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Last Updated: July 14, 2009 6:07 PM
Astronomy
Schedule
- Week of Monday, January 5th -- Introduction to Spring Semester
- Monday - No Class
- Tuesdaay - No Class
- Day 1 - Activity Schedule
- Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD)
- Lecture: Introduction to the Spring Semester
- HW:
- Read ahead on Chapter 5
- Chapter 5: The Nature of Light
- Day 2 - Activity Schedule
- Day 3 - Activity Schedule
- Week of Monday, January 12 -- UNIT 4: ASTROPHYSICS - LIGHT & OPTICS
- Chapter 5: The Nature of Light
- Day 1
- Day 2
- APOD
- Spectroscopy
- Spectroscope Activity:
- Begin Review Sheet - Light (due Day 2 next week)
- HW: ebook: Watch and Understand Animations 6.1 & 6.2 (this may require reading some parts of the chapter)
- Continue Review Sheet - Light (due Day 2 next week)
- Chapter 6: Optics & Telescopes
- Day 3
- APOD
- Optics & Telescopes
- HW: Continue Review Sheet - Light (due Day 2 next week)
- Day 4
- APOD
- Optics & Telescopes
- HW: Continue Review Sheet - Light (due Day 2 next week)
- Here are some photos of Andrew's telescope construction and images taken
- grinding mirror // cleaning mirror // measuring focal length // saturn // moon
- If you're interested in building your own telescope, Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland has a class you can take. Check it out.
- Here are some photos of Andrew's telescope construction and images taken
- Thursday: Star Party. Meet on the Piazza @ 6 PM
- Photos from Star Party:Venus above Piazza // Group Shot // Observing 1 // Observing 2
- Week of Monday, January 19 -- UNIT 4: ASTROPHYSICS - LIGHT & OPTICS
- Monday - No Class - MLK Day
- Chapter 5: The Nature of Light
- Day 1
- APOD
- 1st Period: We'll watch the inauguration
- 6th Period: The Doppler Effect
- HW: 6th Period: Finish Review Sheet - Light
- Day 2
- APOD
- 1st Period: The Doppler Effect
- 6th Period: Begin Astrophysics Toolbox
- HW: 1st Period: Finish Review Sheet - Light (here are the answers)
- Day 3
- APOD
- Astrophysics Toolbox
- HW: Study for Quiz using Review Sheet - Light (here are the answers) and homework
- Week of Monday, January 26 -- UNIT 4: ASTROPHYSICS - LIGHT & OPTICS
- Chapter 5: The Nature of Light
- Day 1
- APOD
- Quiz 4.1 - Light
- Continue working on Astrophysics Toolbox
- HW: Continue Working on Toolbox: Have all of these equations done by tomorrow (if you're especially ambitious, here's the full list of equations we'll use this year)
- Understand this image about the doppler shift and the rotation of an object - it's the basis of our lab this week
- Day 2
- APOD
- 1st Period: Work on Toolbox
- Understand this image about the doppler shift and the rotation of an object - it's the basis of our lab this week
- 6th Period meets in Alpha Lab: Begin Lab 7 - Rotation Period of Mercury (due day 4)
- HW: HW Sheet: Light & Optics Review
- Day 3
- APOD
- 1st Period meets in Alpha Lab: Begin Lab 7 - Rotation Period of Mercury
- 6th Period: Continue working on Lab
- HW: Finish HW Sheet: Light & Optics Review // Study for Quiz on Optics: it will be short
- Day 4
- APOD
- Quiz 4.2 - Optics
- Continue working on Toolbox and Lab
- HW: TBA
- Week of Monday, February 2 --UNIT 4: ASTROPHYSICS - LIGHT & OPTICS
- Day 1
- APOD
- I'm on junior retreat
- Pick up quizzes and homework assignments from the outbox
- Blank copy of quiz 4.1 (here's a key and there's one on the board)
- Blank copy of quiz 4.2 (find answers in the ebook)
- If you were on retreat or on the field trip last week, read this
- If you were here all or most of last week, read this
- Work on Toolbox
- You should already have all of these equations done
- Aim to finish these conversions
- I used a short ton, which is what we use in the US: 1 ton = 907.2 kg
- Help each other but stay productive
- EMAIL ME YOUR TOOLBOX AT THE END OF CLASS.
- Pick up quizzes and homework assignments from the outbox
- HW: Continue working on Lab & Toolbox
- Day 1
- Day 2
- APOD
- 1st Period: I'm still on retreat - continue working on Toolbox & Lab.
- EMAIL ME YOUR TOOLBOX AT THE END OF CLASS.
- 6th Period: I'm back - we'll continue working on Toolbox & Lab
- HW: Study for Exam
- Day 3
- APOD
- EXAM 4 - LIGHT & OPTICS
- HW: None
- Week of Monday, February 9 --UNIT 5: STARS
- Chapter 16: Our Star, The Sun
- Day 1
- APOD
- The Sun
- Introduction to the Sun
- Solar Interior: Core & Fusion
- ebook: Animation 16.1
- HW: ebook: Questions at the end of Ch 16: #s 4, 6, 29 // Work on Corrections for Quiz 4.1 & Exam 4 (Corrections for quiz 4.2 are not required but I will give you +0.5 points)
- Here's the image section: version A & version B
- Key for Exam: version A & version B
- Day 2
- APOD
- The Sun
- Solar Interior: Radiation & Convection Zones
- Solar Atmosphere: Photosphere, Chromosphere, Corona
- Check out this APOD of the Sun's Corona (Thanks Nikos)
- Solar Magnetic Field: Sun Spots & Sun Storms
- HW: ebook: Ch 16: #s 18, 19, 20 // Work on Corrections
- Day 3
- APOD
- Weather permitting:
- Observing the Sun
- Weather not permitting:
- Work on Lab 7 - Rotation of Mercury (due Monday Feb 23)
- HW: ebook: Ch 16: #s 24, 28 // Finish Corrections for Quiz 4.1 & Exam 4 (Corrections for quiz 4.2 are not required but I will give you +0.5 points)
- Day 4
- APOD
- Weather permitting:
- Observing the Sun
- Weather not permitting:
- Work on Lab 7 - Rotation of Mercury (due Monday Feb 23)
- HW: Study for Quiz
- Week of Monday, February 16 --UNIT 5: STARS
- Monday - President's Day Holiday
- Day 1
- APOD
- Quiz 5.1 - The Sun
- Continue working on Lab 7: Rotation of Mercury (due Monday Feb 23)
- HW: Continue working on Lab 7 // Get caught up on missing work
- Chapter 17: The Nature of Stars
- Day 2
- APOD
- Properties of Stars: in-class worksheet
- Review properties of stars that we've learned already:
- Wavelength & Temperature: Wein's Law
- Luminosity & Temperature: Stefan-Boltzmann Law
- New properties of stars:
- Review properties of stars that we've learned already:
- Add the new equations you learned to your toolbox along with the small angle formula (use the questions you answered on the back of the worksheet as a check)
- HW: Work on Lab 7 (due Monday Feb 23) // Work on Toolbox
- Day 3
- Week of Monday, February 23 -- UNIT 5: STARS
- Day 1
- APOD
- Properties of Stars
- Magnitude Scale
- HW:
- Finish corrections for quiz 5.1 (key for version A & key for version B)
- and update toolbox: here's the current list
- HAPPY MARDI GRAS!...Where in the US did Mardi Gras begin? (Hint...AOK's Hometown)
- Day 2
- APOD
- Properties of Stars
- Classification of Stars: OBAFGKM // 0123456789
- HW:Work on toolbox:
- here's a .pdf listing all conversions & equations
- Here's a screenshot of all conversions (this screenshot zooms in on the two new conversions: luminosity & brightness
- Here's a screenshot of all the equations: 1st half // 2nd half
- Day 3
- APOD
- Work on toolbox:
- here's a .pdf listing all conversions & equations
- Here's a screenshot of all conversions (this screenshot zooms in on the two new conversions: luminosity & brightness
- Here's a screenshot of all the equations: 1st half // 2nd half
- Begin Toolbox Assignment (due Tuesday March 2nd)
- HW: Continue working on toolbox and Toolbox Assignment (here's a key)
- Day 4
- APOD
- Graphing Properties of Stars
- Hertzsprung-Russell Diagrams (HR Diagrams)
- HR Diagram In-Class Worksheet to be turned in for a grade
- Continue working on toolbox
- HW: Continue Toolbox Assignment (here's a key) (due Tuesday March 2nd)
- Week of Monday, March 2 -- UNIT 5: STARS
- Day 1
- Activity Schedule
- APOD
- Refining and Locking the Toolbox
- HW: Finish Toolbox Assignment (here's a key) (due Tuesday March 2nd)
- Day 1
- Activity Schedule
- Day 2 - Midterms
- APOD
- Quiz 5.2 - Properties of Stars
- This quiz will require you to use your toolbox so it needs to be done by now
- HW: None!. Relax, take a break, and gear up for the last quarter. We'll be studying the life and death of stars, what's left over after stars die (black holes, neutron stars, etc.), and then move on to galaxies and big bang cosmology.
- Thursday - No Class - Teacher Inservice
- Friday - No Class - Quarter Break
- Week of Monday, March 9 --UNIT 5: STARS
- Chapter 18: Stellar Evolution - The Birth of Stars
- Day 1
- APOD
- Some thoughts about the 4th quarter: hw policy
- Introduction to Stellar Evolution:
- Part I: Star Birth
- Part II: Star Life
- Part III: Star Death
- Awesome stellar evolution diagram that summarizes everything
- A very helpful stellar evolution diagram
- This awesome HR Diagram Applet shows the evolution of any star
- Stellar Evolution I: Star Birth
- Gas Clouds
- HW: Begin Corrections for Quiz 5.2 (due Next Monday but if you scored less than 36/45, you must meet with me to go over your corrections by Friday)
- here's the key to check your answers but remember that it's only worthwhile if you fix your toolbox
- Day 2
- APOD
- Stellar Evolution I: Star Birth
- Protostars
- Joining the Main Sequence
- ebook: Animation 18.5 // 18.2
- HW: ebook: Ch 18 #s 13, 17 // Ch 19 # 4
- Chapter 19: Stellar Evolution - On & After The Main Sequence
- Day 3
- APOD
- Stellar Evolution II - Star Life
- On the Main Sequence
- HW: None today. Get caught up on corrections or missing work
- Day 4
- APOD
- Stellar Evolution II - Star Life
- After the Main Sequence
- Giant Phase
- After the Main Sequence
- HW: Finish Corrections if you haven't yet
- Week of Monday, March 16 -- UNIT 5: STARS
- Chapter 20: Stellar Evolution - The Deaths of Stars
- Day 1
- APOD
- Variable Stars
- Cepheid Variables are useful for determining distance
- Review:
- HW: HW Sheet - On & After Main Sequence
- Day 2
- APOD
- Stellar Evolution III - Star Death
- Low Mass Stars
- Planetary Nebula
- Work on Toolbox Addition - Star Database
- HW: None
- Day 3
- APOD
- Review: HR Diagram Applet track the Sun
- Stellar Evolution III - Star Death
- Low Mass Stars
- White Dwarf
- Work on Toolbox Addition - Star Database
- HW: None
- Day 4
- APOD
- Stellar Evolution III - Star Death
- High Mass Stars
- Supernovae: Type II & Type Ia
- Work on Toolbox Addition - Star Database
- HW: Make HR Diagram of Toolbox Stars: here's a screenshot
- Temperature on x-axis in reverse order
- Luminosity on y-axis scaled logarithmically
- Week of Monday, March 23 -- UNIT 5: STARS
- Chapter 21: Neutron Stars
- Day 1
- APOD
- Quiz 5.3 - Stellar Evolution
- Stellar Evolution III - Star Death
- High Mass Stars
- Neutron Stars
- ebook
- Video 21.1 - Pulsar
- Animation 21.3 - Millisecond Pulsar
- ebook
- HW:
Watch this youtube video on neutron stars
- If you haven't yet, make HR Diagram of Toolbox Stars: here's a screenshot
- Temperature on x-axis in reverse order
- Luminosity on y-axis scaled logarithmically
- If you haven't yet, make HR Diagram of Toolbox Stars: here's a screenshot
- Chapter 22: Black Holes
- Day 2
- APOD
- Stellar Evolution III - Star Death
- High Mass Stars
- Finish Neutron Stars
- ebook
- Video 21.1 - Pulsar
- Animation 21.3 - Millisecond Pulsar
- ebook
- Black Holes
- Structure
- Schwartzchild Radius
- Structure
- HW: HW Sheet - Neutron Stars
- Day 3
- APOD
- Black Holes
- Properties
- Types
- Detection
- Evaporation
- HW: Start reviewing for exam
- THURSDAY - Star Party from 8:30 to 9:30 on the Piazza (come after ice skating)
- Day 4
- APOD
- Finish Black Holes
- Stellar Evolution Recap
- Awesome stellar evolution diagram that summarizes everything
- A very helpful stellar evolution diagram
- This awesome HR Diagram Applet shows the evolution of any sta
- HW: Study for Exam on Day 1
- KEYS for Quiz 5.3
- version A
- version B
- KEYS for Quiz 5.3
- Week of Monday, March 30 -- UNIT 6: GALAXIES & COSMOLOGY
- Day 1
- APOD
- EXAM 5 - STARS & STELLAR EVOLUTION
- HW: Check out this article on the damage a huge solar storm could cause
- Chapter 23: Our Galaxy
- Day 2
- APOD
- The Milky Way Galaxy
- Size, Shape, Structure
- Helpful Graphics of Milky Way:
- HW: None
- Day 3
- APOD
- The Milky Way Galaxy
- Dark Matter
- Work on Toolbox
- HW: If you haven't yet, watch these two videos:
- Watch this video on the discovery of the supermassive blackhole at the center of our galaxy (thanks Adri)
- Watch this video on supermassive blackholes (thanks Nikos)
- Day 4
- APOD
- Galaxies
- Clusters & Superclusters
- Work on Toolbox
- HW: Finish Corrections // Get caught up on Toolbox
- Week of Monday, April 6 -- UNIT 6: GALAXIES & COSMOLOGY
- Chapter 24: Galaxies
- Day 1
- APOD
- Galaxy Collisions
- Continue working on Toolbox
- HW: Finish Up Toolbox (due Day 2)
- Day 2
- APOD
- ASTROPHYSICS TOOLBOX DUE TODAY
- Determining the Distances to Galaxies
- Distance Ladder
- Standard Candles: Cepheid Variables & Type1a Supernova
- HW: None - Enjoy the break!
- Thursday - No Class - Holy Thursday
- Friday - No Class - Good Friday
- Week of Monday, April 13
- No Class - Spring Break
- Week of Monday, April 20 -- UNIT 6: GALAXIES & COSMOLOGY
- Chapter 24: Galaxies
- Day 1
- APOD
- Announce Upcoming Field Trip to Stanford on April 28th
- We plan to depart SI at 6:15 pm and return at 11:30 pm
- 7:30 to 8:30 - Talk on Black Holes at SLAC (Stanford Linear Accelerator)
- 9:00 to 10:30 - Star Party at Stanford Student Observatory (weather permitting)
- We plan to depart SI at 6:15 pm and return at 11:30 pm
- Hubble Law
- HW:
- Continue working on Hubble Law Worksheet (due day 4)
- Work on corrections for Exam 5 (due day 1)
- Day 2
- APOD
- Work on Toolbox
- Add Hubble Law & Age of Universe
- HW:
- Finish Hubble Law Worksheet
- Continue working on corrections for Exam 5 (due day 1)
- Day 3
- APOD
- Check out this graphic on the construction of the International Space Station (ISS)
- Begin Lab 08 - Hubble Law & the Age of the Universe
- Instructions
- Student Manual
- Template
- HW:
- Finish Hubble Law Worksheet
- Continue Working on Lab (due May 4)
- Continue working on corrections for Exam 5 (due day 1)
- Day 4
- APOD
- Continue working on Lab
- HW:
- Continue Working on Lab (due May 4)
- Continue working on corrections for Exam 5 (due day 1)
- Week of Monday, April 27 -- UNIT 6: GALAXIES & COSMOLOGY
- Day 1
- APOD
- Quiz 6.1 - Milky Way & Galaxies
- HW: Continue working on Lab (due day 1)
- Chapter 26: Cosmology - The Origin & Evolution of the Universe
- Day 2
- APOD
- Cosmology
- The Big Bang
- Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) Radiation
- Cosmic Horizon
- Recombination
- If you're having trouble grasping some of these concepts, check out this explanation from Brent Tully
- HW: Continue working on Lab (due day 1)
- Day 3
- APOD
- Cosmology
- HW: Finish Toolbox Corrections (remember to add "regrade" to the end of your filename)
- Day 4
- APOD
- Cosmology
- Dark Energy & the Expansion Rate of Universe
- The Future of the Universe
- Helpful Images / Tables / Graphs
- HW: Finish Lab 8 - Hubble Law & Age of the Universe
- Week of Monday, May 4 -- UNIT 6: GALAXIES & COSMOLOGY
- Chapter 27: The Early Universe
- Day 1
- APOD
- Review
- If you're having trouble grasping how big the universe is, check out this explanation from Brent Tully
- Bust these myths about the expansion of the universe
- The Early Universe
- Four Fundamental Forces
- Inflation
- Helpful Images: Universe Timeline // Symmetry Breaking
- HW: Start HW Sheet on Cosmology (due Day 4)
- If you missed today or want some more info, check out the following chapters of The Elegant Universe online
- Under "Hour One": A Strange New World // The Quantum Cafe // Gravity - The Odd Man Out
- Under "Hour Two ": Definitely watch Standard Model
- Optional: Parallel Universes // Escaping Gravity // Riddle of the Big Bang
- Total Time is about 30 min
- Day 2
- APOD
- The Early Universe
- Inflation
- Matter-Antimatter
- Helpful Images: Early Universe Timeline // Early Universe Graph // Standard Model
- HW: Continue HW Sheet on Cosmology (due Day 4)
- If you missed today or want some more info, check out the links above or the sections in the relevant sections of the ebook
- Day 3
- APOD
- Recap - Putting it all Together
- Here's another helpful graph on nucleosynthesis and a link to a helpful cosmological timeline
- HW: Finish HW Sheet on Cosmology (due Day 4)
- Day 4
- APOD
- Recap - Putting it all Together
- HW: Work on Corrections for Quiz on Galaxies
- Week of Monday, May 11 -- UNIT 6: GALAXIES & COSMOLOGY
- Chapter 8, Section 7: Extra-Solar Planets
- Chapter 28: Extraterrestrial Life
- Day 1
- APOD
- Formation of Solar Systems
- Extrasolar / Exosolar Planets
- Read about Exosolar Planet Gleise 581 c
- In 2012 the Terrestrial Planet Finder will go up in orbit - check it out
- Astrobiology & Extraterrestrial Life
- Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) - you can help with SETI@home
- Should we discover ET far far away, a hyperdrive might come in handy
- Introduce The Drake Equation Toolbox Exercise
- HW:
- Continue Corrections for Quiz on Galaxies
- Day 2
- APOD
- Finish The Drake Equation Toolbox Exercise
- At the end of class
- Turn in your toolbox with Drake Equation to the server folder (delete all older versions of the toolbox)
- Turn in your answers to the questions to the inbox
- At the end of class
- HW: Study for Quiz on Day 3
- I'll be using the HW and lab to write the quiz, but here are some key questions and concepts to know
- Day 3
- APOD
- Quiz 6.2 - Cosmology
- HW: None
- Friday - No Class - Teacher Inservice
- Week of Monday, May 18
- Monday - No Class - Senior Class Holiday
- Tuesday - Activity Schedule
- APOD
- Note: Friday is the last day to turn in missing work
- Final Exam Review
- Review Sheet
- Stellar Evolution Powerpoint
- Survey Questions
- HW: Study for Final Exam
- Wednesday - Activity Schedule
- Senior Day - No Class
- HW: Study for Final Exam
- Thursday
- Friday
- LAST DAY TO TURN IN OVERDUE WORK
- Awards Assembly
- HW: Study for Final Exam
- Week of Monday, May 25 -- FINAL EXAMS
- Monday
- Memorial Day Holiday
- Tuesday
- Final Exams: Math & Religious Studies
- Monday
- Wednesday
- Final Exams: Language & Social Science
- Thursday
- Final Exams: Science & English
- 10:05 - 11:35
- 1st Period will meet in Beta Lab first
- 6th Period will meet in Room 226 first
