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Information
Professor: Jack Hughes, Serin 307W, x5-0980
jph@physics.rutgers.edu
Time: Tues & Thurs, Period 7 (6:10-7:30PM)
Location: Physics Lecture Hall
Office Hour: Wed, Period 5 (2:30-4:10PM)
Text: "Astronomy: Journey to the Cosmic Frontier" 2nd edition, by John D. Fix
(WCB McGraw Hill)
Grader: Pedro Fonseca, Serin 380E, 732-445-3927,
pfonseca@physics.rutgers.edu
Math and Science Learning Center:
Available materials for
Physics 109
Review Sessions: Tues 7:30-9:00PM (Busch MSLC ARC328); Sun
4:30-6:00PM (Douglass MSLC, 3rd floor Chemistry)
Tutor availability: Sun 5-8 PM, Mon 5-7 PM (Busch MSLC)
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Web Resources
- The
Astronomical Images Archive
-
Browse the Solar System
- Hubble Space
Telescope Public Pictures
- Pictures and Video from the
Jet Propulsion Lab
- Recent Planetary Exploration Missions
- Mars: Mars Pathfinder
- Launched December 4, 1996. Landed on Mars July 4, 1997.
- Made measurements of the composition, magnetic and mechanical properties
of the Martian soil, as well as a variety of atmospheric investigations and
studies of the rotational and orbital dynamics of Mars. Also took cool 3-d
pictures of the Martian landing site!
- Carried a rover (Sojouner) that operated semi-autonomously.
- Current Planetary Exploration Missions
- Mars: Mars Global Surveyor
- Launched November 7, 1996. Arrived at Mars September 11, 1997.
- Now using the thin Martian atmosphere to "aerobrake" into its final
orbit (until March 1999).
- Primary mapping mission will last 1 Martian year (687 Earth days).
- Has already returned some spectacular new high resolution images of Mars.
- Jupiter: Galileo
- Launched October 18, 1989. Arrived at Jupiter December 7, 1995.
- Has been exploring Jupiter's atmosphere, moons, and magnetic
environment. Now into an extended mission phase to study the moons
Europa and Io.
- Carried a deployable
probe that entered Jupiter's atmosphere, survived for about 1 hour, and
made the first measurements of a giant planet's atmosphere.
- Saturn: Cassini
- Launched October 15, 1997. Arrives at Saturn July 1, 2004.
- Will flyby Venus (twice), Earth, and Jupiter for "gravity assist" to Saturn
- Carries the deployable Huygens probe to study the atmosphere and surface of Titan.
- Asteroid: Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR)
- Launched February 17, 1996. Arrives at asteroid 433 Eros:
January 10, 1999.
- Primary goal: to make the first quantitative and comprehensive
measurements of an asteroid's composition and structure.
- Upcoming Planetary Exploration Missions
- Mars: Mars Surveyor 98
- Two separate S/C: Mars Climate Orbiter and Mars Polar Lander.
- MCO Launched: December 11, 1998. Arrives at Mars in September 1999.
- MCO will use atmospheric instruments and cameras to provide detailed
information about the surface and climate of Mars
- MPL Launch dates: January 3, 1999. Arrives at Mars December 3, 1999.
- MPL will land near the southern polar cap on Mars and measure the
Martian soil composition. Two small microprobes will penetrate into the
Martian subsurface to search for water ice.
- Comet: Stardust
- Launch date: February 1999. Arrives at comet Wild 2: January, 2004.
- Primary goal: to collect dust and volatile samples from comet Wild 2
and to return them to Earth for analysis.
- Astronomical
sites on the Internet (compiled by Snow and Brownsberger)
- Web site for the text
Universe, Origins and Evolution (by Snow and Brownsberger)
- History
of Mathematics. Read the biographies of the following Astronomers
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