Columbia University Astronomy and Astrophysics


HOME PAGE (Autumn 2009)
Astronomy C1403, Section 1 (#18296)
Earth, Moon and Planets
Monday & Wednesday, 2:40 - 3:55pm
Classroom: Pupin 329
(take the stairs; the elevator won't go there)


Prof. Arlin Crotts
Professor of Astronomy
Phone number: (212-85)4-7899
Office: Pupin 1012
Office hours: Tuesday, 1-3pm and by appointment
e-mail: arlinastro.columbia.edu
Instructor's home page

Bulletin description
ANNOUNCEMENTS:



Course summary:

This course is the first half of a year-long sequence to help fulfill the College Science component of the Core, and gives a detailed description of the Solar System, including the search for life on other planets. It will also illustrate the modes of thought and breadth of perspective that provided by science, in contrast to other human ways of understanding things. provides. We begin with the basics of science -- observation of the natural world -- and how our model for the Solar System (and our place in it) developed. This means we must understand aspects of the physics of light and gravity, and the basics of making astronomical observations. We study the processes that formed and operate in the planets -- their internal dynamics, surfaces, and atmospheres, as well as the same issues for moons, asteroids, comets and planetary rings, many of which will allow us to construct a detailed history of the Solar System's formation.

We will study the effects of the Sun on the planets, and discuss briefly how the Sun's characteristics influence their environments. The second semester of the course focusses on how stars are born, shine, and die, the creation of the elements, the formation of large collections of stars we call galaxies, and the origin of the Universe itself.

Prerequisites and Requirements:

Prerequisite: A working knowledge of high school algebra is assumed. There are no prerequisite course requirements. Curiosity is important!

Requirements: This course satisfies the College Science Requirement and the General Studies Science Requirement. It satisfies the Barnard Quantitative Reasoning requirement IF you choose the single-author homework set option (see below)**. In addition, it applies to the Barnard Science Requirement IF you are also signed up for the Laboratory course C1903, a SEPARATE one-point course which meets one night a week. 

Course Work:        Requirement       Frequency        Credit

                    Quizzes               4*             16%		
                    Homework sets**       6*             24%
                    Hour Exam             1              25%
                    Final Exam            1              35%		
                    Thought          all semester!      100%
*The lowest score will be dropped among the 10 quizzes and homework sets.

**Homework sets must be produced by each individual student's effort if this course is to be applied to the Barnard Quantitative Reasoning Requirement. Otherwise, groups of three or less can work together, but each student must submit their own homework solutions and list the students with whom they worked. A simple scientific calculator is required (one which can use scientific notation e.g., the ratio of the mass of the Sun to the mass of the Earth is 1.99 x 1033g / 6.97 x 1027g = 333000 = 3.33 x 105, where I am being lazy and using "x" to mean "times"). One does not need a graphing calculator.

Course Syllabus

Assignment Solutions

Required texts:

"The Cosmic Perspective" (Fifth edition) by Bennett et al. (ISBN-10: 0321505670, ISBN-13: 978-0321505675)
Note that the fourth edition may be substituted with a small loss of recent information and confusion on page numbers, but it would be the student's responsibility to correct for this. Also, if one is taking this course and not Astronomy C1404, Bennett et al. have a partial volume, "The Solar System" (5th Edition, ISBN-10: 0321503171, ISBN-13: 978-0321503176), which is an acceptable substitute. Copies of both "The Cosmic Perspective" (Fourth) and "The Solar System" are available at the bookstore in Lerner Hall, as of this writing. "The Cosmic Perspective" is on reserve in the Math/Science Library in Mathematics Hall.


Astronomy Links:

A list of interesting, even helpful Astronomy links may be found at HERE (look to the right, under the column "Public Outreach", also under "Magazines"), including the Astronomy Picture of the Day, a solar system simulator, a comprehensive list of world-wide astronomy websites, and news updates. Also check out our Public Observing Open Nights, scheduled this semester for Sep. 18, Sep. 25, Oct. 9, Oct. 23, Nov. 6, Nov. 20 and Dec. 4, two hours starting at 8 p.m. Sep.-Oct. and 7 p.m. Nov.-Dec.
2009 September 5 www@astro.columbia.edu