Dr. Slawomir Piatek

Office: Tiernan 423F

Office Hours: W.5:00 PM – 6:00 PM & F. 9:00 AM – 10 AM

Phone: 973-596-3551

e-mail: piatek@physics.rutgers.edu

Website: www.physics.rutgers.edu/~piatek

 

Text: Student Manual for Introductory Astronomy and Cosmology Laboratory

 

Class website: www.physics.rutgers.edu/~piatek/class/Phys202A/F09/Outline.htm

 

Grading: Each lab is worth 10 points. I will drop one lowest grade, which may be a lab grade or 0 for absence (excused or not excused). I do not allow making up missed labs.  Your final grade will be based on the grade schedule below.

 

            90% -100%   A

            85% -  90%   B+

            75% -  85%   B

            70% -  75%   C+

            60% -  70%   C

            50% -  60%   D

              0% -  50%   F

 

Lab Calendar:

 

Lab 1  (Th. 9/3) Introduction

 

Lab 2  (Th. 9/10) The Celestial Sphere: Horizon Coordinate System (H)

 

Lab 3  (Th. 9/17) The Celestial Sphere: Ecliptic (E)

 

Lab 4  (Th. 9/24) The Celestial Sphere: Equatorial Coordinate System and Sidereal Time (ES)

 

Lab 5 (Th. 10/1) Orbit of Mercury I (OMI)

 

Lab 6  (Th. 10/8) Orbit of Mercury II (OMII)

 

Lab 7  (Th. 10/15) The Moon (M)

 

Lab 8  (Th. 10/22) Planetary Configuration (PC)

 

Lab 9  (Th. 10/29) The synodic period of the Sun (SS)

 

Lab 10 (Th. 11/5) Spectroscopy (S)

 

Lab 11 (Th. 11/12) Reflection and Refraction (RR)

 

Lab 12 (Th. 11/19) Thin Lenses and Astronomical Telescope (L)

 

Lab 13 (T. [Th.]11/24) The Hertzsprung-Russel Diagram (HR)

 

Lab 14 (Th. 12/3) The Hubble Classification of Galaxies, Hubble’s Law, and the Expansion of the Universe (HL)