Assessment Guidelines for assigning main letter grades: A, B, C,D, and F.

A:  Work of this quality directly addresses the question or problem raised and provides a coherent argument displaying an extensiveknowledge of relevant information or content. This type of work demonstrates the ability to critically evaluate concepts and theory and has an element of novelty and originality. There is clear evidence of a significant amount of reading beyond that required for the course.

B:  This is highly competent level of performance and directly addresses the question or problem raised.

There is a demonstration of some ability to critically evaluatetheory and concepts and relate them to practice. Discussions reflect the student’s own arguments and are not simply a repetition of standard lecture andreference material. The work does not suffer from any major errors or omissions and provides evidence of reading beyond the required assignments.

C:  This is an acceptable level of performance and provides answers that are clear but limited, reflecting the information offered in the lectures and reference readings.

D:  This level of performances demonstrates that the student lacks a coherent grasp of the material.

Important information is omitted and irrelevant points included.In effect, the student has barely done enough to persuade the instructor that s/he should not fail.

F: This work fails to show any knowledge or understanding of the issues raised in the question. Most of the material in the answer is irrelevant.

Week 1:

Course introduction; night & day; the seasons; the moon; eclipses; planets in the night sky; 

Week 2:

Brightness and apparent magnitude; the main constellations: their names, stars and motion

Week 3:

The development of gravity: Aristotle to Galileo to Newton; Kepler’s laws of planetary motion; orbital motion and the solar system

Unit I Assignment

Week 4:

The solid inner planets of the solar system; sustainable life and its quest

The outer gaseous planets of the solar system

Week 5:

Climate, astronomy and historical data

Evening field trip to planetarium*

Unit II Assignment

Week 6:

Review for midterm exam; midterm exam

Week 7:

Structure of the atom; the atomic table; mass-energy equivalence; nuclear fusion; formation of stars 

Week 8:

Properties of stars; electromagnetic spectrum; atomic spectra; black body radiation; temperature-wavelength relationship 

Week 9:

HR diagram;

Development of stars; Chandrasekhar limit; Schonberg-Oppenheimer limit 

Week 10:

Measuring distances: parallax; spectroscopic and Cepheid methods 

Unit III Assignment

Week 11:

Measuring distances: parallax; spectroscopic and Cepheid methods

Week 12:

Cosmological principle; Newton’s model of universe; Olber’s paradox; the Doppler effect

Week 13:

The expanding universe; the Big Bang; future of universe; dark matter

Unit IV Assignment

Week 14:

The Drake equation, SETI

Course review

Week 15:

Final exam