PHYSICS 1306                                                        SPRING 2011                                                   DR. L. S. PINSKY

SECTION 15073                                                      PHYS1306                                                        ROOM 412, S&R1

pinsky@uh.edu                                                                                     713 743 3552

STELLAR AND GALACTIC ASTRONOMY

                  This syllabus is available on the WWW at http://www.uh.edu/~lpinsky/1306-syl.htm.  It should be considered a DYNAMIC document, meaning that it will be updated from time to time during the course.  Therefore, the information it contains should be considered as correct at that time, but subject to change in the future!  For example, due dates for homework assignment as well as exam dates may be changed from those listed here!

JAN    19    W         1. INTRODUCTION:  THE EARLY ASTRONOMERS

              21    F                            "         "       "     "                   ( C & McM - Ch. 1 & 2 )

              24    M                          "         "       "     "

              26    W                           “                “                “                “

28    F          2. ELECTROMAGNETISM, RADIATION, AND SPECTRA

31    M  [WebCT HW 1 Due] ( C & McM – Ch. 4 & 5 )  [Last Day to Drop With a Refund!]

FEB 2     W                       "         "       "     "                

4 F                           "         "       "     "

7     M                            

9 W                        "         "       "     "                  

             11     F      

             14   M                3.  THE STARS:  OBSERVABLE PROPERTIES 

             16   W                           [WebCT HW 2 Due]  ( C & McM - Ch. 3 & 17)               

             18    F                           "         "       "     "

             21    M         "         "       "     "  [WebCT HW 3 Due]

             23    W     ********************EXAM#1****************

25    F      4. THE SUN:  A TYPICAL STAR

28    M                          "         "       "     "   ( C & McM - Ch. 16)

MAR       2    W                           "         "       "     "

  4     F          [WebCT HW 4 Due]

7    M                           5.  STELLAR EVOLUTION

9     W                           "         "       "     "  ( C & McM - Ch. 19, 20, 21 & 22)

             11      F                            "         "       "     "

             14    M                           SPRING HOLIDAY           (NO CLASS)

             16    W                           SPRING HOLIDAY           (NO CLASS)

             18   F                            SPRING HOLIDAY           (NO CLASS)

             21   M                           "         "       "     “

             23    W                           "         "       "     "

             25    F                            "         "       "     "[WebCT HW 5 Due]

             28    M                           "         "       "     "

     30    W                        "         "       "     "

APR    1     F                          "         "       "     " [WebCT HW 6 Due]

  4      M    

              5      T          ß(LAST DAY TO DROP WITH A “W” OR A “Q”)

              6      W     

8      F                           "         "       "     "

             11     M         ********************EXAM#2****************

             13    W        6.  OUR GALAXY, THE MILKY WAY  ( C & McM - Ch. 18, 19 & 23)

15    F          7. OTHER GALAXIES [WebCT HW 7 Due]

             18   M                   "         "       "     " ( C & McM - Ch. 24 & 25)             

20    W        8.  COSMOLOGY:  THE ORIGIN AND EVOLUTION OF THE UNIVERSE[WebCT HW 8 Due]

             22    F                            "         "       "     " ( C & McM - Ch. 26 & 27 )

             25    M      [WebCT HW 9 Due]

             27    W        9.  LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE ( C & McM - Ch. 28)

       29   F          Review for Exam 3 [WebCT HW 10 Due]

MAY 2   M         ********************EXAM#3****************                [LAST DAY OF CLASS]

MAY 6  [Friday]-F I N A L E X A M-11:00am-12:00pm (Rm. SR1 128)…

TEXTBOOK: 

                   C & MCM, Chaisson & McMillan:  Astronomy Today (7^th ed. Or most recent one available)

The Best Additional References

ASTRONOMY TODAY 7^h Ed) Fix.

EXPLORATION OF THE UNIVERSE (7th Ed.) Abell, Morrison, Wolff & Fraknoi (AMW&F).

FOUNDATIONS OF ASTRONOMY (2009 Ed.) Seeds

Other texts that may be useful as additional references:

Protheroe, Capriotti, & Newsom:  EXPLORING THE UNIVERSE, 4th Ed.

Pasachoff & Kutner:  UNIVERSE ASTRONOMY

Pasachoff:  ASTRONOMY:  FROM EARTH TO THE UNIVERSE

                  Wyatt:  PRINCIPLES OF ASTRONOMY

Jastrow & Thompson:  ASTRONOMY:  FUNDAMENTALS AND FRONTIERS

                  Oster:  MODERN ASTRONOMY

                  Kaufmann:  RELATIVITY AND COSMOLOGY

                  Kaufmann:  THE COSMIC FRONTIERS OF GENERAL RELATIVITY

                  Kaufmann:  UNIVERSE

Pasachoff:  CONTEMPORARY ASTRONOMY

Zeilik:  ASTRONOMY

                  Hartman:  ASTRONOMY:  THE COSMIC JOURNEY

Chaisson:  UNIVERSE

                  Snow:  THE DYNAMIC UNIVERSE

                  All of these are available in the library.

           In addition to the three 1-hour Exams and the Final Exam indicated on the syllabus, there will be a sequence of approximately 10 Homework assignments that will count in total as the equivalent of one additional 1-hour Exam. Make up exams are all ORAL and may be taken during normal office hours or by appointment.  All exams are closed book and no notes are allowed. The Homework Assignments will be completed via the Web using the University’s WebCT/BLACKBOARD facilities.  All students officially registered for the course automatically have access to these assignments.  Go to the help desk in the basement of the library to get your WebCT UserID and password.

           There also may be Pop Quizzes given in class during any scheduled class period.  Pop Quizzes may not be dropped, made up or excused for any reason except where the student is required to formally represent the University in some official University activity.  Missing Pop Quizzes may be hazardous to your final course grade!  Office hours will be 10:00 - 11:00 AM, MWF in Room 412 SR1.  Students may inquire at the end of class regarding special office hours following class from 12:00 – 12:30 PM.  During other times, Students are encouraged to communicate with Professor Pinsky via Email (pinsky@uh.edu).  Dr. Pinsky is a very active scientist engaged in a number of major international research projects in addition to being the current physics department chair..  Unfortunately, this means he will occasionally have to travel during the semester.  There will be class on all scheduled class days and Dr. Pinsky will arrange for guest lecturers to conduct classes on days he cannot be there.  You are responsible for all work on those days and for any pop quizzes given by those guest lecturers.  In fact the likelihood of a pop quiz on such days is considerable…