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 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
- Constellations: Unit 1
- Astronomical Unit (AU)
- Light Year
- Looking at Distant Objects Activity
- Due next time: Looking at Distant Objects (handout)
- Parallax Activity
- Magnitude Ranking Tasks
- Due next time: Online HW 1.3 Parallax & Magnitude
- Phases of the Moon
- Lunar Phases Activity
- Eclipses Mr. Eclipse
- Due next time: Online HW 1.4 Lunar Phases & Eclipses
Day 5: Constellations & Position
- LT Seasons
- Kinesthetic Astronomy
- PPT--Motions & Seasons
- LT Solar/Sidereal
- Assign OHW 1.5 Motions & Seasons
Day 7:Review & Vocabulary
Day 8: Unit 1 Test
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
Day 2: Scale of the Milky Way
- Milky Way Scale assignment completed in class
- NOVA Telescope: The Ever Expanding Universe
Day 3: Galactic Redshift & Hubble's Law
Day 4: The Universe: Big Bang & Beyond
Day 5: Hypotheses, Theories, Laws. Cosmology.
Day 6: Review
Day 5: Unit 5 Test
Unit 4: 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
- Please visit http://astro.unl.edu/naap/hr/hr.html and read through the background material on Spectral Classification, Luminosity, and the Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram.
Then complete the Student Guide (packet). This will be turned in for a grade. - Online HW 4.1 due next time.
Day 3: The Universe: Secrets of the Sun
- Online HW 4.2 due next time
Day 5: The Universe: LIfe & Death of a Star- Astronomy Ranking Task--Star Evolution (in class)
Day 6: Binary Stars
- Online HW 4.3 due next time
Day 7: Review, The Universe: Supernovas
Day 8: Unit 4 Test
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
Day 2: Solar System Research
Day 3: The Universe: 7 Secrets of the Solar System
Day 4: Extra-solar Planets
Day 5: Solar System Presentations & Review
Day 6: Unit 3 Test
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.
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
Day 3: Light & EM Spectrum
- Online HW 2.3 due next time
Day 4: Doppler Effect (redshift, blueshift)
Day 5:Review
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.
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)
Day 6: Review
Day 7: Test
