UNM Department of Physics and Astronomy

Intro to Astronomy

Instructor: Dr. Jeff Saul
Schedule

Email: jsaul@unm.edu
Phone: (505) 277-0015
Msg: (505) 277-2616
Office: PandA Room 12B
(PandA at the NE corner of Yale and Lomas)

TA

TA:  Mehran Daneshbod

Dr. Saul can also meet students by appointment set up by email, include at least 4 good times for you to meet in the email.  To go over exams, please give at least 24 hours email notice.  You can also check with Dr. Saul after class

Astronomy 101-003      Fall 2009
Location: Regener Hall 103
TuTh 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM

Dr. Saul's Office hours:
MWF 10:00 - 10:50 AM (RH 109)
TuTh 12:25-12:55 PM (RH 109)
Th 2:30 - 3:45 PM (RH 111)
MF 10:00 - 11:50 AM (RH 109)

Home
  
Calendar
Syllabus
WebCT
Mastering Astronomy
iClicker

Important Dates

Registration Dates:

  • Last day to add/change
    Friday, Sept 4

  • Last day to drop without a grade
    Friday, Sept 11

  • Last day to change grading options
    Friday, Sept 18

  • Last day to withdraw without dean's approval
    Friday, Nov 13

  • Last day to withdraw with dean's Approval
    Friday, Dec 11

Exams Dates:

  • Midterm Exam 1
    Tuesday, Sept 22

  • Midterm Exam 2
    Tuesday, Oct 27

  • Midterm Exam 3
    Tuesday, Nov 17

  • Final - Exam 4
    Tuesday, Dec 15
    12:30-2:30 PM

Astronomy 101 Lecture

Astronomy is the oldest of the sciences and also one of the most fascinating to people in general. This is a time of great discoveries about the universe which we all hear about in the press on a seemingly regular basis. One of the goals of this course is for you to become informed enough about the cosmos to understand how these discoveries have been made and what they really mean. Astronomy also satisfies people’s natural curiosity to find out about this place that we find ourselves in -- the universe.

Note that most course material can be found online in WebCT
Web-based homework assignments can be found in Mastering Astronomy or WebCT
Please check the course calendar in WebCT regularly

We have a big task in front of us this semester: a tour of the universe. In this class we will learn about the Earth, our Solar System, the Milky Way Galaxy, and the Universe we live in. By the end of the course you should have a good enough grasp of the fundamentals and vocabulary to easily follow articles on astronomy in the popular press including dark matter and dark energy. There’s no prerequisite for this class, besides an open mind and desire to know what is out there. You will learn some physics and see a small amount of math.
Textbook cover

Learning Resources/Materials needed:

  • Textbook:  Chaisson and McMillan, Astronomy: A Beginners Guide to the Universe, 6th edition (Pearson Addison-Wesley, San Francisco CA, 2010) with Mastering Astronomy
    ISBN 9780558175702
  • iClicker

(Both are available at the campus bookstore)

 

 

 

 

 

 


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