Professor: Varsha P. Kulkarni ; Office: PSC, Room 505 ; Phone : 777-6293, E-mail: kulkarni@sc.edu; URL: http://boson.physics.sc.edu/~kulkarni/

Text Book: "Astronomy Today" by E. Chaisson and S. McMillan, Fifth Edition, Prentice-Hall Inc., ISBN 0-13-144596-0

Laboratory Handbook: "Laboratory Exercises in Astronomy for SCCC 115, 116", by J. L. Safko, Kendall / Hunt Publishing Co. (Available only at the South Carolina Book Store exclusively for the SCCC 115 students. You may need to present your ID to be able to purchase this handbook.)

Calculators: You will need a scientific calculator with logarithmic, exponential, and trigonometric functions,   such as a TI30X or Casio XF65.  Graphing calculators and PDAs are not allowed in class.

Lecture Hours: Tu, Th 11:00 am -12:15 pm, PSC 104

Observatory / Laboratory Hours: Tues., Wed., Sun. 7:00-10:00 pm

Office Hours: Tues. 2 pm-4 pm and Thurs. 1-3 pm in the Astronomy Center located in the basement of PSC (PSC 007). I can also be reached at most other times by appointment. Extra review sessions may be held before exams.

Attendance: Attendance is mandatory and active participation in class is expected. The questions on the tests will be based on material discussed in the lectures, some of which will not be in the text book. Cell phones, beepers, and laptops must be turned off before entering class. Disruption of class and cheating are not allowed.

Class Notes: Class notes will be periodically placed on http://boson.physics.sc.edu/~kulkarni/a115F06notes.html

Goals: Astronomy is the study of the Universe we live in. As such, it encompasses an enormous range of subjects and even touches upon the very basis of our existence.  Astronomy is the oldest science, and yet there could truly  be no better time to study astronomy than right now! Modern technological advances in astronomical instruments have caused a revolution in our understanding of the Universe during the past few decades.  In the course sequence  SCCC 115 and 116, we will not only obtain an overview of these new observations, but also try to understand them in terms of simple physical principles.  In SCCC 115, we will focus on some components of the Solar System, while in SCCC 116 we will visit the more distant objects, i.e. stars, interstellar matter, galaxies, etc.

One of the most striking facts about our Universe is that the behavior of the distant astronomical objects can be understood in terms of the same physical laws that govern the behavior of nearby objects in our day-to-day life. Therefore, in SCCC 115, after an initial introduction to astronomical coordinate systems and the apparent motions of the planets, we will survey  the basic principles of  mechanics, optics, atomic physics etc.  Armed with this background knowledge, we will study the earth, the moon, and the remaining components of the solar system-the other planets, their satellites and rings, comets, asteroids, and meteorites. We will also study planets found around other stars in exciting discoveries over the past decade, and examine the formation of planetary systems. 

In SCCC 116 (in Spring 2007), we will start with the Sun, other stars, and explore stellar evolution--the various stages in the life of a star from birth (star formation) to death (supernovae, pulsars, black holes, etc.) . We will also study the diffuse material in between the stars, stellar companions, and stellar clusters. We will then go on to explore the Milky Way, nearby galaxies within our "local group of galaxies", and then proceed to the more distant galaxies, the large-scale distribution of galaxies, the expansion of the Universe, and ultimately the evolution and fate of the Universe.  We will wrap up our voyage with a discussion of the age-old question: Are we alone?

Our goal will be to get both a qualitative as well as quantitative feel for astronomy. The level of mathematics needed is fairly simple. You will need to use only basic algebra and trigonometry; no knowledge of calculus will be required.

Laboratory: The lectures will also be accompanied by sessions at the Melton Memorial Observatory. In this part of the course, you will make visual observations of the sky, use the Observatory's 16" and 8" optical telescopes to make observations of planets and stars, and learn to record them with a photographic camera or a CCD camera. On cloudy nights, you will do the laboratory experiments from the Study Guide. Your instructor for the observatory/ laboratory part of this course will be Dr. Daniel Overcash. We will make an effort to coordinate the lectures and laboratory sessions, so that they proceed in step, helping you to understand the topics better. The laboratory will count 25% toward your grade. Laboratory sessions will start on Sunday, August 27. For your first lab, be present at the Melton Memorial Observatory at 7:00 pm on your scheduled day. In subsequent weeks, if it is cloudy, go to the Jones Physical Sciences (PSC) building. Dr. Overcash will explain the details. 

Tests and Exams: There will be 3 tests and 1 final exam. The tests and the final examination will include a combination of thought-type questions (about 2/3) and simple numerical problems (about 1/3). The test and final exam questions will be at a level similar to the homework questions, and will be based on material discussed in the lectures, some of which may not be in the text book. You will need to bring a scientific calculator (with log, exponential and trigonometric functions), a pencil, and a ruler for all the exams. You may bring a 5" x 3" index card for all the exams, with any formulae that you think may be important (please include only formulae on the index card).  Make-up tests will not be given except in the case of an unanticipated medical problem. The Final Exam will be cumulative (based on the entire semester's material) and is mandatory (i.e. You must take the final exam even if you have done very well on the rest of the course.). No make-ups will be given for the final exam.

Grading Basis:  3 Tests : 30% (10 % each);   1 Final Exam : 15%;   Laboratory : 25%;  Homework : 20 %; Research Project (3 page paper) : 10%; Class Participation : Bonus 3%

Grading Scheme: The following will serve as a rough guide to grade boundaries. I may adjust these in the favorable direction for border-line cases. >= 90: A, 84-89: B+, 77-83: B, 71-76:C+, 64-70: C, 57-63: D+, 50-56: D, < 50: F

Tentative Schedule of Lectures and Exams: This course will proceed at the pace of roughly one chapter per week.

Homework: Homework is based on the following review questions and numerical problems from back of the chapters in your textbook. For your own benefit, you may also want to go through other questions in the book. The assigned homework will be due roughly one week after the respective chapter is completed in class, and the due dates will be announced in class each week. Homework will be graded and will count 20% toward your total grade.

Research Project: This is an opportunity for you to learn more about any topic of your interest related to astronomy. For this project, you will do a computer aided literature search to collect references, read them, and incorporate them into a coherent report. (NOTE: Such a search should not just consist of web pages.) Articles from popular science magazines such as Sky and Telescope, Astronomy, Nature, Science, Science News, Mercury, etc. will be at an appropriate level. You can find these magazines in the USC library and in the Astronomy Center. You should discuss your topic with me for possible refinements in its direction, both at the beginning of the semester, and throughout the semester. Each student needs to choose a different topic and write a 3-page paper on this topic (due on Dec. 8). Please be sure to include the list of articles you referred to, at the end of your paper.

Some Suggested Topics for your Research Project: The following is a list of some possible topics. Other topics related to the contents of this course are also encouraged, but should be cleared with me before you start your literature search. Please clear your topic with me by Sept. 16.

· Could a large meteor or comet impact the Earth's surface in the near future? - Effects of such events.

· Should Pluto be considered a planet? The new definition of planets.

· Discovery of extra-solar planets

· Recent major optical telescopes

· The Important Discoveries from the Hubble Space Telescope

· Why are astronomers trying to build the Next Generation Space Telescope (the successor to the HST)?

· The Important results from the Chandra X-ray Telescope

· The anthropic principle

· The Sptizer Space Telescope

· The Use of Adaptive Optics for Planet Studies

· Light Pollution

· What did we learn from manned lunar missions?

· Future manned explorations of Mars

· Will the International Space Station add much to our astronomical knowledge?

· Prospects of Mining the Moon or the Planets for Human Use

· The role of small optical telescopes in modern astronomical research.

· What are the possibilities of life elsewhere in the solar system?

· Space-based interferometry-how and why?

· The prospects of building an observatory on the moon

· NASA's Terrestrial Planet Finder Mission

· Collision of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter

Some Tips on Literature Search: Only references available at USC need be consulted. Some popular magazines such as Mercury, Astronomy, Science, Science News are in the Astronomy Center (PSC 007). You may confine the search of journal articles to the last 5 years (2001 onward) unless your topic is a historical one.  Some useful websites: http://spacescience.nasa.gov/ and the many links from http://astro.physics.sc.edu/