Astronomy 2291
Basic Astrophysics & Planetary Astronomy
Autumn Semester 2015
Prof. Scott Gaudi
MWF 12:40-1:35pm
1048 Smith Lab
[Overview
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News
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Info
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Handouts
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Evaluation
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Problem Sets
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Exams
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Final
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Grades
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Topics & Readings
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Links
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Copyright
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Astronomy 2291 is the first semester of a
two-semester introductory sequence designed for Astronomy and
Astrophysics majors and minors, as well as for scientifically literate
undergraduates who wish to learn basic astrophysics from a quantitative
perspective. The major topics to be covered are
- The historical development of modern astrophysics
- The fundamentals of Newtonian gravity and optics as applied
to astronomy
- Electromagnetic radiation and interaction of light and matter
- The structure and evolution of the Solar System
- The discovery and properties of planetary systems around other stars
The textbook for this course is Foundations of
Astrophysics by Barbara Ryden and Bradley Peterson, available
from the bookstore and many fine online booksellers. This textbook is
required for all students. Selected
readings are assigned weekly, and should be read before the
week's class sessions.
- 2015 Aug 26
- Welcome to Astronomy 2291!
- Problem Set #1 Due Monday, September 14
- Exam #1 Friday, September 18; Exam #1 Study Guide
- Problem Set #2 Due Monday, October 19
- Exam #2 Friday, October 23; Exam #2 Study Guide
- Problem Set #3 Due Monday, November 16
- Exam #3 Monday, November 23; Exam #3 Study Guide
- Final Review, December 9 during normal class hours
- Final Exam Thursday, December 17, 2:00pm-3:45pm; Final Study Guide
All handouts below are in standard PDF format, viewable on-screen or
in printed form.
- Class Syllabus
- Table of Useful Physical Constants
- Table of Useful Astronomical Constants
- In-Class Exam Rules
Your final grade will be based on four components. Attendance and class participation (5%),
three problem sets (5% each, for a total of 15%), three interim examinations (20% each,
for a total of 60%), and the final exam (20%).
There will be 3 problem sets for this class. They will be posted
below when the are ready to be distributed, along with the due date. Together they will account
for 15% of your grade. In general, late homework will not be accepted for credit
except for prior approval from the professor.
- Problem Set #1 - Due: Monday, Sep 14, 2015 in class.; Solutions
- Problem Set #2 - Due: Monday, October 19, 2015 in class.; Solutions
- Problem Set #3 - Due: Monday, November 16, 2015 in class.
There are 3 in-class, closed-book, closed-notes examinations at roughly
monthly intervals as follows:
- Exam 1: Friday, September 18 Exam #1 Study Guide;
- Exam 2: Friday, October 23 Exam #2 Study Guide;
- Exam 3: Monday, November 23 Exam #3 Study Guide;
Each exam is worth 20% for a total of 60% of your final course grade.
See the Syllabus for details on the grading and
make-up exam policy. See the In-Class Exam Rules for how we will
conduct the in-class exams.
The Final Examination will be
Thursday, December 17 from 2:00-3:45pm in 1048 Smith Lab
The final exam will be comprehensive, covering all lectures and
assigned readings. It will be in the same format as the in-class
exams, but longer and cover the entire semester. The final will be
worth
20% of your course grade.
Attendance for the Final Exam is mandatory, and no makeup
final will be offered. If you should miss the final exam, you
will receive a failing grade unless you contact the professor
by 5pm on Friday, December 18 and arrange for a make-up exam
at the start of Spring Semester. In the interim you will automatically receive a grade of
incomplete (I) until the interim exam is graded.
In keeping with University policy, no early "senior" final exams
are given: graduating seniors must take the final exam with the rest
of the class.
I will occasionally be using Carmen to send emails or provide
supplemental files (notes, handouts, Powerpoint slides, etc.).
I will not be using Carmen for grading. If you would like your
current grade at some point during the semester, please contact me or
the TA. Because of the many privacy safeguards mandated by federal
law under FERPA, I can
only respond to email queries regarding your grades or status if you
use your official OSU name.#@osu.edu address. This is the only way I
can be sure that the recipient of the email is the person registered
in the class.
Final grades will be posted to the Registrar's system as soon as they are
tabulated.
Readings refer to chapters in Foundations of
Astrophysics. Note that we will not follow the book strictly.
In particular, we may change the order of the topics and skip some
topics entirely. I may also supplement material in the book with
additional notes or handouts. Do not be alarmed.
- Aug 26, 28: Introduction; Numbers and Measurements
- Reading: None
- Supplemental Documents:
- Table of Useful Physical Constants [PDF]
- Table of Useful Astronomical Constants [PDF]
- Aug 31: Basic Celestial Motions
- Reading: Chapters 1.1, 1.2, 1.3
- Sep 2: Time
- Reading: Chapters 1.4, 1.5, 1.6
- Sep 4, 9, 11, 14: Emergence of Modern Astronomy
- Reading: Chapter 2
- NAAP Simulations:
- Ptolemaic System Simulator
- Planetary Configurations Simulator
- Sept 16, 21: Orbital Mechanics
- Reading: Chapter 3
- NAAP Simulations:
- Planetary Orbit Simulator
- Supplemental Documents:
- Elliptical Orbit Geometry [PDF]
- Sept 23, 25, 28: The Earth-Moon System
- Reading: Chapter 4
- Supplemental Documents:
- Lunar Libration Movie [2.5Mb Animated GIF]
- Lunar Phenomena & Eclipses Diagrams [PDF]
Sept 30; Oct 2, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14: The Interaction of Radiation & Matter
Reading: Chapter 5, but skip 5.5
Supplemental Documents:
- Schematic Hydrogen Energy Level Diagram [PDF]
Oct 19, 21, 26: The Astronomical Detection of Light
Reading: Chapter 6
Supplemental Documents:
- Telescopes and Optical Aberrations [PDF]
Oct 28, 30; Nov 2: Overview of the Solar System
Reading: Chapter 8 plus section 12.2
Note: We are skipping all of Chapter 7 on the Sun.
Supplemental Documents:
- Solar System Overview [PDF]
- Planet Properties Diagrams [PDF]
Nov 4, 6: The Earth and Moon
Reading: Chapter 9
Supplemental Documents:
- Earth Interior Density Profile [PDF]
- Earth's Atmosphere [PDF]
Nov 9, 13, 16: The Planets
Reading: Chapter 10
Supplemental Documents:
- Terrestrial Planets [PDF]
- Jovian Planets [PDF]
Nov 18, 20, 30: Small Bodies in the Solar System
Reading: Chapter 11
Supplemental Documents:
- Giant Moons [PDF]
- Asteroids and TNOs [PDF]
- PlanetaryRings [PDF]
Dec 2, Dec 4: Exoplanets: Planets around other Stars
Reading: Chapter 12, sections 12.3 and 12.4
Supplemental Documents:
- Exoplanets [PDF]
- Dec 7: Life in the Universe
- Reading:Not in book
- Supplemental Documents:
- Search for Life in the Universe [PDF]
- Astronomy Picture of the Day
- NASA Planetary Photojournal
A great collection of planetary images at JPL.
- Latest pictures from the Saturn system
returned by the Cassini spacecraft.
- Latest pictures from the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity.
- Latest results from the Hubble Space Telescope
- Pictures from the Chandra X-ray Observatory
- Pictures from the Spitzer Space Telescope
- This Week's
Sky at a Glance (Courtesy of Sky & Telescope Magazine)
- Universe Sandbox: a physics-based space simulator
Copyright Statement
All of the written materials provided in these web pages are copyrighted by the course instructor, except
as noted. In addition, some images and animations are also
copyrighted by the instructor, while others are copyrighted by the
original sources. These latter appear with the written permission of
the copyright holders. Please read the Copyright Statement before you make copies
of any of these web pages for any purpose. Use of these notes implies
that you have read and understood the copyright statement.
Updated: 2015 Aug 19
Copyright © Bernard Scott Gaudi. All Rights
Reserved.