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Online Astronomy Labs

These are notes from a previous semester.  The sequence and day to day lesson schedule has changed.

Notes for the current semester can be found in our Canvas course.

Unit 5:  Stars

Check out the Files page to see PowerPoints from Unit 4. (Scroll down to the Unit 4 folder.)

Day 1: Stellar Formation & the Sun   HR Diagram Video

• New Constellations:  Hercules, Corona Borealis, Boötes (Arcturus), Virgo (Spica), Leo (Regulus), Cancer
• Fusion & Fission video

• Astronomy Ranking Task--Star Evolution (in class)

Unit 1:  Motions & Seasons

Check out the Files page to see PowerPoints from Unit 1. (Scroll down to the Unit 1 folder.)

Day 1:  Intro to Astronomy.

• What is happening in Astronomy these days?
• What will the course be like?
• Astronomy HS vs. Astronomy CE.
• Astronomy Concurrent Enrollment Procedures.
• Due next time:  Online Survey and Disclosure Document

Khan Academy Astronomy

    Scale of the Large

    Scale of the Solar System

    Lunar Eclipse

    Angular Measure

    Measuring Parallax

Unit 5:  Galaxies & The Milky Way

Check out the Files page to see PowerPoints from Unit 5. (Scroll down to the Unit 5 folder.)

Day 1:  Galaxy Classification & The Milky Way

• Crash Course Astronomy Youtube video
• Galaxy Classification assignment completed in class.  
• Assignment Handout
• Images needed for assignment
• Hubble Classification (needed for last part of assignment)
• Online HW 5.1 due next time

Day 2:  Scale of the Milky Way 

• Milky Way Scale assignment completed in class
• NOVA Telescope: The Ever Expanding Universe

Unit 3:  The Solar System

Check out the Files page to see PowerPoints from Unit 3. (Scroll down to the Unit 3 folder.)

Day 1: Intro to Solar System

• New Constellations:  Orion (Betelguese, Rigel), Canis Major (Sirius), Canis Minor (Procyon), Auriga (Capella), Gemini (Castor, Pollux), Taurus (Aldebaran).
• LT Sun Size, LT Temperature at Formation of Solar System
• Video of Solar System to Scale
• Online HW 3.1 due next time

Check the course calendar for more details.

Unit 2:  History & Science of Astronomy

Check out the Files page to see PowerPoints from Unit 2. (Scroll down to the Unit 2 folder.)

Day 1: History of Astronomy- Greeks to Copernicus.

• Online HW 2.1 due next time
• View the notes from class

Day 2:  History of Astronomy- Johannes Kepler.

Video about Kepler's Laws.

• Who was Johannes Kepler?
• Kepler's 1st Law: Planets orbit the Sun in an Ellipse with the Sun at one focus.
• Kepler's 2nd Law: A line joining the planet and the sun sweeps out equal area in equal times.
• Kepler's 3rd Law:  P^2 = a^3 (P=period in years, a=semi-major axis in AU-- think of semi-major axis as the average distance between planet and sun)
• Online HW 2.2 due next time

• Newton's Laws of motion:   (see Khan Academy Newton's Laws for more details)
• Objects in motion remain in motion with constant velocity unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.
• Net Force = mass x acceleration
• For every action force there is an equal and opposite reaction force.
• Newton's Law of gravity:  (see Khan Academy Newton's Law of Gravitation for more details)
• Fg = (G*m1*m2)/d^2
• Acceleration of gravity (g):  g = GM/R^2
• G=6.67x10^-11
• Online HW 2.3 due next time

Day 3: Light & EM Spectrum

• Online HW 2.3 due next time

Day 4:  Doppler Effect (redshift, blueshift)

• Youtube video
• Online HW 2.4 due next time

Day 5:Review

• Study Guide

Day 6: Test

Unit 2:  History & Science of Astronomy

Check out the Files page to see PowerPoints from Unit 2. (Scroll down to the Unit 2 folder.)

Day 1: History of Astronomy- Greeks to Copernicus.

• Online HW 2.1 due next time
• View the notes from class

Day 2:  History of Astronomy- Kepler & Newton.

Video about Kepler's Laws.

• Who was Johannes Kepler?
• Kepler's 1st Law
• Kepler's 2nd Law
• Kepler's 3rd Law:  P^2 = a^3 (P=period in years, a=semi-major axis in AU)
• Newton's Laws of motion:
• Objects in motion remain in motion with constant velocity unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.
• Net Force = mass x acceleration
• For every action force there is an equal and opposite reaction force.
• Newton's Law of gravity:
• Fg = (G*m1*m2)/d^2
• Acceleration of gravity (g):  g = GM/R^2
• G=6.67x10^-11
• Online HW 2.2 due next time

Day 3: The Universe: Gravity

Day 4: Light & EM Spectrum

• Online HW 2.3 due next time

Day 5: Doppler Effect (redshift, blueshift)

• Youtube video
• Online HW 2.4 due next time

Day 6: Review

• Study Guide

Day 7: Test