ASTRO 11 Lab Info
(NOTE: These documents are tentative and subject to change without prior notification!!!)
These Lab documents are based on the ASTRO 11 Lab Manuals dated Fa '99-Sp '00 to Fa '02-Sp '03

Questions for Lab Summaries
Individual Labs:

	Lab 1	Lab 6	Lab 11	Lab 15
	Lab 2 (2a)	Lab 7	Lab 12	Lab 16 (3a)
	Lab 3	Lab 8	Lab 11-12	Lab 77
	Lab 4	Lab 9	Lab 13 (13a)	Misc Stuff
	Lab 5 (5a)	Lab 10	Lab 14

Individual Lab Information:

• Lab 1 - Semester Observing Project
  • Project Guidelines and Requirements - project for an afternoon section (Fall '01)
    • Format for Constellation Observations
    • Format for Telescope Observations: basic, detailed
    • Both Formats for Moon Observations (Format 1 only, Format 2 only)
  • Project Guidlines and Requirements - project for an evening section (Fall '00)
    • Format for Constellation Observations
    • Format for Telescope Observations
    • Both Formats for Moon Observations (Format 1 only, Format 2 only)
  • Sample Semester Project Observations
  • Sample Moon Observation
  • Determining Compass Directions - for naked-eye constellation and moon observations


• Lab 2 - The Changing Sky (Lab 2a in Fa '01-Sp '02 and earlier lab manual versions)
  • Questions for Lab Summary
  • Lab 2a - New Questions g-s and Other Changes Update - Fall 2000
  • SkyGlobe - one of many sites that you can download the shareware version of SkyGlobe from (directions and other info on installation can be found there) - NOTE: SkyGlobe is designed to run only on PC's, it will not run on Macintosh computers; also the shareware version available for download is DOS-based (it's slightly different than the one in the CAC computer labs which is Windows-based), but can be run from a Windows environment by double-clicking on the skyglobe.exe file in the File Manager, Explorer, My Computer, etc. or by creating a shortcut on the desktop.


• Lab 3 - The Scale of Things: How Big is it?
  • Questions for Lab Summary
  • Exponentials, Scientific Notation, Units, and Scale Sizes
  • Powers of 10 - interactive java tutorial


• Lab 4 - Angles, Navigation, and Data Analysis
  • Questions for Lab Summary
  • Lab 4 Changes - Fall 2000


• Lab 5 - Planetary Orbits and Kepler's Laws (Lab 5a in Fa '01-Sp '02 and earlier lab manual versions)
  • Questions for Lab Summary
  • Lab 5a - Fall 2001
  • Kepler's Three Laws of Planetary Motion Demonstrations
  • Solar System Live
  • Ineractive Planetary Orbit Sumulator
  • The Orbit Applet
  • Interactive Java Animation Demonstrating Kepler's Laws - very good demonstration of 2nd law!


• Lab 6 - Parallax and the Distance to Stars
  • Questions for Lab Summary
  • Lab 6 - Pre-lab Questions - Fall 2000
  • Lab 6 - Questions a-b Update - Fall 2000


• Lab 7 - Spectroscopy of Stars and Galaxies
  • Questions for Lab Summary
  • Spectral Classes - color image of the spectra of the various spectral classes (OBAFGKM)
  • Electromagnetic Spectrum - NASA site about the spectrum of light
  • It takes more than one kind of telescope to see the light - why we need different types of telescopes to look at outer space
  • Atomic Absorption and Emission Spectra - different types of spectra and how they are formed
  • The Electromagnetic Spectrum - describing the different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum
  • Current Solar Images - images of the sun taken in different wavelengths of light


• Lab 8 - The Inverse-Square Law of Light
  • Questions for Lab Summary


• Lab 9 - Understanding the Stars: The H-R Diagram
  • Questions for Lab Summary
  • Lab 9 Directions - Spring 2000
  • Graph to use for H-R Diagram (for Lab Manuals '01-'02 and earlier): GIF format, PDF format, EPS Format


• Lab 10 - The Lives of the Stars
  • Questions for Lab Summary
  • The Lives of the Stars - "slide" show describing the lives of the stars


• Lab 11 - The Structure of the Milky Way Galaxy
  • Nothing Here Now (also see Lab 11-12 info)


• Lab 12 - The Local Group and the Hubble Deep Field
  • Nothing Here Now (also see Lab 11-12 info)


• Lab 11-12 - All About Galaxies (My personal version combining parts of Labs 11 and 12 in the Fa '00-Sp '01 Lab Manual)
  • Questions for Lab Summary
  • Directions and Additional Questions for Lab 11-12 - Labs 11 and 12 were combined into a single lab, updated for Fall 2000
  • Diagram of the shape of the Hubble Deep Field
  • Galaxy Slide Show - "slide" show describing the shape of the Milky Way and the apperance of the different types of galaxies


• Lab 13 - Cepheid Distance Scale (Lab 13a in Fa '01-Sp '02 and earlier lab manual versions)
  • Questions for Lab Summary
  • Official Lab 13 Instructions - from the Head TA web page
  • Lab 13a Instructions - My version of the lab, Fall '01


• Lab 14 - Distant Galaxies and the Expanding Universe
  • Questions for Lab Summary
  • The Incredible Expanding Rubber Band Experiment


• Lab 15 - The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
  • Questions for Lab Summary


• Lab 16 - The Moon and Its Phases (Lab 3a in Fa '01-Sp '02 and earlier lab manual versions)
  • Questions for Lab Summary
  • Lab 3a text and questions - Fall 2000
  • The Phases of the Moon


• Lab 77 - How Much Science in Science Fiction?
  • Lab 77 text and questions


• Miscellaneous Stuff
  • Sample Semester Project Observations
  • A Few Terms
  • Exponentials, Scientific Notation, Units, and Scale Sizes
  • Questions for Lab Summaries
  • The Phases of the Moon

E-mail to: stark @ astro.psu.edu