Class Information Last revised 5 Jan. 2009 Welcome to Introductory Astronomy Lab! We hope that you will find the labs both educational and enjoyable, and develop an appreciation for the night sky. The lab is designed with two goals in mind. The first is that the student will develop skill in finding their way around the night sky, including learning the brighter stars and constellations, using star maps, and becoming proficient in using a telescope. Secondly, the student will be exposed to some of the scientific methods that astronomers utilize to determine the nature of our universe. Attendance: In a nutshell: Attendance at all labs is required. More than two absences may result in failure of the lab section. You must attend lab each week in the section in which you are registered. No switching of lab nights will be allowed. (Because of weather and other factors, the lab sections quickly get out of sync with each other.) You are scheduled for this lab on your assigned evening. No other class, exam, meeting, or event takes precedence. If there is a conflict, please make other arrangements with the conflicting event or class. Consider a missed lab to be as important as a missed exam. If an absence is beyond your control, please notify the instructor in advance. A missed lab or quiz cannot be made up unless the instructor gives his permission before the absence. If a make up is allowed, you may make up only the one lab, and only at the end of the semester. Please arrive on time. Labs start in the planetarium at 7:30. Quizzes and planetarium presentations (lights out!) are normally given at the beginning of class, so those arriving late may be turned away, or incur a grading penalty. Grading: You must pass the lab portion to pass this course! No grades of ‘incomplete’ will be given for the labs. Grading will consist of the following: 75% Lab Reports. Graded for effort, completeness and thoroughness, following directions, neatness, and accuracy. 20% Quizzes. You can expect to be tested on your knowledge of the stars and constellations, the basic concepts we study in the labs, and operation of the telescope. Quizzes may or may not be announced. You can also expect unannounced pre-lab quizzes, checking that you prepared for the night’s labs in advance. A missed quiz may not be made up unless the instructor received prior notification that the student would miss class. Those late to class will not be given additional time to complete the quiz. 5% Instructor evaluation. Grade based on effort, attitude, care of equipment, preparation for class, being on time, overall quality of work in lab notebook, and other factors. Honor Code You are expected to work with another student in setting up equipment and collection of data, but the lab report must be your own work (not simply copying the work of your partner!) Quizzes are not done with partners and must be your own work. Schedule: We are of course at the mercy of the weather. Each week we will meet in the planetarium at 7:30. Typically we will start with a prelab quiz then use the planetarium projector. We will then discuss the evening’s lab and head up to the roof to do the outdoor lab if it’s clear. If the weather is cloudy, we’ll go to classroom W203 or the MSC Library to do an indoor lab. Since frequently we will not be able to make a weather call until the last minute, the student must be prepared for both the indoor lab and the outdoor lab for that week. The latest information will be posted on the Astronomy Lab website, http://www.physics.emory.edu/Staff/langoussis/116labs.htm, http:/galaxae.com/116labs.htm, and/or on the Learnlink Conference. Students are expected to check the Learnlink Conference and the web site daily, and are responsible for any information posted there, including changes to the night’s lab. Required Materials: Please bring the following to each lab each week: Lab instructions for this week’s labs (indoor and out). Lab notebook. This must be a composition book, college ruled or unlined. No looseleaf or spiral notebooks. Please make sure your name and section are clearly labeled on the front cover of the notebook. Red-filtered flashlight. No white light, nor cell phones, permitted. Pencils and eraser. You may use pen, but keep in mind that there is a grading penalty for sloppy or messy work. Scientific calculator. Nothing fancy needed. Something like a TI-30 will do. Planisphere Mag 5 Atlas Cell Phones: Use of cell phones, whether for voice calls, text messaging or internet, is strictly forbidden at all times during the lab. Take advantage of the fact that you can relax under the stars for a few hours without worrying about mail and calls! Dress for the weather: In the fall you can almost guarantee that you will have a night that is miserably hot and muggy, yet by the end of the semester, you will experience high winds with freezing temperatures. It’s no better in spring, when you will start out freezing, then be baking by semester’s end. Please look at the forecast and dress accordingly. Labs will not be shortened due to cold weather. Astronomy is much more fun when you’re comfortable!