Astro 11 (Spring 2006) Semester Project
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Welcome to the Semester Project page (Lab 1 in the Manual). As the name suggests, this is a project that should be done throughout the semester, so the first piece of advice that I can give you is: Do Not Procrastinate. I know how easy it is to just think you'll do it tomorrow, but if this feeling repeats many times then all of a sudden the semester is over and you haven't finished the project yet!
Some of the observations you'll make for the project have to be done over a span of time (for example, the moon phases). Therefore, and I cannot stress it enough, you should work on the project at various times during the semester. Part of the project will be due just before Spring Break, so it is necessary that you work on this consistently.
The Semester Project will consist of three parts: Observations, Before-and-After Questions and One-Page Essay. It may seem like it's a lot of work, but trust me, it really isn't.
Follow these in-page links to obtain more details about each part of the Semester Project. The last link, "Due Dates" will take you to the part where you'll find out when you have to turn in the various parts of the Project.
Printables
[back to top]- Printable HTML Version Of This Page (16 KB)
- MS Word Version (56 KB)
- Before-and-After Questions (32 KB)
Observations
[back to top]There are three types of individual observations that you will do for the Semester Project: Constellation Sketches, Telescope Observations and Moon Phases. The basic methodology for performing these observations is in the lab manual. However, since this Semester Project involves other things, I'll reduce the amount of observations you have to do. The observations are worth a total of 210 points.
Constellation Sketches
You need to complete 4 constellation sketches. Remember to label each sketch with the date, time and location from where you made the observation. You may do this any time you are outside at night and the sky is clear enough to see stars. Each sketch is worth 10 points. In addition to the sketch, I want you to attach a separate sheet of paper and write a short paragraph about the mythology of the constellation, and another short paragraph commenting on some of the interesting stars within the constellation. The paragraphs are worth 5 points.
Telescope Observations
You need to complete 4 telescope observations. We'll go up to the roof to use the telescopes various times during the semester. If it's not dark yet, then we can either do daytime observations or I can send you to another TA's telescope sessions. You can also attend the Friday Night Open House hours, so you'll have plenty of opportunities to do the telescope observations. Each sketch is worth 10 points. In addition to the telescope sketch, I also want you to attach a separate sheet of paper and write a short paragraph describing the object you are observing. When writing this paragraph think about things like: Is this a galaxy? What kind of galaxy? How far away is it? Is it a planet? How big is the planet? How many moons does it have? Does it have rings? Etc. The paragraph is worth 5 points.
Moon Phases
You need to complete 6 distinct moon phase observations. This means I don't want two observations of the same phase. You have to get six different phases of the moon. You may do this at any time the moon is visible, including daytime. Remember to label each sketch with the date, time and location from where you made the observation. Each sketch is worth 10 points. In addition to the telescope observations, I also want you to attach a separate sheet of paper and write a short paragraph describing the features you see on the moon at the moment. When writing this paragraph think about things like: Why are some parts darker than others? What are the large craters that you see? Why is the moon white-gray instead of red like Mars? Etc. The paragraph is worth 5 points.
UPDATE (13/Feb/06) -- There is a new section in the main Class Website with Useful Links, some of which can be extremely useful for the Semester Project. But remember that you are not supposed to copy from them directly!
Before-and-After Questions
[back to top]The purpose of the Before-and-After Questions is to help you see how much you've learned during the semester. There will be a set of five questions that you'll have to answer both at the beginning and near the end of the semester. Each question is worth 5 points, so in the end this section is worth a total of 50 points
"Before" Questions (MS Word)
The first day of classes you'll get a set of five questions that you'll have to answer on the spot. Don't worry about not knowing the answer. The questions will address general astronomy knowledge, of the kind that most people wonder about at one time or another. You'll probably have some kind of intuition about the answers, regardless of whether it's right or wrong. Answer every question honestly and as completely as possible. Do not leave anything blank and don't write "I don't know". If you write honest answers, it really doesn't matter if they are right or wrong, you will get full credit. The purpose of these questions is to get a sense for how much you know about astronomy. This exercise is worth 25 points, and it is the easiest 25 points you will ever obtain :-)
"After" Questions
These are going to be the same questions that you got on the first day of classes. The difference is that you'll answer them near the end of the semester, after you've hopefully learned a lot more about astronomy. You should then have a lot more correct answers. This time, if you get incorrect answers, you lose points. Each question is worth 5 points for a total of 25 points.
And now, the questions:
- You go out at night and look at the sky. The Moon is directly over your head. Imagine you have the ability to click on the sky and copy-paste celestial objects. You click on the Moon and copy it, then paste it besides the original. Then you keep pasting copies of the Moon, side-by-side, in a long line, from directly above your head to the horizon. Now you have a long line of identical Moons, side-by-side, with no gaps or overlaps, going from the highest point in the sky (above your head) to the lowest point in the sky (the horizon). How many Moons do you think are in this line? In other words, how many times would the Moon fit, in a line made of copies of itself, from directly overhead to the horizon?
- Name the seasons. What causes the seasons? Are we closer to the Sun on July 4th or on New Years? Do you think other planets have seasons? Does Mars have seasons? Does Jupiter have seasons? Does Uranus have seasons?
- How many stars are in the Solar System? How many stars are in the Milky Way Galaxy? How many galaxies are in the Universe? [Hint: Don't say "A lot" -- try to give me a number, even if it's a really big number]
- How old is the Earth? How old is the Sun? How old is the Universe? [Hint: Don't say "Really old". If you don't know, ballpark it -- A few thousands of years? A few million years? Ten million years? A hundred million years? A few billions of years? Ten billion years? A hundred billion years?]
- What is a black hole? Are there different kinds of black holes? If the Sun suddenly turned into a black hole, what would happen on Earth (if anything) and when? Do black holes suck everything around them like giant cosmic vacuum cleaners? *
* This last question will not be found in the Lab Manual. You will learn about black holes in the TA Choice Lab (19/24 April), because black holes are really cool and I think you'd enjoy learning about them.
One-Page Essay
[back to top]The last part of the Semester Project will be a one-page essay. Don't worry too much about the word "essay" -- I just decided to use this word because I want you to write three paragraphs in one page. It doesn't have to be long and it doesn't have to follow any kind of rules you get told in English class regarding essays. I just want more or less three paragraphs and have it fit on a page. Ok, but don't go making the margins 2 inches and the font 18 point, because I'll notice that you didn't write as much as I wanted you to write ;-) If you want to write more than one page, feel free to do so. The essay is worth 40 points.
Imagine the Sun was part of a binary system. We'll call the companion star by the name Hank. Hank has a luminosity which is half of the luminosity of the Sun, and almost the same mass as the Sun. The Solar System, therefore, is very different. There are only the inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars), and Hank lies at 5 AU from the Sun (for reference, this is Jupiter's distance from the Sun in real life). Use your imagination, and tell me about this alternate reality. How is the Solar System different? How does this new arrangement affect life on Earth? Do we now have eternal daylight?
In order to write something about this imaginary situation, you need to use your imagination and also apply the knowledge you'll gain during the semester. It's a very interesting situation to think about, but I don't want you to wait until the week before it's due to start thinking about binary stars. I'll be asking you about the essay at various times during the semester, and you should feel free to ask me for help at any time if you need it.
Due Dates
[back to top]At first glance, it seems like the Semester Project is a lot of work. It really isn't when you realize that you are not supposed to do the whole thing in one sitting, but rather do little bits at a time. In order to facilitate this, I'll put some deadlines throughout the semester and I'll make sure to remind you about them. And remember, the constellation and moon phase observations can be done any time you are outside on a clear night!
- Assignment 1 -- "Before" Questions
- Assignment 2 -- 2 constellation sketches, 2 telescope observations, and 3 moon phase observations (half of the Observations part)
- Assignment 3 -- One-Page Essay
- Assignment 4 -- 2 constellation sketches, 2 telescope observations, and 3 moon phase observations (the other half of the Observations)
- Assignment 5 -- "After" Questions
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Section 12
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Section 9
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Notes about the due dates: All assignments are due at the beginning of the lab period, exactly the same as the regular lab reports (except Assignment 5 -- more details in a few minutes). Assignment 1 is done in class the first day of classes. Assignment 2 is due two weeks before Spring Break. Assignment 5 is due outside of the regular lab schedule! You have to turn in Assignment 5 (The "After" Questions) during my office hours on Tuesday, April 25.
UPDATE (8/Feb/06) -- Notice that there is no late penalty for any of the Semester Project assignments. This is because no parts of the Semester Project will be accepted late. This means that if you didn't turn in an assignment on time, don't bother turning it in, because you already got a zero automatically in that assignment.
Last Updated: 9 February 2008
