Dr. Keel
Thursday nights, 7:00-10:00 p.m., in room 313 Gallalee
Office hours: in 316 Gallalee, 1:15-3:15 Wednesday, 1:30-3:00 Tuesday, and other times by appointment (348-1641). I can also be reached by email at keel@bildad.astr.ua.edu .
Description: This course is designed to give motivated students direct experience in astronomical observations and their analysis, including visual and electronic techniques. We will use portable telescopes on campus, the 16-inch telescope of the campus observatory, telescopes located in the darker skies at Moundville, and observatory telescopes in Arizona and Chile by internet control.The course carries 2 credit hours (one lecture, one lab).
Prerequisites:Students should normally have completed AY101 or a more advanced astronomy course; people now enrolled in AY101 or AY204 can be admitted with consent of instructor (i.e. at their own risk).
Both indoor exercises and observing projects are included. The lab scheduled for a particular period depends on the weather, phase of the moon, etc. There will be 12 sessions for the lab. Each student will do an independent observing project during the semester; get an early start to avoid being clouded out! The lab reports should be self-contained and complete descriptions of each exercise, when forms are not provided in the exercise.
A Web collection of useful material may be found at http://www.astr.ua.edu/keel/ay203. I plan to use the web site and email communication to get the word around as to whether we will meet at Gallalee Hall or in Moundville for some sessions, as well as for submission of lab results.
Learning goals: After successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
Class preparation: you should bring a calculator and elementary astronomy text (surely you didn't sell it back to the bookstore!). For outdoor labs, remember that it can get pretty cold late in the fall, and dress accordingly. For some lab exercises, a millimeter ruler will help. Some dark-sky sessions will take place at Moundville Archaeological Park, for which a flashlight will be particularly helpful. In fact, a flashlight is a good idea any time we're actually observing, much better than trying to read charts with a cigarette lighter.
Specific subjects for each session depend on the weather and phase of the Moon, so if weather dictates, we can select the most appropriate activity shortly before starting. This preliminary schedule of activities is subject to change depending on weather.
| Date | Moon | Activity |
| Aug 19 | Gibbous | Setup and visual use of telescopes |
| Aug 26 | Full | Daily, seasonal, and annual motions in the sky |
| Sept 2 | (no class) | |
| Sept 9 | New | Finding objects in the sky |
| Sept 16 | Gibbous | High-speed imaging of the moon and planets |
| Sept 23 | Full | Planetary satellites and Kepler's lawsa |
| Sept 30 | 3rd quarter | CCD digital imaging of deep-sky objects |
| Oct 7 | New | Visual observations of deep-sky objects (Moundville) |
| Oct 14 | 1st quarter | Astronomical photometry |
| Oct 21 | Full | Galaxy spectra and the expanding Universe |
| Oct 28 | Gibbous | Data archives and analysis |
| Nov 4 | New | Remote observing - Arizona/Chile facilities |
| Nov 11 | Crescent | Astronomical spectroscopy | Dec 2 | Crescent | Visual observations of deep-sky objects (Moundville) |
Some possible independent observing projects include
The course grade will be based on results and written reports of the lab sessions (75%) and individual observing projects (25%). There is no final exam. Attendance is important, since many of the activities are hands-on and cannot always be rescheduled. Students who must miss an activity should contact me to negotiate appropriate equivalent activites, where possible.
Academic misconduct: All students in attendance at the University of Alabama are expected to be honorable and to observe standards of conduct appropriate to a community of scholars. The University expects from its students a higher standard of conduct than the minimum required to avoid discipline. Academic misconduct includes all acts of dishonesty in any academically related matter and any knowing or intentional help, or conspiracy to help, another student. The Academic Misconduct Disciplinary Policy will be followed in the event of academic misconduct.
Students with disabilities are encouraged to register with the Office of Disability Services (348-4285). Thereafter, you are invited to schedule appointments to see me during office hours to discuss accomodations or other special needs.
Last changes: 3/2010