SCI199Y Astronomy at the Frontier

Fall 2008 --Winter 2009, Prof. Yanqin Wu

Course Calendar

First Term

Week

Date

Notes/Dues

I

Sep. 8/9

Overview of the Course & universe

Ch. 1

II

Sep. 15/16

Assign. Set 1 Due Monday 8AM

History of the Universe
Ch. 1

III

Sep. 22/23

Assign. Set 2 Due Monday 8AM

Science of Astronomy:
What is a scientific statement?
Ch. 3 (esp. 3.4)

Examples for short presentations

(More details on the requirements)

IV

Sep. 29/30

Concepts: why do we have seasons (Shane/Aimee)

Misconceptions: "Dark Side of the Moon"? (Victor/Jenny)

Astronomy of the Day: (Tara/Matthew C.)

(presenter names are for Monday/Tuesday sessions, respectively)

Astronomy of every day:
the Sky at night & day, length of the day,eclipses...
Ch. 2

V

Oct. 6/7

Assign. Set 3 Due Monday 8AM

Concepts:Centrifugal Force (Rachel D./Alexandra C.)

Misconceptions: "there is no gravity in space"(Matthew F./Alexandra D.)

Astronomy of the Day: (Sandro/Christina)

Newton's laws of motion and law of gravity
Ch. 4

VI

Oct. 13/14

Thanksgiving (Oct. 13), professor out of town (Oct. 14)

No class

VII

Oct. 20/21

Concepts: what is a spectrum? (Jacqueline/Krishna)

Misconceptions: all radiation is dangerous(Nicholas/David)

Astronomy of the Day: (TBA/Thomas)

Light!
Ch. 5

VIII

Oct. 27/28

Professor out of town

No class

IX

Nov. 3/4

Assign. Set 4 Due Monday 8AM

Concepts: Angular Resolution and Diffraction Limit (Kathrine/Felicity)

Misconceptions: Stars twinkle (Hannah/---)

Astronomy of the Day: (Nadia/Michael L.)

Telescopes
Ch. 6

X

Nov. 10/11

After Monday 8AM: sign-up for Long presentation topics

Concepts: gravitational equilibrium (Adrian/Janine)

Misconceptions: the Sun is on fire (Alita/Alexandra M.)

Astronomy of the Day:(Uldarico/Abigail)

The Sun and nearby stars
Ch. 14 (except 14.3), Ch. 15

XI

Nov. 17/18

Assign. Set 5 Due Monday 8AM

Concepts: stellar main sequence (Afrah/Erli)

Misconceptions: stars are all the same(Alifa/Michael M.)

Astronomy of the Day:(Heitor/James)

Life of a star
Ch. 16, 17.1, 17.2

XII

Nov. 24/25

Monday 8AM: long presentation schedule finalized

Concepts: WHY do stars die?(Valentina/Marc)

Misconceptions: stars die the same way (Alice/Mihaela)

Astronomy of the Day: (Saif/Mila)

Concepts: supernova(Katharine/Daniell)

Stellar Death
End of 17.2, 18.1, 17.3

XIII

Dec. 1/2

Assign. Set 6 Due Monday 8AM

Concepts: what is a blackhole? (Christopher/Rishay)

Misconceptions: we can not see dead stars (Kurt/Yixia)

Astronomy of the Day: (Jessica/Umair)

Stellar corpses
Ch. 18.2, 18.3 (not 18.4)

Second Term

Week

Date

Notes/Dues

Long presentation (requirements)

Lecture

I

Jan. 5/6

Distance measurements in astronomy: History and current

(M: Alifa Mohamed & Alita Madeira;

Tu: _____ & _______ )

Expansion of the Universe

Ch. 15.1, 20.1, 20.2, 20.3

II

Jan. 12/13

Beginning of Time

(M: Shane Buelow & Victor Choi ;

Tu: James O'Donnell & Alexandra Machacek )

The cosmic microwave backgroundCh. 23

III

Jan. 19/20

Assign. Set 7 Due Monday 8AM

Dark matter in the Universe

(M: Valentina B. & Alice Treen;

Tu: Umair Waseem & David Gleason)

Dark energy and fate of the Universe

Ch. 22

IV

Jan. 26/27

Formation of a star like our Sun

(M:Jacqueline Gasbarre & _____ ;

Tu: Mila Prascevic & Krishna Ghodiwala )

The Milky Way galaxy and beyond

Ch. 16, 19, 21

V

Feb. 2/3

Assign. Set 8 Due Monday 8AM

Planets in the solar system

(M: Kurt Zdancewicz & Afrah Ahmed;

Tu: Abby McCue & Thomas Hatch)

'Junkies' in the solar system

Ch. 7.1,7.2,9.1,9.6,11.1, 11.3,12.1,12.2

VI

Feb. 9/10

Feb. 13: final exam time table posted

Origin of Jovian and Terrestrial planets

(M: Heitor Moura & Hannah Johnson;

Tu: Janine Lin & Yixia Wang)

Pluto: The non-planet

Ch. 8, 12.3,12.4

Feb. 16/17

Reading Week

VII

Feb. 23/24

Assign. Set 9 Due Monday 8AM

Our Moon and other moons

(M: Rachel Dykeman & Tara Kim;

Tu: Mike Lennox & Erli Mingomataj )

Tides

Ch. 9.3,10.3,11.2, 4.4,4.5

VIII

Mar. 2/3

Origin of our Moon and other moons

(M: Jessica Zlotnik & Katharine Howard ;

Tu: Aimee Belanger & Michael Murray)

Why is the Moon receding from us?

Ch. 4.4,4.5

IX

Mar. 9/10

Assign. Set 10 Due Monday 8AM

Extra-solar planets: Discoveries and insights

(M: Uldarico Matas & Adrian Lo ;

Tu:Alexandra Ciuriak & Dani Doggett)

Space Missions and their worth

Ch. 13,7.3

X

Mar. 16/17

Origin of Earth's ocean and atmosphere

(M: Sandro Frenguelli & Nicholas Gergesha;

Tu: Marc Oster & Rishay Rana )

Asteroid Hitting the Earth

Ch. 9.1,9.2,10.4,10.5,10.6

Ch. 11.2, 11.3, 12.1,12.2

XI

Mar. 23/24

Assign. Set 11 Due Monday 8AM

Origin of life on Earth

(M:Saif Wahab & Matt Fantauzzi;

Tu: Alexandra Dalimonte & Christina Fratschko )

XII

Mar. 30/31

Global warming and how will Canada fare?

(M: Chris Wu & Nadia Lababidi;

Tu: Matt Cho & Jenny Cervantes)

danger of radioactivity?

Ch. 24.1,24.2

Ch. 24.3,24.4,24.5, 10

Ch. 5.2,8.5

XIII

Apr. 6/7

Term Test

First Term
Week	Date	Notes/Dues
I	Sep. 8/9		Overview of the Course & universe Ch. 1
II	Sep. 15/16	Assign. Set 1 Due Monday 8AM	History of the Universe Ch. 1
III	Sep. 22/23	Assign. Set 2 Due Monday 8AM	Science of Astronomy: What is a scientific statement? Ch. 3 (esp. 3.4)	Examples for short presentations (More details on the requirements)
IV	Sep. 29/30		Concepts: why do we have seasons (Shane/Aimee) Misconceptions: "Dark Side of the Moon"? (Victor/Jenny) Astronomy of the Day: (Tara/Matthew C.) (presenter names are for Monday/Tuesday sessions, respectively)	Astronomy of every day: the Sky at night & day, length of the day,eclipses... Ch. 2
V	Oct. 6/7	Assign. Set 3 Due Monday 8AM	Concepts:Centrifugal Force (Rachel D./Alexandra C.) Misconceptions: "there is no gravity in space"(Matthew F./Alexandra D.) Astronomy of the Day: (Sandro/Christina)	Newton's laws of motion and law of gravity Ch. 4
VI	Oct. 13/14	Thanksgiving (Oct. 13), professor out of town (Oct. 14)	No class
VII	Oct. 20/21		Concepts: what is a spectrum? (Jacqueline/Krishna) Misconceptions: all radiation is dangerous(Nicholas/David) Astronomy of the Day: (TBA/Thomas)	Light! Ch. 5
VIII	Oct. 27/28	Professor out of town	No class
IX	Nov. 3/4	Assign. Set 4 Due Monday 8AM	Concepts: Angular Resolution and Diffraction Limit (Kathrine/Felicity) Misconceptions: Stars twinkle (Hannah/---) Astronomy of the Day: (Nadia/Michael L.)	Telescopes Ch. 6
X	Nov. 10/11	After Monday 8AM: sign-up for Long presentation topics	Concepts: gravitational equilibrium (Adrian/Janine) Misconceptions: the Sun is on fire (Alita/Alexandra M.) Astronomy of the Day:(Uldarico/Abigail)	The Sun and nearby stars Ch. 14 (except 14.3), Ch. 15
XI	Nov. 17/18	Assign. Set 5 Due Monday 8AM	Concepts: stellar main sequence (Afrah/Erli) Misconceptions: stars are all the same(Alifa/Michael M.) Astronomy of the Day:(Heitor/James)	Life of a star Ch. 16, 17.1, 17.2
XII	Nov. 24/25	Monday 8AM: long presentation schedule finalized	Concepts: WHY do stars die?(Valentina/Marc) Misconceptions: stars die the same way (Alice/Mihaela) Astronomy of the Day: (Saif/Mila) Concepts: supernova(Katharine/Daniell)	Stellar Death End of 17.2, 18.1, 17.3
XIII	Dec. 1/2	Assign. Set 6 Due Monday 8AM	Concepts: what is a blackhole? (Christopher/Rishay) Misconceptions: we can not see dead stars (Kurt/Yixia) Astronomy of the Day: (Jessica/Umair)	Stellar corpses Ch. 18.2, 18.3 (not 18.4)
Second Term
Week	Date	Notes/Dues	Long presentation (requirements)	Lecture
I	Jan. 5/6		Distance measurements in astronomy: History and current (M: Alifa Mohamed & Alita Madeira; Tu: _____ & _______ )	Expansion of the Universe Ch. 15.1, 20.1, 20.2, 20.3
II	Jan. 12/13		Beginning of Time (M: Shane Buelow & Victor Choi ; Tu: James O'Donnell & Alexandra Machacek )	The cosmic microwave backgroundCh. 23
III	Jan. 19/20	Assign. Set 7 Due Monday 8AM	Dark matter in the Universe (M: Valentina B. & Alice Treen; Tu: Umair Waseem & David Gleason)	Dark energy and fate of the Universe Ch. 22
IV	Jan. 26/27		Formation of a star like our Sun (M:Jacqueline Gasbarre & _____ ; Tu: Mila Prascevic & Krishna Ghodiwala )	The Milky Way galaxy and beyond Ch. 16, 19, 21
V	Feb. 2/3	Assign. Set 8 Due Monday 8AM	Planets in the solar system (M: Kurt Zdancewicz & Afrah Ahmed; Tu: Abby McCue & Thomas Hatch)	'Junkies' in the solar system Ch. 7.1,7.2,9.1,9.6,11.1, 11.3,12.1,12.2
VI	Feb. 9/10	Feb. 13: final exam time table posted	Origin of Jovian and Terrestrial planets (M: Heitor Moura & Hannah Johnson; Tu: Janine Lin & Yixia Wang)	Pluto: The non-planet Ch. 8, 12.3,12.4
	Feb. 16/17		Reading Week
VII	Feb. 23/24	Assign. Set 9 Due Monday 8AM	Our Moon and other moons (M: Rachel Dykeman & Tara Kim; Tu: Mike Lennox & Erli Mingomataj )	Tides Ch. 9.3,10.3,11.2, 4.4,4.5
VIII	Mar. 2/3		Origin of our Moon and other moons (M: Jessica Zlotnik & Katharine Howard ; Tu: Aimee Belanger & Michael Murray)	Why is the Moon receding from us? Ch. 4.4,4.5
IX	Mar. 9/10	Assign. Set 10 Due Monday 8AM	Extra-solar planets: Discoveries and insights (M: Uldarico Matas & Adrian Lo ; Tu:Alexandra Ciuriak & Dani Doggett)	Space Missions and their worth Ch. 13,7.3
X	Mar. 16/17		Origin of Earth's ocean and atmosphere (M: Sandro Frenguelli & Nicholas Gergesha; Tu: Marc Oster & Rishay Rana )	Asteroid Hitting the Earth Ch. 9.1,9.2,10.4,10.5,10.6 Ch. 11.2, 11.3, 12.1,12.2
XI	Mar. 23/24	Assign. Set 11 Due Monday 8AM	Origin of life on Earth (M:Saif Wahab & Matt Fantauzzi; Tu: Alexandra Dalimonte & Christina Fratschko )
XII	Mar. 30/31		Global warming and how will Canada fare? (M: Chris Wu & Nadia Lababidi; Tu: Matt Cho & Jenny Cervantes)	danger of radioactivity? Ch. 24.1,24.2 Ch. 24.3,24.4,24.5, 10 Ch. 5.2,8.5
XIII	Apr. 6/7		Term Test