(Above: an aurora. Charged particles streaming out from the Sun, called the solar wind, get caught in Earth's magnetic field. They loop around in the field until they reach one of the magnetic poles, which are almost aligned with the Earth's geographic poles. Near the north and south poles, these auroras can be seen as solar wind particles excite electrons in air molecules to higher orbits; for example, the green you see here is a specific wavelength emitted when electrons in oxygen return to their original orbits after being bumped up in energy by the incoming charged particles.)
Astronomy Class and Lab Announcements
Note - Recent announcements are on top of the list. Please make sure you have read ALL the announcements for the current semester. I will try not to repeat myself too often in them.
Winter '10
4/24/10 - 1:00 P.M. We are still planning on the observatory field trip this evening. It will start at 8:00 from the turnoff into the Old Fort Lewis. It takes at least 20 minutes to drive there from campus, so plan accordingly. I suggest carpooling from campus - meeting at the parking lot at the north end of Berndt Hall at 7:20 should allow you to organize and park any "spare" cars. You may or may not (I don't know yet) need a 4WD vehicle, depending on the mud. Check the observatory resources page for a google map if you don't know where we are meeting.4/20/10 - 4:10PM. We were scheduled to attempt an observatory trip this evening, but the sky is looking less than optimal. (Cloudy!) So for now, the trip is off for tonight and will be re-scheduled ASAP. If it somehow looks like it will get clear enough, I will post a "correction" on this space by ~7:00.
4/5/10 - Yes, there is a study session scheduled for Tuesday from 6:00 to 7:00, in Berndt 234.
3/25/10 - No telescope lab tonight. Lots of haze!
2/18/10 - Hmmm. Looks mostly clear right now, but the weather site says it will start snowing (70%) by about 9:00 tonight, and the satellite does show clouds not too far north of here. ?!?!? We shall see. Since we still have lots of weeks left in the semester, I think it would be better to wait until there is a GOOD night, and not one when we have to rush... Lets skip tonight.
2/15/10 - No lab tonight. One of these weeks it should be clear most of the time.
2/4/10 - Hmmm... Although it looks mostly clear right now, I expect the next "system" to start clouding things up before 8:00, so we wouldn't really get a good viewing experience. Lets skip one more week and trust it will eventually clear off around here. Go study for the test.
1/28/10 - No binocular lab tonight.
1/25/10 - Looks like it should be (mostly) clear. I will be here at 7:00 for the binocular lab. Don't forget the printout.
Fall '09
10/15/09 - There are still a couple of spots for tonight's lab. I put the signup sheet on my door. This one is at 8:00.10/12/09 - (6:35) Much later in the day than I usually try to post, but the clouds are rolling in and I think we will be much happier observing on a really clear night. Since it is still early in the semester, lets postpone until next Monday at 7:00.
9/24/09 - (4:16) I am getting conflicting weather reports. One says it will clear up. I will post again after ~6:00, but I am less optimistics than I was earlier today.
9/17/09 - No lab tonight. Too many clouds....
9/10/09 (4:17) - Binocular lab is not happening tonight. Tentative make-up night is next Thursday 9/17/09 at 7:30.
Winter '09
3/16/09 - Yes we are having the telescope lab tonight. But since we are now on daylight savings time, the start time for this lab is 8:00, not 7:00!3/12/09 - I have updated the grade postings. Check them out. Also, don't forget the planned telescope lab Monday night if you have not done that one yet.
3/4/09 - Looks like good news for tonight. Although the forecast says it won't totally clear up until ~9:00, going outside and looking up suggests that it might be OK well before that time. Let's meet at 7:00 and see if it works. Worst case will be that we need to re-schedule for after break.
3/2/09 - As I suspected (and feared), the haze is coming in and I do not think this would be a very good observing night. Let's try Wednesday. After that we will have to do it after break. If it is perfectly clear on the Monday we get back, let's plan on that day (the 16th).
2/16/09 - There will be NO telescope lab tonight.
1/22/09 - Tonight is looking quite hazy/cloudy. It is early enough in the semester that we can/should try to get a GOOD night for observing. Let's try NEXT Thursday at 7:00.
Fall '08
12/2/08 (4:48) - Let's try Thursday for the observatory. Tonight is looking too hazy/cloudy.11/20/08 (5:10 P.M.) - It is too hazy/cloudy to try the observatory. Maybe after break. We will see which days are clear...
10/20/08 (5:30 .P.M.) - The weather is supposed to keep clearing, so YES for tonight's telescope lab. I will be up here at 7:15. If you signed up, then be here then. If it turns out bad, then that is the way it goes and we will figure something out...
10/1/08 (5:03 P.M.) - Looks marginal on the weather for tonight, but it is supposed to be clearing up by 9:00. I think we should try to do the lab tonight, so I will be up here ~8:15 in the lab room. If the outside door is locked, I will open the one to the very small parking lot near the lab room.
9/22/08 (4:55 P.M.) - This time it looks like things will be clearing up. Maybe we can actually see something tonight. I will be up here at 7:30. If the outside doors are locked, I will be near/open the door to the small lot between Berndt, and the Admissions building.
9/18/08 (5:05 P.M.) - Once again there are clouds. No binocular lab tonight. We will do this again next week!
9/15/08 (5:00 P.M.) - Wow - look at (and hear!) those clouds to the north! I guess we will re-schedule this binocular lab for NEXT Monday evening. Details to follow. In the mean time, another lab is already scheduled for Thursday at 8:00. See you at one or the other.
Winter '08
4/10/08 (4:45 P.M.) - Even if it is partially clear, it looks like it will only be so for a little while, with a bit of wind, and quite a bit of haze. So... lets plan on doing this next Monday night.3/31/08 - It is now 4:45 and the weather (satellite picture) looks like it should be getting better, rather that getting worse, so lets try to do this lab. Lets meet in room 480 (the old lab room) at 7:45. If it turns out to be terrible, then we can always try again later, but I think we can get it done tonight.
3/27/08 - 7:07 Rats! Where did those clouds come from. It looked great earlier today. Looks like we will have to re-schedule for next Thursday, since there is really no way we can look through those high clouds. It is a little after 7:00 now, so I will likely stick around a little and then put some signs on the door(s). Better luck next time. If you can make the Monday lab, I suggest you do it.
1/21/08 - Hmm. The weather forecast still says clouds and snow, but looking outside it is perfectly clear. So I will be up at school at 7:00 and we will have the lab. If it turns out to be cloudy then, we can always re-schedule.
Fall '07
10/15/07 - It is 4:15 and it looks like we are going to be skunked by the weather again. I will only post another update if things suddenly turn around and start to get clear. If it keeps getting cloudier, then I will see you tomorrow and we will reschedule for some other day.10/9/07 - It is 5:00 and I must make a decision about the lab tonight. The clouds are coming in, and the satellite picture does not look promissing, so I will cancel the lab this time. This early in the semester we have plenty of time to try and re-schedule. I will leave the Thursday list up on my door, so that is your next opportunity. Sign up for that if you can. Otherwise, I will try to re-schedule tonights lab for next Tuesday and bring a signup sheet to lecture on Wednesday. If it clears up... oh, well, better guessing next time.
10/7/07 - I have made an adjustment to the grades on the first test and posted all grades that I have so far. Please look at your grades on-line and make sure nothing is either missing or recorded wrong.
9/10/07 - Monday is partly cloudy this afternoon, but it is supposed to be clearing up tonight. Therefore, I will be back up on campus tonight and trust the forecast (ha!) that it really will clear up. Lab will happen! If it turns out that it is still cloudy at 8:00, then we will have to re-schedule the lab. Oh, well. Keep your fingers crossed.
9/6/07 - If you are looking here to see if we are having a binocular lab tonight, why are you doing that. It is beautiful outside for the first time in quite a while, so of course we are having the lab.
Winter '07
4/26/07 - I have posted final grades. They are slightly modified from a couple of days ago because I updated the PRS component.4/20/07 - 4:30 - It is getting cloudy out there this afternoon. If it keeps getting worse, I will NOT be driving to Sunnyside Elementary for the star party. We can hope it gets better for tomorrow night, but who knows.
4/9/07 - 5:30. Keep your fingers crossed. It looks like it might be clearing. I will be back up here by 8:00.
4/2/07 - You guessed it. It is way too cloudy to get anything done tonight. I will try to post tomorrow when the next best time to have this lab will be.
3/26/07 - It is just after 7:00 when I got back to campus and the sky looks terrible. At least as far as getting to look at anything besides the moon. (That is a good thing to look at, but we need to see more things to do the lab correctly.) Since I am here, I will wait for another few minutes to see if it is getting better or worse.
3/19/07 - Finally need to use this page. Since it is looking rather hazy and there are enough weeks left in the semester, I think we shoud postpone tonights lab and wait for a night that really is clear. For now, lets plan on next Monday, March 26 at 7:30.
Fall '06
12/1/06 - One more week of classess. Here is what we will be doing in Astronomy lab. Your report labs are due tonight at midnight, or by whenever they might lock the Berndt door tonight. I will pick them up on Saturday morning. (I get up early.) We WILL meet next week at the regular time and do the Big Bang lab in class. So that is one more opportunity to get some points. On Tuesday night, I will get out the 16" telescope for some astro show and tell. This will tentatively start at 6:30, or whenever I can get things set up right after that. You will get 5 lab points for participation - just show up and write a short paragraph about what you see. You MUST give me the paragraph that night to get credit. Also on Tuesday I will let anyone who wants to, do the constellation/star identification lab. Read the details on the web site for what you need to do. If it is cloudy on Tuesday, I will try to reschedule for later in the week or for sometime during finals week.11/05/06 - There will be one more telescope lab on Wednesday, Nov. 8, at 7:00 P.M. Last week we discussed 6:30, but I have a schedule conflict preventing me from starting that early. If you have not done the telescope lab, please show up - you do not need to sign up. If you thought the binocular lab was cool, this one will be even more so. (That includes the temperature!) This lab is worth up to 15 points towards your final grade, and is the ONE lab I would recommend if you had to chose only ONE to do.
10/30/06 - I forgot that we would FALL BACK. In time, that is. Let us start the telescope lab at 6:30 on Monday! (NOT 7:30!) Each group will need a watch with a second hand, and a pencil. And it will be COLD!!! Don't forget to dress appropriately - bring ALL your clothes.
10/25/06 - The "weather" has been happening again, so lets plan on rescheduling the telescope labs for NEXT week. Thanks to those of you who showed up on Monday, but it really will be more enjoyable if there is not a haze everywhere. Y'all can come on Monday the 30th, and if you were signed up on Wednesday (today) come next Wednesday, Nov. 1. There are still some open spots for both days, so if you want to change days, or have not signed up for either day, then drop by my office door to make your choice official. The constellation preseentations are also due next week during your reegular lab time.
10/8/06 - I have posted grades again. You should try to have at least 40 points by Friday the 13th if you want a "maximum" lab grade. If it is a nice clear day, I suggest the solar heating experiment. If you have fewer than 30 points, you might consider getting in gear pretty soon, since the semester is almost half over.
I will be putting up sign-up sheets for the telescope labs and for the constellation reports soon. The constellation reports happen in ~4 weeks, but that is sooner than you might think. I am planning on Monday and Tuesday, Oct 23 and 24th for the telescope lab, so keep those dates in mind.
10/2/06 - Grades have been re-posted. Apparently there were some errors in the ID column.
10/01/06 - I have posted the grades. Please look at them and see if there is anything not recorded that you think should be, or if you have questions about any of the grades. On the binocular lab, the printout of the night sky was worth two point, but there were apparently "issues" with printing from Starry Night. So I will still accept your printout if you want those two points. I think you can ignore the registration number dialog - just click OK. To get a full sky view, you need to go into the preferences and click the box that says "allow maximum zoom out." In practice, a more useful print is obtained if you fill the entire page with sky, instead of zooming so far that the sky is a smaller circle on the page. Let me know if you still have questions about this.
09/20/06 - Looks like snow tonight, so we will move the evening binocular lab to NEXT Wednesday, Sept. 27. Don't forget that the Kepler lab is due next Friday, the 29th. Also, if you still have not turned in the first part of the Sun lab, I will still take it, but include some sort of late penalty. You need to turn in the first part and get it returned if you want to turn in the second part of the Sun lab.
9/15/06 - As mentioned in class last time we met, we
will be having the
Naked Eye/Binocular lab next week. They are now officially
scheduled for Monday at 7:45 and Wednesday at 8:15. The
weather forecast says it is supposed to
be clear, so we had better take advantage of that. You do not
need to sign up, but plan on going
to one or the other. Be sure to read about this lab by
following the link on the assignment page.
9/8/06 - I updated the Sun lab to include a Part 2, where you repeat
the observations from 1a (watch the sunset) two weeks later.
Part
1 is still due the 15th, and part 2 will be due the 29th. You
must turn in part 1 to get credit for part 2.
9/8/06 - As an option for the sun lab, you can watch a sunrise instead
of a sunset. Just make the appropriate "inverse"
observations.
If you do that, you will need to also do another sunrise when
we
repeat that part of the lab in a couple of weeks.
9/7/06 - You guessed it - it is still cloudy every afternoon.
The
"sun" lab (part 1) is now due NEXT Friday, the 15th. Good
luck on
some clear weather then.
8/19/06 - No lab neeting the first week of classes. Take a
look
at all of the assignments, but I recommend that you DO NOT print out
anything until it is time to use it. There will likely be
small
changes in many of the on-line pages during the first part of the
semester.
Winter '06
4/6/06 - Surprise! It is snowing again...4/4/06 - Too many clouds coming in to do the telescope lab tonight. We will re-schedule. However, if it is clear on Thursday, I will get out the 16" scope for a brief extra-credit project. Plan on 8:00 for that one.
4/1/06 - I don't think that Star Party is going to happen. I am posting this at 1:30, so a miracle may still occur - just don't hold your breath. I will think of some other suitable substitute for this.
3/28/06 - 4:15 it is still cloudy and rainy, so we will reschedule the telescope lab for Tuesday, April 4. But it will have to be much later because of daylight savings time.
3/20/06 - 6:30 weather. Good points - Slight breeze from the southwest and it is clear in that direction. That should blow the overhead haze away. Bad points - slight breeze from the southwest will make it chillier, and if there is any moisture it could make it cloud up oveerhead. I say we go ahead and try to do the lab tonight. If we can get it out of the way, then great. If the thicker clouds over the La Platas come this way and it snows, then great too. I will try to find some good targets of opportunity if it is partly cloudy. If there is overall haze, then we may be out of luck
1/26/06 - I guess I have to make a call on the weather now. It is 5:30 and still partly cloudy. Since it is still early in the semester, and I want to show you some interesting things, lets call it off for tonight and try for a night that is really clear.
1/19/06 - I think tonight counts as cloudy. We will reschedule for next week and I will take the signup sheets to class tomorrow.
1/12/06 - I have not heard from Jon (the grader), but I will be available today at 4:00 in room Berndt 480 (the lab room) to discuss homework problems. If Jon gets the message, he might be there too. If anyone knows how to do the problems and wants to show up for support, that would be great.
Fall '05
12/1/05 - Looks like we will be clouded out this evening. As mentioned in class, there is no test on Monday, but there is a homework due on Wednesday. Here is a quick rundown of the extra homework points you can get:
- Seti@home - but make sure your name shows up on the list before emailing me. If your name is on the list but you haven't emailed me, then do so.
- 16" Telescope viewing, but lets plan on Monday instead of tonight (clouds - what else for this semester)
- Homework 9b next Wednesday.
11/16/06 - I need to change the starting time for the telescope lab scheduled on Thursday. The new starting time is 6:00 P.M. I expect it to be extra cold, so dress appropriately.
11/10/05 - It is 4:30 and I am planning on the weather holding so we can have the lab tonight.
11/07/05 - It is 4:00 and not very clear so scratch one more telescope lab. We seem to be cursed this semester on doing anything outside. Lets try again Wednesday.
11/03/05 - It is not happening tonight either.
11/02/05 - Not tonight. Even Venus looks fuzzy through the clouds.
11/02/05 - The satellite picture is looking grim. Don't make a special trip up to campus. However, if you are already here, I will be up here finishing a lab around 6:30 and can make one last look to see if we can do it. I really want to get this done, but I also want to make sure there is a chance to actually see something.
11/02/05 - The clouds are rolling in. Right now it does not look good for the telescope lab. I will post an update by 5:00 if it will be cancelled.
11/01/05 - I had said I was having a solar viewing extra credit time on Wednesday morning, but meetings and advising are scheduled such that there will not be adequate time. However, I will set up the solar telescope this Thursday afternoon at 2:45, and Friday morning at 10:00 for the same extra credit. Because I missed the one on Wednesday, I will try to get another one in next week.
10/27/05 - Executive decision time. I looked at the sky, the weather.com southwest US satellite loop, and the hour-by-hour forecast, and everything suggests that it will be getting worse during the evening instead of better. So I will cancel for tonight and go home. There are sign up sheets on my door for next Wednesday and next Thursday, and it looks like Monday the 7th will be the last one I will put up. See you in class tomorrow.
10/26/05 - 6:45. Looks pretty yucky up here right now. And the satellite picture isn't as promising as I was lead to believe earlier today. However, I can see what looks like a bit of clearing to the south. I don't think anyone should make a special trip up to campus tonight, but if you are already here I will be here at 7:15 to make a more permanent decision.
10/13/05 - The labs are officially due tomorrow (Friday), but I wanted to let everyone know that I will not pick up any labs before noon on Saturday. This may give some of you an extra day to complete things.
9/29/05 - Once again clouds. But, hey! The mountains are white again!
9/27/05 - You guessed it. No lab tonight. No lab last night either. One of these days we will have a clear evening.
Also, I am having to change the time for the Wednesday evening lab to 8:15.
9/22/05 - 5:00pm - Not tonight...
9/22/05 - 12:50 - The test 1 grades have been posted. Those dreaded scattered showers are scheduled for the rest of the day, so if it is cloudy there will be no binocular lab. (%$#@^%$) I will post something one way or the other by ~5:00 this afternoon.
9/19/05 - 6:40pm - The sky looked pretty good at 2:30. However, not so good now. If you are reading this and are off campus, don't bother to show up. I will schedule another binocular lab next week. If you are still on campus, I will stick around until it is lab time to see if things actually clear up, and to see who shows up. If it is doable then, I will go ahead and try, but I am not holding my breath for us to actually see anything..
9/8/05 - 3:00pm - Sky looks bad right now. Satellite picture looks worse. No lab tonight.
9/7/05 - 5:30p.m. - It is cloudy outside right now and looks like it is getting worse. The satellite image does not suggest clearing. That means NO binocular lab tonight. (now watch the sky get clear...)
9/1/05 - 3:20pm - Welcome to the new semester. We have a binocular lab scheduled for tonight and the clouds don't look so hot. However, the satellite photo makes it look like most of the weather will pass us to the south. I will post something before I leave tonight if I decide to cancel. Otherwise I will see you there tonight.
Winter '05
4/4/05 - No telescope lab tonight. Looks like rain/snow. I will post by Wednesday when we will try again.
3/30/05a - Update. It looks like it has cleared off. I am up here and we can try to do this tonight. It will be COLD!!! Dress appropriately.
3/30/05 - Telescope lab decision time... Right now (3:30) I wouldn't do this. Partly cloudy is OK, or windy is OK, but both is not OK. No matter where you looked, the clouds would be coming and going. The satellite picture doesn't look too bad though. If conditions improve greatly, we will have it. If conditions improve slightly (so there is a question as to if we will do it or not), I will come up and post a note here as soon after 6:00 as I can. If conditions still look marginal, and nothing is up by 6:30, that means we won't have it.
1/25/05 - The Tuesday lab next week will need to meet the following week (Feb 8). The Monday and Wednesday labs will meet next week as scheduled, on Jan 31, and Feb 2.
1/10/05 - Astronomy Labs are not meeting this week.
Fall '04
12/09/04 - The weather looks like the telescope observations will happen tonight. I will try to set up as soon after 6:30 as possible, and for sure by 7:00. I will try to put it away by 8:30, but that could stretch to 9:00 if there are lots of visitors.
12/03/04 - Since last Monday's lab was postponed, I will also postpone the deadline for the outside, small group labs until 5:30 on Monday. I will also try to pick out an evening for the star identification lab next week. At the same time, I will try to have our 16" telescope set up for viewing. Viewing through the 16" scope will be a chance for extra credit.
11/30/04 - The regular Monday afternoon lab is postponed until next Monday. The Tuesday and Wednesday labs will be at their regularly scheduled time this week. There are telescope lab sign-up sheets on the door to my office. They are scheduled for this Wednesday and Thursday evenings. These are the last scheduled times to do these labs. Dress warmly - it is COLD out there!
11/16/04 - Too many clouds. No telescope lab tonight.
11/15/04 - If you haven't figured it out yet, the telescope lab is clouded out tonight. We will try again later this week and after break.
11/15/04 - The deadline for the second set of outside, small group labs is now officially December 3. This is the Friday after you get back from break.
11/11/04 - It sort of looked like it might clear off, but checking the hourly forecast suggests more clouds this evening. So tonight's telescope lab is cancelled. I will have more sign-up sheets in class tomorrow.
11/08/04 - The telescope lab is canceled for tonight. Tuesday doesn't look good either. I put up a signup sheet for Wednesday on my door, but my best guess is that we will have to wait until next week.
10/22/04 - I have updated the table of grades for the lecture class. This time, there is a new column showing lab grades. The ID numbers are now using your PRS number. I have adjusted the PRS grades as follows. You can miss up to two days on the attendance part and still get full credit. Percentages here no longer go over 100%. Same for the quiz percent. I re-averaged those numbers and made each day worth the same, and assumed anything over 85% was full credit. Just for variety, I plotted the grades for each of the sections separately. If you received a D or an F for mid-term, I encourage you to come by my office and discuss your situation.
10/08/04 - I put three of the Peterson Field Guides on reserve in the library. You may want to use one for your lab report. The library staff said they should "show up" on the shelf early next week. Someone please let me know if this doesn't happen.
10/08/04 - I added a link to the lab page that discusses your lab report in detail. If anyone has turned in a report already and would like to rework it, just drop by my office and pick it up.
9/29/04 - There is an error in the "More Precisely 1-2" on page 37 of the text. An incorrect value for the gravitational constant is given. I have fixed whatever inconsistencies there were in my notes. The correct value of the gravitational constant is in the front of the text and is also shown here:
G = 6.67x10-11 (N m2/kg2)
9/23/04 - The test grades have been posted on the grades page. I will add a link HERE. Check that you can find your ID. If you can't, please email me about this.
9/20/04 - Laura will be in room 500 today until 4:00 for tutoring. I will be in my office tomorrow afternoon a little after 1:00, and during labs today and tomorrow.
9/15/04 - I will be in my office from 3:00-4:00 tomorrow afternoon to help people with homework questions. Also, I talked to the grader (Laura) and she can be in room 500 tomorrow from about 2:00 or 2:30 to 3:15. This will be for answering questions and checking out lab equipment. See y'all there.
9/13/04 - The link to the syllabus is now working. There are added links, including homework solutions on the syllabus page.
9/12/04 - I have updated the Syllabus to move the section on Doppler shift to the second half of the semester. I have also added links to several more lab exercises we will be doing this semester. If you have not read all of the on-line class material, be sure to do so ASAP.
8/28/04 - Welcome.
Winter '04
4/19/04 - This is the last week of classes, and we will be experiencing the Big Bang during class. Tonight is the last scheduled telescope lab. It is supposed to clear off, but be breezy this evening, so that means it will be COLD! Dress appropriately. Most of you who have done the telescope labs have not turned in the printouts from the objects you were to look at. If you don't turn them in, you won't get credit! Friday at 4:00 is the deadline.
An updated grade sheet has been posted. Check it!
4/8/04 - No telescope lab tonight.
4/8/04 - You may have noticed that it is raining outside. I am teaching a Phys 201 lab this afternoon, so will hold off making the final decision to cancel the telescope lab until ~4:30. Don't hold your breath on having it tonight though.
3/29/04 - Yes, we do have lab this week. We are doing spectroscopy. See ya.
3/24/04 - Apparently my link to the telescope objects was out of whack. Sorry about that. It should be up and running now. Bring your printouts to the telescope observing session. After you use them in class, staple them together (with the hand-written labels on what you saw) and put them in my box. If you are in Mr. Clark's section, you will probably still need this list of objects to find.
3/19/04 - There are sign-up sheets for the outdoor telescope lab for next week on my door. There are sheets for Monday and Thursday on my door (BH634), and Tuesday on Michael Clark's door (BH630). You need to do this lab! Also, since we are doing an outside lab next week, we are not meeting during the regular lab time. The objects you need to print are found here. Print the appropriate pages before coming to lab.
There is an additional assignment, worth 10 points, that can be done in class during the week of April 12-16. The assignment is a Constellation Presentation to the class. Click the link for instructions.
2/16/04 - This week the first small group lab needs to be turned in. Turn them in to my box outside room 671. Next week we will meet in class and do the Astronomical Distances lab. This means we are not meeting in class this week.
2/9/04 - My lab sections are doing Jupiter's Moons this week. Meet in room BH640.
I have a box set up in the hall outside of room 671 for turning in outside labs. Please use that box instead of putting papers under the door.
There is a meeting Wednesday evening at the Rec Center concerning the Durango Dark Sky ordinance that is being proposed. Please give your support to this worthwhile project.
2/4/04 - I have posted your grades on the grades link. Plan on our next binocular observing to be next Monday and Tuesday at 6:15.
1/28/04 - If you signed up for the binocular viewing for this Thursday, don't forget to show up. Since next week will feature a nice bright moon, we will skip a week in our observing sessions. Watch for sign up sheets.
The next two weeks we are doing the Jupiter's moons lab in room 640. Since we must take turns with Michael Clark's sections, we will actually be doing these labs during the week of Feb 9-13. (So next week is OFF for my sections.)
1/19/04 - Welcome to the new semester. Check out my web site HERE. There is a link to the Astronomy labs that I teach from this site. There is also a tentative schedule for when we are doing what. This Thursday is the first of several binocular viewing labs. Come by my office if you want to sign up for it. I want to limit the size to ~20 people, and it is already more than half full. We will be having more viewings in the next few weeks, so don't despair if you don't get to be in this one.
Fall '03
12/12/03 - So don't believe the weather forecast... We had a very marginal viewing night last night. Tonight it is clear, but I can't stay on campus. I will try to update for tomorrow night. If it is clear, I can probably at least come up to check out 8" scopes for those of you who want to do the lab over the weekend.
12/09/03 - The last outdoor lab is scheduled for this Thursday, Dec.11. We will be meeting at the telescope pads ~6:15-6:30, assuming the weather holds up. The first activity will be observing with a 10" telescope and or binoculars for whoever needs to make up those activities. The second activity will be observing with 8" telescopes for the second outside-of-class project. I will help you get to know your scope and help you chose some objects, but remember this should be a "find them on your own" lab.
11/03/03 - We will not be meeting in class this week (Nov 4). Next week we will be doing the spectroscopy lab. If you haven't started running SETI@Home as your screensaver, do it now! The links to download the software, and to join the Fort Lewis Astronomy group are here and on my home page. Thanks.
10/17/03 - We are planning a telescope observing week next week. (The other outside lab.) Labs start at 7:30. This time meet out at the telescope pads across the street. Please sing up in class, so we know you will be coming.
10/01/03 - The weather isn't looking good for tonight's lab. I would usually post a weather cancellation here, but I can't access this page from off campus. So... check on Michael Clark's announcement page to see if this lab will actually happen.
09/30/03 - Do the on-your-own labs while the weather is good!!! Come check out the solar spotter scope, the solar output device, or one of the 8" Dobs while the weather is good.
09/24/03 - I do have a page posting the current lab grades. Please check it for accuracy and completeness.
09/24/03 - Next week we are NOT meeting in class at the regular time. Instead, you need to show up for one of the evening sessions on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday. We will be meeting in the regular classroom (BH480) at 7:15. It is still light then, but that will give you time to get some scopes or binoculars set up outside. By the way, if you have binoculars, bring them. I will be there on Monday, and Michael Clark will be there on Tuesday, and we will both try for Wednesday. Don't forget to print out your sky chart for the night you will be there. I will collect them as an attendance record. See you there.
09/18/03 - Here is the link to the software for the Jupiter's Moons lab we will do in class next week:
http://www.gettysburg.edu/academics/physics/clea/juplab.html
This is already loaded onto the lab computers.
09/17/03 - The first outside group project is due in class the week of Oct27th. The second outside group project is due in class the week of Dec 8th.
09/01/03 - Our first lab meeting is postponed until next week. See you Sept. 9.