ASTRONOMY 101 HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS
Homework Assignments:
Feb 8
- Carefully re-read all of 5.
- Study Ch 1-5 for Exam #1 on Feb 22.
Feb 6
- Written HW #1 due on Wednesday. Must be typed and stapled.
- Finish reading all of Chapter 5.
- Begin studying for Exam #1
For the multiple choice, you can just give the letter choice.
For the problem solving questions, explain what you are doing,
and show all calculations.
Feb 1
- Finish reading Ch 4 and begin reading Ch 5 (read Ch 5.1 at least)
- The Moon will be just past first quarter phase. It will be close to
the Pleiades ("seven sisters") and the V-shaped face of Taurus the Bull.
Jan 30
- Finish reading Chapter 3 and begin reading Ch 4.
- Think! Think about why we have seasons, and phases of the moon. You
cannot learn these by reading a book - you need to think about what
is going on.
- Don't forget to use of the Astronomy Help Room and planetarium.
- If you are having trouble with the observational part of the homework,
see the "Class News and Information" web page for some hints. In general,
frequently check the News and Info page.
Homework #1 (due Wed Feb 8; homework must be
typed):
Textbook Questions:
- Ch 1, Q: #25, 33
- Ch 2, Q: #27, 30, 31, 33, 35
- Ch 3, Q: #26, 29, 41.
- Ch 4, Q: #34, 35
For the multiple choice, you don't need to write out the question.
For the problems that require calculations, like Ch 3 #41, you must show
all work - giving just the answer will get no credit. The grade will be
based on the method, not just just the answer. You do not have to type out
any calculations, but be very neat.
Observe the Sky Questions:
Report the time and date of your observation and the whether each
object is closer to the zenith or horizon.
Look carefully at the stars Sirius, Betelgeuse, and Rigel, and the planets
Venus and Jupiter.
1. What colors do these objects appear to be to you?
2. Which appears brighter, Venus or Sirius?
3. Which seems to twinkle more, Sirius or Rigel?
4. Which seems to twinkle more, Jupiter or Rigel?
Note: Do NOT copy from the textbook or anywhere else!
Do not try to look up this answer! This will result in automatically
failing this homework and possibly failing the course. For the
observational part of the homework, do not look up the answer on a book
or on-line - you must look at the sky and report what you see. The
observations should only take about 10 minutes once you know where
the stars and planets are.
Jan 25
- The waxing crescent Moon and Venus will be close together tonight.
- Try to find the stars Rigel and Betelgeuse in the constellation Orion,
and Sirius in the constellation "Canis Major".
Also notice Venus in the west just after sunset, and Jupiter overhead.
- Begin reading Chapter 3 (at least Ch 3.1 and 3.2)
- Attend planetarium show if possible. Be sure to reserve a spot ahead of
time and sign in. See Class News and Info web page for details.
- Please note: The planetarium is not ADA compliant - our deepest
regrets! Contact me if you need assistance, and I'll do my best to
help.
- Read Appenix C for a refresher on basic math skills. If you have any
trouble at all with any of this, please see me and/or the Astronomy Help
Room TAs for assistance. Please do this now, at the start of the
semester, not just before an exam when it may be too late!
Jan 23
- Finish reading Ch 1 and read Ch 2.1
- Examine the website Spaceweather.com.
- Over the next few days/weeks, notice the Moon's phase and location in
the sky. Also, try to find the constellation Orion, and the planets
Venus and Jupiter.
Jan 18
Read the textbook Ch 1.1 - 1.2
Examine all of the textbook to know what's in there and what we'll be
covering this semester. Be sure to look at the appendicies.
Read, explore, and bookmark the class WWWeb site:
http://mintaka.sdsu.edu/faculty/wfw/CLASSES/ASTR101/hw.html
Look at the sky throughout the semester! Notice the position of the Moon,
planets, and stars. Several homework assignments will require you to
observe the sky. Specifically, notice the following:
+ The new moon is on Jan 23, so it will be hard to see the Moon until
about Jan 25th. Look for the waxing crescent near sunset.
+ Around the time of sunset, in the west-southwest you should be
able to see a bright object - the planet Venus!
+ Visible in the first half of the night, the planet Jupiter is the
second brightest object in the sky after Venus (and of course the
Moon and Sun). It is toward the south, and moving south-west as the
night progresses, setting around 1 am. It is currently
between the constellations Ares and Pisces.
+ Sometime during the next week or so, use the star charts in the
appendix of the book to find the constellation Orion.
Orion is easily visible at around 6 to 9 pm, overhead and somewhat
towards the south. Notice the colors of the stars.
- Try to find the star Sirius (in the constellation Canis Major - the big
dog). It should be easy to find because Sirius is the brightest star
visible from Earth (besides the Sun!). Near Sirius is the constellation
Orion with many bright stars. Try to locate the stars Betelgeuse and Rigel
in Orion.
Note: Much better star charts can be found on-line. Follow
the links on our class website.
Homework Policy:
To be accepted for credit, the following rules apply:
- Homework must be typed though numerical problems can be
hand-written if near. Sloppy homework will not be accepted.
- Multiple pages must be stapled together.
- Homework must be turned in - emailed homework will not be accepted.
- Homework is due at the *start* of class. If you come in late, put it on
the table quietly. Do not interrupt/disrupt the lecture!
- All material submitted for a grade must be written in proper English, at a
level appropriate for a college course. Write complete and full sentences
for all questions that are not purely mathematical in nature.
- Show all work when doing calculations. Just writing down the answer is
insufficient and will earn no credit. Showing your work allows me to give
partial credit if the numerical values are incorrect, and it is the only way
to see if you know how to do the problem (i.e. the method, not the answer).
- All homework must be done independently. You can work together in a team
(and I encourage that), but you cannot turn in identical (or almost
identical) answers.
Written homework assignments are graded on the following scale:
A = excellent work; full and thorough answers; no incorrect answers and no
English errors
B = good work, only very minor errors; very few English errors
C = acceptable work, but more than one incorrect answer or error
D = poor work; several incorrect answers; needs much improvement
F = major problems or not submitted
Problem and observational questions are worth much more than multiple choice
questions.
For each class day late, a letter grade is deducted from the homework.
Sometimes we will go over the answers of the homework in class on the
day it is due. Any homework question that is discussed or answered in
class will not earn any credit if turned in late.
Remember that the homework counts as 20% of your course grade, as much as
the exams and the final exam! Be sure to earn that 20%; it is not hard and
it greatly helps you learn the material. Inadequate effort on the
homework is the number one reason for poor grades in this course.
Reminder: Committing plagiarism is a VERY serious offense.
``... an appropriate penalty, even severance from the University and in some
cases revocation of an advanced degree,...'' (see SDSU's General Catalog).
Plagiarism and cheating are at the top of the list of reasons for
expulsion, suspension and probation of students.
NEVER copy directly out of the textbook, or any other source.
Take a look at the
SDSU Academic Dishonesty Incident Form (in .pdf format)
if you want to see what comes next when plagiarism occurs.
Plagiarism is theft. If you copy more than 4 words in a row from
any source (including the textbook) and do not reference that source,
you may be committing plagiarism.
Simple Rule: If in doubt, quote the source.