Hi Astro 1000 Students,

The material posted here is for classes that meet Tues. & Thurs. from 11:00 to 12:15 p.m. (Section A), 2:00 to 3:15 p.m. (Section B), and from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. (Section C).

You will find PDF versions of my lecture slides below. Don't forget to read the textbook, especially the Reviews, Review & Discussion, and Conceptual Self-Tests at the end of each assigned chapter.

Remember that copies of the text (Astronomy Today, Chaisson & McMillan, 6th edition) can be checked out from the Reference Desk at the GSU Library.

Here is a PDF version of the Syllabus>Fall 2008 Syllabus (all sections) Syllabus (PDF Format):


Lectures (PDF Format):

• Lecture 1 (Introduction) _____________(Chapter 1.1-1.2 in text)
• Lecture 2 (The Night Sky) ___________(Chapter 1.3, 1.4, 1.6, 2.2,2.3)
• Lecture 3 (Earth as a Planet) ___________(Chapter 6.1-6.4, 7.1-7.53)
• Lecture 4 (Mercury and Venus) ___________(Chapter 8.1-8,3,8.6-8.7 and 9)
• Lecture 5 (Mars) ___________(Chapter 10)
• Lecture 6 (Jupiter) ___________(Chapter 11)
• Lecture 7 (Saturn) ___________(Chapter 12)
• Lecture 8 (Uranus, Neptune, Dwarf-Planets) ___________(Chapter 13, 14.3)
• Lecture 9 (Space Junk)________(Chapter 14)
• Lecture 10 (The Formation of Solar Systems) _______(Chapter 15)
• Lecture 10-Supplement (three extra slides on planet-finding) _______(Chapter 15)
• Lecture 11 (Radiation)___________________(Chapter 3)
• Lecture 12 (Telescopes)__________________(Chapter 5.1-5.5)
• Lecture 13 (Introduction to Stars)___________(Chapter 17)
• Lecture 14 (The Birth of Stars)___________(Chapter 18 & 19)
• Lecture 15 (The Structure of Sun-like Stars)____(Chapter 20)
• Lecture 16 (Massive Stars and Nucleosynthesis)____(Chapter 21)
• Lecture 17 (Non-Optical Telescopes)____(Chapter 5)
• Lecture 18 (The Milky Way Galaxy)___(Chapter 23)_
• Lecture 19 (Galaxies)____(Chapter 24)
• Lecture 20 (Peculiar Galaxies & Galaxy Formation)___(Chapter 25)_
• Lecture 21 (Large Scale Structure)____(Chapter 25)
• Lecture 22 (The Big Bang and the Creation of Large Scale Structure)____(Chapter 26)
• Lecture 23 (Life in the Universe)___ (Chapter 28)_
• Lecture 24 (Space Travel)
  
  
  Lost? Dazed and Confused? Here's a PDF file showing the schedule of Lectures and Exams:
• Schedule
  
  
  Some Movies (MPG or GIF movie formats):
  • Mar's largest "moon" Deimos: Space Potato or Giant Brain? You decide.
  • Movie showing counter-flowing cloud layers near Jupiter's equatorial region.
  • Another movie showing counter-flowing cloud layers in Jupiter
  • Movie showing atmospheric flow near (and including) Jupiter's Big Red Spot
  • Cassini movie of Jupiter's ring showing two tiny embedded moons.
  • HST movie showing 2-hours of Jupiter rotating. Do you see the eclipse?
  • GIF movie showing eclipse of a star by a planet and the resulting change in its brightness.
  • MPEG movie showing why a star appears to "wobble" as a massive planet orbits it.
    
    

    Galaxy Collision and Merger Simulations (MPG movie formats) from Lecture 20:

  • Collision of two spirals that look like "The Mice" system. (DarkMatter=red;Gas=blue;Stars=White)
  • The final state in the above simulation but viewed from different perspectives (important in what you see)
  • Simulation showing how to make a Ring Galaxy via a Bulls-Eye hot on a Spiral galaxy by a smaller Elliptical.
  • Collision and Merger of two spiral galaxies or 1+1=1 (Blue=gas;yellow/white=stars)
  • Simulation showing the canibalization of a small galaxy by a big Spiral galaxy (edge-on view)
  • Simulation showing the canibalization of a small galaxy by a big Spiral galaxy (top-on view)
  • Guys...has this ever happend to you?
  • Oh nooo! We're going to crash into the Andromeda Galaxy!
  • More merger madness. Here a small group of spirals is turned into a giant Elliptical galaxy over time.
  • Computer simulation showing how a Spiral galaxy can be built over time via a large number of Minor-Mergers
  • Computer simulation how an Elliptical galaxy can be built over time. Key step: at least one Major-Merger
    
    

    Study Guides will be posted here before each exam.
    

    Here is a Study Guide for Exam #1: >(Study Guide1 - PDF format; all sections)

    Here is a Study Guide for Exam #2: >(Study Guide2 - PDF format; all sections)

    Here is a Study Guide for Exam #3: >(Study Guide3 - PDF format; all sections)

    Here is a Study Guide for the Final: >(Final Study Guide- PDF format; all sections)
    
    
    

    Here is a short Practice Exam #1: >(Practice Exam #1 - PDF format; all sections)

    Here is a short Practice Exam #2: >(Practice Exam #2 - PDF format; all sections)
    

    
    Exams will be multiple-choice questions. Remember to bring a pencil and a scantron ("burnt orange" ABF-20052)
    
    

    In-Class Exam Schedule for Astronomy 1000:

  • #1 --- 7th February
  • #2 --- 6th March
  • #3 --- 8th April

  • Final Exam Schedule for Astronomy 1000:

  • Astr 1000-A Final Exam: 8 May 10:00 to noon.
  • Astr 1000-B Final Exam: 8 May 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.
  • Astr 1000-C Final Exam: 6 May 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.

    Goodluck and I hope you enjoy this class

    Prof. James Higdon