Physics 55

Southern Orion: From Belt to Witch
Credit & Copyright: Stéphane Guisard

Explanation: Do you recognize the belt of Orion in this image? The familiar trio of stars, visible to the unaided eye, can be found across the upper left. Otherwise, the southern part of the constellation Orion has taken on a new look in this unusually deep and wide view First note that the lower left belt star, Alnitak, is the easternmost star in Orion's belt. Left of Alnitak is the Flame Nebula, with clouds of bright emission and dramatic dark dust lanes. Directly below Alnitak, a close inspection will reveal the Horsehead Nebula. Farther right and below is the Orion Nebula, M42, itself visible to the unaided eye. The brightest star in the frame, near the bottom right, is Rigel. A bright blue star, Rigel illuminates the ominously shaped dust patch known as the Witch Head Nebula, visible as the blue reflection nebula near the lower right corner. Finally, appearing as a vast red ring and encompassing the entire region, is Barnard's Loop. Humans could see this entire menagerie, unaided, were their eyes about 10,000 times more sensitive.

Once more, I found our weekly image as the April 8

installment of Astronomy Picture of the Day

I will try to decorate this page with a topical astronomy-related image each week.
Images from previous weeks will be collected here

Course Page Homework Lectures Staff and Office Hours Syllabus Time and Place

Welcome:

Welcome to PHY55, Duke’s introductory class in Astronomy.  In this class, we will be studying, quite literally, everything in the universe.  We will start with “classical” astronomy, studying the night sky and organizing what we see as was done in ancient times.   We will then embark on a journey, starting here on Earth and progressing outward, to study the Solar system, the Milky Way galaxy, and the wonderful and strange objects we observe in deep space, such as black holes, quasars, and supernovae.  We will end with some discussion of what scientists know today about the universe as a whole.  Along the way we will introduce some of the methods, theoretical and experimental, that have been used to understand all of this, from Newton’s laws, through our understanding of light and matter, to Einstein’s theory of relativity, and from Galileo’s telescope to WMAP.

Prerequisites:

1.      An interest in learning something about the universe we live in and a willingness to invest some thought and some work in this.

2.      The ability to calculate with large and small numbers, e.g. to compute the product of  -2.3 · 10¹³ and 0.8 · 10^-28.

3.      A familiarity with the rudiments of high-school algebra.

4.      An ability to draw and use graphs to describe the properties of functions.

Requirements:

1. The course textbook, Universe, 8th edition by R.A. Freedman and W.J. Kaufmann III; W.H. Freeman and Co., 2008. In addition to the printed version the book exists as an online e-Book; I will try to do some customizing to the electronic version, adding my own annotations. You may purchase the text in one of two package options (many others exist so if you are not buying through the Duke textbook store check carefully using ISBN!):

a) Purchase the book. You will then also have access to the online version. ISBN 1-4292-0581-4

b) Purchase access to the online version only. This is less expensive and possibly more environmentally responsible (?) You will not have a copy of the text but will have access to the online version. ISBN 1-4292-1953-X

Both options are available for purchase through the Duke textbook store. Both packages also include a CD with planetarium software (Starry Night) which we will use in the course.

2. A calculator able to handle powers-of-ten notation.  Such calculators can be purchased for about $10 at many stores. (A graphing calculator like a TI-83 is fine but overkill for this course.)

3. A computer with color display screen, CD-ROM, and a connection to the Internet. You will be installing and using the digital planetarium program Starry Night that comes free with your textbook.

4. A Duke computer account for browsing the Internet and for e-mail. Your browser should be configured to display PDF (Portable Document Format) and QuickTime files. (The OIT web page has links that explain how to do this.)  PowerPoint presentations used in class will be available online; if you wish to use these you will need to install either PowerPoint or a suitable viewer.

Expectations:

1. You should plan on about 10 hours total work for this class per week.  This includes about 4 hours of reading before classes, three hours of class time, 2-3 hours spent on homework. 

2. In order to get to the fun parts of this material, I will not try to talk in lecture about everything of relevance. You are expected to read the chapters assigned before class. Lectures will be spent on points of emphasis, either clarifying what the text says or going deeper. Homework and quizzes will include material never mentioned in class.

3. Three times during the term you will take part in observation sessions for about 2 hours in the evening.  These will take place in the new observatory facility that was constructed in the Duke Forest last year.  Details on these can be found on the observation page. 

Grading:

Grades in the class will be determined as follows:

·        Quizzes and exams will always be open book with access to notes, text, etc.  A calculator and the textbook may be required so please be sure to bring these on quiz dates. 

·        Quizzes are not cumulative.  A quiz will include material not covered in previous quizzes or exams, up to and including the subject of homework due on quiz date.  Material on which homework has yet to be assigned will not appear; material on which homework has yet to be graded will appear. 

·        Both exams are cumulative.  Midterm will cover all material until exam day.  Final will cover entire course.

·        Absences or failure to hand in a quiz without appropriate justification as is customary in the College will simply result in a zero grade for that quiz.  Quizzes missed due to justified absences will either be made up at a later date or be dropped from grade calculations, at my discretion.

·        Collaborating with friends on homework in this class is not only permitted, but encouraged.  Thinking with others is fun; it is also an important skill and is associated with deeper understanding.  It is easy, however, to confuse this with letting others think for you.  I thus insist that after whatever discussions you have had are over, you write your own answers to the homework questions.  I also ask that you note on your paper the names of those with whom you have collaborated.  This will have no effect on grading.  Collaborating on quizzes and exams is neither permitted nor encouraged.

Times:

The class will meet Monday, Wednesday from 1:15 to 2:30 pm, in Physics 130. Weekly homework assignments will be due Monday by 5pm.

If at least one person has requested this by Wednesday a review session will be scheduled for Friday 1:15-2:30 in the same room. Notice that a review is scheduled will be posted on the announcements page. 

Observation session information will be provided on the observation page.

Staff and Office Hours:

Instructor: Ronen Plesser, plesser@cgtp.duke.edu. My office hours are Monday before class 12:00-1:00 pm, in Physics 245, in the hall directly above the lecture room.  Occasionally I will need to miss these and those occasions will be posted on the announcements page.  If you need to talk to me at other times contact me before or after class or by email. Also, feel free to send me email anytime with any question or comment you may have; you may get a quick response if I am free, or a suggested time to meet and talk. If you want to see some (dated) information on my research interests, you can check my web page.

Our TA for the class is Ms. Shangying Wang. You can reach her at sw57@phy.duke.edu. Shangying's offfice hours will be Tuesday 1:00-3:00pm in Physics 274C.

Ms. Ariana Minot will be the observation TA for the class, she will assist you in preparing for observation sessions and carrying them out, and will grade your observation reports. Ariana can be reached at ariana.minot@duke.edu.

Course Schedule:

This is a tentative schedule for the material to be covered, the reading requirements, and relevant events.  The reading assignments for each week will be posted on the announcements page.