SYLLABUS

Stars and Galaxies

ASTR 1200 SECTION 001

Fall, 2014

WEBSITE: http://casa.colorado.edu/~wcash/APS1200/APS1200.html All course information will be placed here.

TIME AND PLACE: TR 3:30-4:45 BESC 180

INSTRUCTOR: Webster Cash TA: Josh Moloney
E-MAIL webster.cash@colorado.edu joshua.moloney@colorado.edu
OFFICE Duane F913 (x2-0354) Duane D213
HOURS: TR 2:30-3:25 M2-3, W10-11 and 3-4
or immediately after class or by appointment

TEXT: The Cosmic Perspective, Bennett, Donahue, Schneider and Voit

LECTURES: There will be two lectures per week given by the professor. No clickers, no attendance requirements. Cut them at your own discretion or peril. Lecture slides may be posted.

EXAMS: There will be three in-class exams plus a final exam that will be comprehensive in nature. Your poorest in-class exam will be dropped. If you miss an exam (for whatever reason) that exam will be the one dropped. THERE WILL BE NO MAKE-UP EXAMS. The final exam is required of all students and will be given 1:30-4:00pm on Wednesday December 17 in Benson 180. All exams will be graded on a curve.

HOMEWORK: There will be seven written homeworks through the semester. They will be graded and will count toward your course grade.

OBSERVATORY: The Sommers-Bausch Observatory on the CU campus will be available on several nights during the semester. Use of the Observatory will count as homework. Observatory dates will be announced in class.

COURSE GRADE: Your final grade will be based on the sum of the final exam (200 points), your two best in-class exams (100 points each), homework (100 points). Thus the maximum possible score will be 500 points.

RECITATIONS: There are no regularly assigned recitations in 1200. However, Josh will hold some special recitations shortly before the exams.

DROP: I will allow a drop "passing'' without conditions until the day before the second exam; after that you must have a passing grade (D or better) or you will have a drop "failing''. The last day for dropping without petition to the Dean is October 31, 2014. (See Schedule of Courses)

INCOMPLETE: This will be given only under very exceptional circumstances. In general, I will require that you have a passing grade at the time the exceptional circumstances arise.

GOALS OF THIS COURSE:
The highest priority of this course is to give you, as non-science majors, some sense of the size and complexity of the universe, and how that information is obtained. In particular we also hope to give you a feel for the role that the space program plays in astronomy. These are valuable areas of knowledge for the well educated citizen.

The next priority is to give you some feel for the techniques of modern science. In particular, we hope to demonstrate the role that mathematical predictions play in the advancement of science. It is for this reason that we insist that some algebra be used in the course. It will not be extensive, or at a high level, but it will be used.

The third goal is to teach some facts about the universe.