The AST1010 course is a general entry level (albeit an advanced entry level) class that discusses a myriad of subjects existing within our known universe. The material can at times be very abstract in its concepts and confusing to follow and understand. Some skills in mathematics will be required though I have tried to avoid using advanced math as much as practical given the nature of this class format.

THIS IS NOT A WEBCT BASED COURSE! Don’t log into the College’s WEBCT system expecting to find this course there.

B. Phone number, address, etc.

Office: PA-B, Physical Education Annex (behind PE building)

Office Hours:

Mon/Wed 12:00 Noon – 1:00 P.M. Call before showing up to make sure I’m there.

Thursday 5:00 P.M. – 5:30 P.M., other times can be arranged by appointment.

Phone : 301-934-7536 or 301-870-2309, ex. 7536

e-mail: mwconte@comcast.net

Mailing address: Michael Conte

College of Southern Maryland

Information Technology Services Dept.

8730 Mitchell Rd.

La Plata, MD 20646

Class News Letter Web page : http://mywebpages.comcast.net/mwconte/ast1010ma.htm

C. Introduction to Astronomy

Introduction to Astronomy and other telecourses are a modified version of the classic “correspondence course” learning format. But, in addition to books, assignments, and an instructor, telecourses include a series of video-lessons available in the LR and/or on public television. Through video, a telecourse in astronomy allows you to see lectures by eminent astronomers, take you to the world’s best observatories to see large telescopes in action, to the surface of the Moon and Mars, and into labs where the latest data from satellites and robot explorers are analyzed. You will see photographs and film footage shot in space, computer simulations of the rotation of the sun and the formation of stars. This requires that you forfeit the classroom dynamic of direct interaction with classmates and instructor, which can be an invaluable part of the learning experience.

The courses is constructed around a student guide which links and directs your studying and learning from a textbook and a series of 20 video lessons entitled “Astronomy: Observations and Theories.” Do not expect to pass this course simply by watching the videos; this is not a video critic course but a class where you must be disciplined in order to do well.

Although this course is comparable to the on-campus section of astronomy, it is not exactly the same. (No more then the astronomy courses taught at other colleges by other professors.) Much of the information in all introductory astronomy courses anywhere is the same, but each professor, text, telecourse, etc. has their own emphasis and style.

D. Course Requirements

To complete the AST 1010 Introduction to Astronomy telecourse you are required to master and be examined on the text and the 20 lessons (20 chapters) that comprise the course.

E. Required Textbooks

1. Horizons, Exploring the Universe, Michael A. Seeds, latest edition.

2. Student Guide - Astronomy: Observations & Theories

F. Class News Letter

I will communicate to you through the AST1010 Class News Letter web page. You can find it at: http://mywebpages.comcast.net/mwconte/ast1010ma.htm

This is where the exam links are located and I’ll be positing information about the class and astronomy in general so I’d recommend that you get in the habit of checking into it once a week or so.

G. Video Lessons


Video Lesson 1: The Study of the Universe This lesson takes students on a journey from planet Earth to the distant galaxies and superclusters. It is illustrated with stunning computer animation and photographs from NASA, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and astronomical observatories. This journey introduces the planets, stars, and galaxies that will be presented and discussed throughout the course.	Video Lesson 11: Stellar Remnants This lesson describes the fascinating objects that remain after the deaths of large stars—neutron stars and black holes. Gamma-ray bursts and hypernovae are presented as some of the most energetic objects in the universe.
Video Lesson 2: Observing the Sky Explaining the concept of a scientific model, this lesson introduces the celestial sphere as a model to help describe and organize the night sky. Several specialists explain how different cultures named stars and constellations, and brought the aspects of the sky into their buildings and structures, such as those of Chaco Canyon in the southwestern United States.	Video Lesson 12: Our Galaxy: The Milky Way Most discussions of galaxies begin with our very own Milky Way. This lesson presents the history of the study of the size and scale of our galaxy and our place in it. The anatomy of the galaxy is introduced and the mapping techniques are unveiled.
Video Lesson 3: Celestial Cycles This video lesson explains the motion of Earth around the sun and its yearly cycle. Astronomers explain the unique orbital and size relations between the rotation of Earth, the sun, and the moon and how this makes a total solar eclipse possible at predictable intervals, known as the Saros cycle. The lesson concludes with a description of the ecliptic and explains how that differs from constellations that are contained in the zodiac.	Video Lesson 13: Galaxies This video lesson looks at the classification of galaxies in general, and discusses the fact that, when these “island universes” were discovered, how the perceived size of our universe increased immensely. It goes on to describe distance indicators and introduces the Hubble Law. The lesson ends with interaction and evolution of galaxies and with a sneak peek into the furthest depths of the universe.
Video Lesson 4: The Birth of Astronomy A presentation on the foundations of astronomy, The Birth of Astronomy examines the observations, theories, and contributions of Aristotle, Ptolemy, and other ancient scientists and philosophers. Copernicus, Tycho Brahe, Kepler, Galileo, and Sir Isaac Newton’s contributions are discussed throughout this lesson.	Video Lesson 14: Active Galaxies The discussion of galaxies continues in this lesson by focusing on a special group of galaxies with very energetic cores called active galaxies. Different types of active galaxies are introduced, from Seyfert galaxies and blazars to quasars.
Video Lesson 5: Astronomical Tools Astronomers are the only scientists who do not manipulate the objects they study. Instead, they do two basic things: collect light and analyze it. Accordingly, this lesson answers two basic questions: (1) What is light? and (2) What tools are used to collect it?	Video Lesson 15: Cosmology Some of the most profound questions are asked and discussed in the complex subject of cosmology. What shape is the universe? How did it begin? How will it end? Evidence is presented that supports the big bang theory, and the exciting notion of dark energy is introduced.
Video Lesson 6: The Science of Starlight Students will discover the interactions of atoms and light and what spectra can tell us about a star. The fascinating history of spectral classes and the intriguing group of women who were responsible for much of our stellar classification system today is also presented.	Video Lesson 16: Solar Systems Opening with a survey of the solar system and an examination of the solar nebula theory that explains how our solar system was formed, this lesson also reviews how the spinning solar nebula formed a disk of dust particles that eventually became the planetesimals that formed the planets. The actual detection of planets around distant stars is given considerable coverage, with experts describing the newest techniques and the successes achieved.
Video Lesson 7: The Sun—Our Star This lesson describes the thermonuclear process in the core of the sun, identifying the layers of the interior and atmosphere showing spectacular pictures of surface features, such as granulation and sunspots. The magnetic cycle and magnetic effects on the surface are also introduced. Discussions of how the sun affects Earth’s climate conclude the lesson.	Video Lesson 17: The Terrestrial Planets Using Earth as the archetypical example, this lesson details the stages of differentiation, cratering, flooding, and surface evolution. The impact of plate tectonics is presented as the formation and evolution of Earth is detailed. Comparisons are continuously made to the other terrestrial planets.
Video Lesson 8: The Family of Stars To determine how bright a star actually is, we need to know how far away it is. This lesson illustrates how to find distance to nearby stars and how to plot them on an H–R diagram. It also shows why binary stars are important for the study of stars and their mass–luminosity relation.	Video Lesson 18: The Jovian Worlds This lesson begins with an explanation of the processes that allowed the planets in this part of the solar system to grow to such large sizes. How the gravity of Jupiter produces tidal heating of Io and Europa, causing the extensive volcanic activity on Io and a liquid ocean beneath the surface of Europa is explained. Saturn’s interior and atmosphere are compared with those of Jupiter. The formation and characteristics of the ice giants Uranus and Neptune are also discussed.
Video Lesson 9: Stellar Births The study of stellar evolution is presented by examining the birth of stars. Different types of nebulae are introduced and the necessary ingredients to produce a star: dust, gas, gravity, and maybe a little push are discussed. The mass–luminosity relation is reintroduced and suggests the role that mass will play in the life and death of a star.	Video Lesson 19: Solar System Debris This examination of solar system “debris”: meteorites, asteroids, and comets concludes the exploration of the solar system. Astronomers explain the composition of the different types of meteorites and various theories about their origin. Images, including that of the Deep Impact Probe hitting Comet Tempel 1 in July of 2005, are used to illustrate the characteristics of comets as described by astronomers. The lesson also includes a discussion of the demise of the dinosaurs and the discovery of the crater in the Yucatán that may have been the impact site.
Video Lesson 10: Stellar Deaths This lesson details the life and the death of stars. The fact that stars spend most of their lives on the main sequence consuming their nuclear fuel in a stable manner is detailed and illustrated, as well as how a star’s mass determines how quickly it consumes its fuel, how long it will live and how it will die. A presentation of the study of stellar remnants, the leftover products after a star dies, concludes the lesson and leads us to the topic of the next lesson, neutron stars and black holes.	Video Lesson 20: The Search for Life Beyond Earth Scientists discuss the possibility that the early seeds of life on Earth were delivered by comet impacts and the reasons why it is believed that the first life began on the deep seafloor near hydrothermal vents. The discussion continues with a look at Europa’s subsurface ocean and the pros and cons of life forming in that hostile location. The life zone or habitable zone of a star is defined and the efforts to detect signatures of that life using future spacecraft missions are described. The efforts and difficulties of communicating with an intelligent extraterrestrial civilization are discussed.

H. Recommended Study Schedule

I. Exams

Exams are based on the “Units” as defined in the Student Guide. Each exam will contain 50 multiple-choice questions, are open book exams that encompass the applicable chapters within the “Horizons” textbook and you will take the exams via the web. If you don’t have web access from your home or other convenient location, you can take the exam from your local library or come to the college campus library or open computer lab.

You are responsible for checking and understanding the exam contents and guidelines as documented at the end of this syllabus. If you aren’t clear on this point, please get in contact with me before the examination date otherwise you alone will be responsible for your resulting grade on the exam.

There will be four mandatory exams but no cumulative final exam. There will be available an optional 5^th exam. If you take it and score higher then on any of the previous four exams, I will drop the lower exam score in favor of the optional exam but the optional 5^thexam cannot be used to take the place of a missing exam score. You are required to take the first four offered exams. For example, you take exams one, two, four and five but miss exam three for whatever reasons, the score you receive on exam five can not be used to offset the missing exam but will be applied to one of the exams you did take. For exam three you will receive a score of zero which will not be replaced.

Also, there have been a few very rare occasions where I do not receive the exam test scores and I will therefore assign a “zero” grade for that exam. In order to protect yourself, once you’ve submitted your exam you should print off or save that page as proof of your submittal. I normally try to post the exam results within a few days after the exam due date has passed and you should check that to make sure that your grade has been posted. If you wait until the end of the semester to verify your grades are accurate, we may not be able to correct them in time before they are processed by the Registrar’s office which could delay your graduation or transcript processing.

Please check the classes’ web based news page for exam availability and associated links. I normally activate the exam web links one week prior to the exam due date. You may access the exam and print it off to be completed later, but before the due date. After the due date has expired and if there have been no extensions granted, I will activate a link so that you may view the previous exam’s answer sheet to help you identify where you might have missed a question.

Don’t expect to find the specific answers to the exam questions in the text book. You will have to read, interpret, and in the end decide which the best answer to the question is. You should print out the exam so you can research for the correct answers to the questions. In most cases, the answers are not in the text book. You'll have to examine, analyze and use a variety of resources (including the web) to determine the answers. If you have a question you just can't figure out, contact me and I'll try to assist you in working out the problem.

For legitimated reasons I will grant up to a weeks extension on the exam as long as I am notified several days before the examination due date. I am flexible and reasonable in working with bona fide scheduling conflicts (sick, death in the family, etc…but being sick of classes, having too much class work or exams doesn’t count!). If you cannot work your college education around your leisure or other life activities, drop the course and sign-up during a semester when you do have time for it.

If you wait until 11:00 PM on the due date of the exam and then for some reason can’t get access to the exam because you’ve lost power, computer broke, ISP won’t connect, fainted at the keyboard or a gazillion other reasons….not my problem. That is your responsibility…. not mine. You shouldn’t wait until the last minute hoping for a stay of execution reprieve from the Governor or something.

The only ISP down problem I’ll accept is if it’s mine, and I’ll need to hear from more then just one student before I’ll accept that reason.

For students on active military duty, please check with me and we will attempt to work out an agreeable schedule.

Exams will be published on the web shortly after the beginning of the semester. You can at your option take any or all of the exams once they are published. It is not necessary to wait until the exam week they are due to submit them.

Take the exams before the following deadlines.

You have until midnight of the exam due date to complete the exam.

DO NOT ask for nor expect to be given an extension after the fact!

J. Taking the web based exam

When taking one of the web based exams, I’ve found out that it’s best if you access the exam after a fresh system re-boot to free up as much memory as possible. You might also need to shut down any pop up blockers you may have running. If you experience problems with bringing the exam page up, you may need to adjust your browser options to allow the scripts and graphics to display properly.

A major issue we discovered though is if you are using a mouse equipped with a scroll wheel. Since the questions are multiple choices, if you select an answer and then attempt to use the scroll wheel to scroll down to the next question, you’ll end up changing your answer in the pervious question.

PLEASE BE SURE TO CLICK SOMEPLACE ELSE ON THE SCREEN BEFORE USING THE SCROLL WHEEL ON THE MOUSE!!!!

K. Student Honesty

On this subject I am neither flexible nor reasonable. If I determine that you are cheating or otherwise not maintaining your student integrity, you will be given an “F” for the course and suitable disciplinary action will be taken. Even though you might wonder how you can cheat on an open book web based exam, it has been done….and I’ve caught them. If you wish to dispute this, I will be willing to discuss the issue with you and the Department Chair and/or Dean at the end of the semester.

L. Grading

Your final grade will be calculated from your four exams. Each is worth 25% of your final grade.

Final Grade = (Exam 1 + Exam 2 + Exam 3 + Exam 4)/4 + extra credit project points)

You may earn extra credit through optional extra credit work. (See below).

Scale: 90-100% A; 80–89% B; 70-79% C; 60-69% D; < 60% F.

M. Communicating with your Instructor

You may contact me by phone at the La Plata campus (see page 2). You may call my office at any hour and leave a message on the voice mail. You may also contact me by e-mail if you have the capability. I normally monitor my e-mail throughout the business day so you should receive a reply within a few hours.

I maintain a web based news page to inform and remind you of upcoming exams, notable astronomical events and to maintain a communication path with you. This web page is accessible at: http://mywebpages.comcast.net/mwconte/ast1010ma.htm and I would recommend that you check into it periodically throughout the semester for updates and information.

N. Optional Extra Credit Project

To earn extra credit in this course, you can write a paper based on an applicable astronomical related topic. Prior to writing a report, you need to verify with me on the subject matter you have selected. Such a project would be comprised of:

a. A report of a minimum of 5 pages or 1000 words but can be greater in size.

b. In your own words. I don’t want just already published material, the purpose of this report is to make you think, and I want your thoughts and opinions, not anyone else’s so research the material and write it from your perspective.

c. Lists reference material and sources.

d. The possibility of having to answer selected questions based on the contents of the report.

Any approved extra credit project can earn a maximum of 5 points and you can do up to two extra credit projects per semester.

O. Audit Policy

If you are auditing this course, or if you switch from credit to audit during the semester, you will have certain privileges. You may take exams and I will grade them although they will not count. You DO NOT have to take the exams if you so choose. In either case, your final course grade will be reported as Audit. Please note that this is my policy on students who are auditing the course, other instructors may have different policies.

P. “Horizions : Exploring the Universe”