ASTRONOMY 1230
ANNOUNCEMENTS
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 12/15/11 All work is now graded, and final grades are posted on the Collab/PostEm site. The class performed unusually well, even in the face of a record-setting run of bad weather. Contact TA Aaron if you would like to see any graded work that we still have. Have a great holiday! >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 11/28/11 Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving & break. The weather was beautiful here in CV Thursday & Friday. Regretably, the bad weather has returned just in time for the last six nights of ASTR 1230 observing. Tonight and tomorrow are a wipe-out, although both Wednesday and Thursday are potentially good. We will be open if there is any chance of getting decent observations. We will remove this Friday's deadline for submitting Lab 4, but that only gives you two more nights to complete it. We cannot offer observing after the night of Tuesday, Dec. 6. All course work is due WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7 at 5 PM. Turn labs in to the ASTR 1230 submission box in the west corridor of the Astronomy Building. Alternatively, you can put them in my mailbox in the Astro Dept main office. If you have not submitted some of your work on time, remember that the penalty for late work is only 15% of the grade. It is much better to get 85% of the credit for a late assignment than to get a zero because you never submitted it. To remind yourself of details on the optional labs, see the 10/31 announcement posted below. The Moon Lab can probably be done successfully through next Tuesday. Grades for Optional Lab 1 should be posted by this Friday. You can pick up Lab 3 at the observatory office whenever it is open. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 10/31/11 LAB LOGISTICS LAB 4: choose 6 objects from the "Fall" list and 4 additional objects from the complete list of objects in Lab 4. You can include the Moon (if up) and Jupiter among the 4 additional targets. FIRST OPTIONAL LAB. You can choose 300 points worth of optional labs from Lab 5 or higher in the Manual, in any combination. They could all be CLEA (computer) labs. Notes on OPTIONAL LABS: Be sure to WRITE THE DATE on which you SUBMITTED your lab on the front of the lab paper. You must finish Lab 3 before doing any other telescope observing labs. But you DON'T need to finish Lab 3 before doing other optional labs. Lab 5/Moon: depends on lunar phase. do the Moon Lab either: Mon - Thurs 10/31 - 11/3 OR Mon - Thurs 11/28 - 12/1 As an aid to locating important features on the Moon's surface, download the lunar map posted to the course website: www.faculty.virginia.edu/rwoclass/astr1230/4-plate-moon-map.pdf Lab 7/Telescope Observing II: if you are comfortable with the computerized system on the telescopes, this lab is relatively straightforward. Requires a total of 12 objects spread over several categories. Most observations will require clear, dark skies. Lab 8/Astrophotography: If interested, even if you're not sure you will do it, sign up by email to TA AARON (amk6zm) BY THIS WEDNESDAY. He will arrange a joint orientation session. After the orientation, you can sign out camera equipment during regular lab hours. You can use it anywhere as long as you bring it back by 11 PM. See the "Orientation" link on Lec 7 webpage for an idea of what you'll be doing. Lab 9/Meteor Showers: the Moon has compromised observations of the good showers this Fall. The Leonid shower (~11/17) can sometimes be strong --- but a bright Moon will probably prevent good views this year. Although it's risky, it might be worth a try. The Blue Ridge Parkway is a good observing site---but don't go alone. Research likely shower strength on the web before deciding. Lab 10/Rotation of Sun: in this lab you make several daytime observations of the Sun using a special viewing telescope. The telescope will be available 11 AM - 1 PM on clear days. Contact TA BRIAN (bjp5wt) for details. If you think you want to do this lab, alert Brian by this WEDNESDAY. Lab 11: Recreation of classic experiment by Roemer (1675), who made a first determination of the speed of light. Observations consisting of timing the eclipses of Jupiter satellite Io. Contact TA BRIAN (bjp5wt) for more info. You must observe on specific nights. We will post a file of times and dates to the website. If you think you want to do this lab, alert Brian by this WEDNESDAY. Lab 12/Navigation: in this lab, you make sextant observations of the Sun over a period of 2 hours. Contact TA CHRIS (cmi5mw) to arrange a day to do the lab. You need to make several observations between 11 AM and 1 PM EST. If you think you want to do this lab, alert Chris by this WEDNESDAY. CLEA (computer) labs: o Download instructions and data sheets from the Astronomy Dept website (http://www.astro.virginia.edu/laboratory-information) o Be sure you use the **ASTR 1230 versions** of the labs o The interactive software for the CLEA labs can be executed from ITC computers (e.g. in the libraries) OR can be downloaded to your own computer from the **UVa Hive** system (http://www.itc.virginia.edu/hive/home.html). If you encounter trouble with the software, contact George Trammell (gbt8f@virginia.edu). o Fill out the data sheets according to the instructions, and be sure you SHOW ALL COMPUTATIONS. o You **MUST SUBMIT a REGULAR LAB WRITE-UP**, including purpose, procedure, and conclusions, in addition to the data and computation sheets. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 10/28/11 MIDTERM EXAM: Monday, 10/31 Exam will be objective. Please bring pencils to fill out scantron forms. Also bring Sky Wheels (needed for some questions) Review/sample questions were handed out in class and are posted on the "Exam Prep" page. These are in general more difficult than the corresponding exam questions. We will hold an informal REVIEW SESSION (based on your questions) for the exam, SUNDAY, 10/30, at 4 PM in Rm. 265 of the Astronomy Building. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 10/17/11 Because the weather has been less than "stellar" this semester, we are making a change in Lab 3 which should help expedite observations. Finding Gamma Delphini by bore-sighting is difficult in partly cloudy or bright skies and also because of its altitude at this time of year. Instead of bore-sighting, you can use computer-controlled, automated finding. This will add the steps listed in Sec 3.8 to the lab, but these involve bright stars, and there should be a net savings of time for the latter parts of the lab. The order of the parts of Lab 3 will therefore change, and you should MARK UP YOUR MANUALS to correspond to the revision. Here is the revised order for Lab 3: Parts 1-10 Parts 18-24 (these parts require the telescope to be powered up but not under computer control) Part 11 New part 11.5: Use the instructions in Sec. 3.8 of the Lab manual to calibrate and align the telescope. Then find Gamma Del using the internal database. Parts 12-17 (these parts involve observations of Gamma Del) See the "Schedule/Deadlines" page on the website for changes in lab deadlines consequent to the poor weather. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 8/20/11 The FIRST CLASS MEETING of ASTR 1230 will be Monday, 8/29, at 7 PM in Clark 107. We will cover organizational and policy aspects of the course. Your ASSIGNMENT in preparation for this first meeting is to read the Syllabus and Schedule/Deadline pages on the ASTR 1230 web site (http://www.faculty.virginia.edu/rwoclass/astr1230/). Those will be posted by Wednesday, 8/24. This course has a formal Co-Requisite of ASTR 1210 or 1220. If you don't meet that requirement, don't worry---as long as you are willing to do some extra reading for background on particular topics in a standard ASTR 1210/1220 text. Regular labs will not be open until Monday, 9/5. Each of you has signed up for a Lab Section on either Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday nights. During the week of 8/29 you must attend the lab at that time for a nightlab orientation (9:15 PM Monday, 8 PM Tuesday through Thursday). Go to the Astronomy 265 classroom for a 60 minute orientation covering facilities available to you, use of sky wheels, and lab procedures. Bring your sky wheel, lab manual, Edmund's Atlas, and a flashlight. Orientation will take place regardless of weather. After your orientation meeting, you can attend lab on ANY NIGHT when it is open. The first regular lecture (on constellations) will be Monday, 9/5. HTML versions of the notes for the first lecture will be posted on the "Lectures" page of the ASTR 1230 website by the preceding Friday. You can print out a hardcopy of the notes to bring to class and mark up. For Lab 1 (Constellations), you will work in groups. The lab will be held during THE FIRST TWO CLEAR NIGHTS ON OR AFTER MONDAY 9/5. You can come to either night---but you must come to one. This may mean some rearrangement of your personal schedule. Required materials you need to purchase at Newcomb Bookstore include the ASTR 1230 Manual, a "sky wheel," and the "Edmund Mag 5 Star Atlas." You will also need to have a small flashlight with you at all laboratory sessions. See you Monday 8/29 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
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R. W. O'Connell
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