Course SyllabusAS101 Astronomy 1: Our Place in the Cosmos

Wilfrid Laurier University

Instructor: Dr. Arthur ReadContact: lareadw@gmail.com

AS101: Astronomy I: Our Place in the Cosmos

An introduction to the science of astronomy, the process by which we develop astronomical principles and the application of these techniques to gain a modern understanding of our Solar System. Topics covered include the historical development of astronomy, understanding the night sky, Newton's law of gravitation, light and telescopes, and a detailed study of the Solar System. New data from recent explorations of Mars, Saturn and other celestial objects will be discussed.

No prerequisites0.5 credit course

Student Learning OutcomesBy the end of this course, students should be able to: Outline the historical development of astronomy including the contributions of

major scientists and our current understanding of the universe as discussed in this course.

Describe, evaluate, and communicate about our solar system and the universe in terms of scale and from a temporal perspective.

Identify and describe star patterns and the motions of the stars, Sun, Moon and planets.

Understand the celestial sphere concept including celestial coordinates. Apply the scientific method, specifically focusing on the process of exploring nature

through observation, as it applies to astronomy. Identify and apply basic physics principles and properties of matter, energy,

conservation laws, heat, and light. Identify the properties and uses of telescopes of all types. Understand current information about exoplanets and the techniques used to

discover them. Identify and describe individual planets in terms of orbital properties, geology,

atmosphere, magnetic field, and exploration. Describe Jovian rings and moons, and dwarf planets. Characterize elements of our solar system and apply the nebular origin theory.

Course Tools and Learning Materials

Course Textbook: ASTRO, Second Canadian Edition; Ghose S., Milosevic-Zdjelar, V., and Read, L.A.; Nelson Education (Toronto), 2016.

Companion CD-ROM – Starry Night Planetarium Program (comes with new textbook purchase)

Textbook Access Code (comes with new textbook purchase): access to chapter-by-chapter video clips, practice tests, flashcards, additional photos, etc.

Video clips, simulations, and animations within online lessons Student support materials: (link to come from Student Success office)

Course Outline Module 1 Establishing Our Comic Perspective.

Our Place in the Universe, Size and scale of the Universe, The Cosmic Calendar, Star patterns, Cycle of the Sun, Lunar phases and eclipses, Motions of the planets, Timekeeping, Stellar Coordinates

Module 2 Early History and Key Scientific Principles Ancient Astronomy, Important figures in the Middle Ages, Establishing the scientific method, Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion, Momentum, Energy, Conservation Laws, Light, Heat, Optical telescopes

Module 3 Solar System and Planet Formation Characteristics of our Solar System, Solar Nebular Formation Theory, Other Planetary Systems and how we observe them.

Module 4 Comparative Planetology Detailed study of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Earth’s Moon, and Mars Detailed study of the Jovian Planets, Jovian Moons and Rings, Dwarf Planets

Student Evaluation: Two Group Learning Activity Assignments (each worth 15% for a total of 30%), Four in-term online Tests (each worth 10% for a total of 40%), Final Examination – available online (30%)

University and Course Policies

1. Academic Integrity/Misconduct (cheating): Laurier is committed to a culture of integrity within and beyond the classroom. This culture values trustworthiness (i.e., honesty, integrity, reliability), fairness, caring, respect, responsibility and citizenship. Together, we have a shared responsibility to uphold this culture in our academic and non-academic behaviour. The University has a defined policy with respect to academic misconduct. You are responsible for familiarizing yourself with this policy and the penalty guidelines, and are cautioned that in addition to failure in a course, a student may be suspended or expelled from the University for academic misconduct and the offence may appear on their transcript. The relevant policy can be found at Laurier's academic integrity website along with resources to educate and support you in upholding a culture

of integrity. Ignorance of Laurier’s academic misconduct policy is not a defense. <see: www.wlu.ca/academicintegrity >

2. Special Needs: Students with disabilities or special needs are advised to contact Laurier’s Accessible Learning Centre for information regarding its services and resources. Students are encouraged to review the Academic Calendar <see: http://www.wlu.ca/page.php?grp_id=1365&p=5123 > for information regarding all services available on campus.

3. Plagiarism: Wilfrid Laurier University uses software that can check for plagiarism. If requested to do so by the instructor, students may are required to submit their written work in electronic form and have it checked for plagiarism. (Approved by Senate May 14, 2002)

4. Late Assignment Policy – specify any penalties that will be assessed when deadlines for the completion of course components are not met (Approved by Senate May 23, 2012). NB: no assignments may be due during the two study dates that fall between the end of exams and the beginning of the exam period (see senate guidelines on academic dates)

5. Final Examinations – Students are strongly urged not to make any commitments (i.e., vacation) during the examination period. Students are required to be available for examinations during the examination periods of all terms in which they register. (See Academic Regulations – examinations in the academic calendars)

6. Foot Patrol, Counselling Services, and the Student Food Bank (Approved by Senate November 28, 2011 – see below)