The CV19 virus means we will have to conduct our Fall '20 Astro 8A remotely. I'll have more info as we get closer. However, briefly, I will give you the basics now. I'll give on-line Zoom lectures and interactions at the regular time of Tuesday 7:15pm onwards. The lectures will be recorded so you can access them on Zoom later, links will be posted in Canvas. For reference, I'm leaving the NORMAL way we conduct Astro 8A below, so you can make sense of how I'm trying to re-do this as a temporarily on-line version. Alas, you won't be going to the Observatory and playing with our cool equipment - not until Cabrillo admin says it's OK to do so. That may not be till Fall '21.
In most cases, I'll be making your observations for you! I'll be taking images with our cameras and posting them so you can work with them, in doing our Variable Star project most importantly, and with taking images of your chosen Deep Sky beautiful object (nebula, star cluster, galaxy, dust region, globular cluster, comet, or what ever you end up choosing). And then I'll make sure you have the software (free-ware) to do your processing. It'll be much easier if you have access to a PC. Most astronomy software is Windows software, not Mac or Chromebook. Some software you may find Mac-substitute versions for you to try instead, like Skyview on your iphone. The Cabrillo campus really has standardized on PC's. Software you'll want to get is CCDOPS, Registax, and Photoshop. I have access to free versions of each which I can get to you, although the Photoshop is old PS 7, it works just fine for what we do. There'll also be lab projects that are not observing labs, but instead what we used to call "in-classroom cloudy night labs". I'll keep your work load suitable for just a one-unit class and due dates will be flexible.
We'll still have some fun, although I'll only be seeing you remotely on ConferZoom. I'll email you the link when time gets close, and I"ll also post it in the Canvas shell for Astro 8 under the "Announcements". I'll be emailing each student to make sure you know the next meeding and what we're going to be doing.
Below is the Syllabus with the SLO's, Accommodations statement, grading policies, office hours, how to email me
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Astro 8A: Observational Astronomy
Astro 8A links page, and some fun photos of our activities
Office: at home this semester!
Contact information
"Office" Hours:
6:0-7:0pm
1:30-2:30pm Wed
5-6pm Fri (contact me first)
There is no textbook for this course. All materials will be linked to you online.
1. It will be really important that you have access to a Windows 10 PC for doing some of our projects. A Win10 PC laptop can be loaned to you through the I.T. people on campus. Contact them if you need one. Make sure you tell them you're in Astro 8A and they'll make sure to have installed software on the laptop they give you special for Astro 8A (CCDOPS, Registax 5.1, Photoshop, LiMovie).
2. A calculator. Just one that can do the basic add/subtract/mult/divide/roots. Don't need a graphing calculator. Use your phone, or online calculators if you want.
RECOMMENDED
ITEMS..........
1.
A phone app that shows you the constellations and the sky, like
2. Chocolate chip cookies - to keep you in a good mood during all this computer "face" time!
Astro 8 has always been pretty loose on structure, because we never know when we'll have clear skies. For this semester's strictly on-line course, that's less of a problem, but I still need to be making many observations and photographs for you, so I plan to keep the schedule a bit loose. It's only a 1 unit course, so we'll keep the work load down. As each week draws close, I'll know better what we'll do and be ready to guide you. We'll have on-line lab projects on variable stars that I'm making photographs of on each clear night that I can. Also your photo project will be a significant one. We'll have other on-line projects requiring some simple graphing and calculating with a calculator.
Here's my system...Work will be divided between written/calculation quizzes/labs,
observing projects using photos I'm taking, and an occasional video + video quiz. The percentages quoted
will be adjusted depending on the fraction of clear/cloudy nights I get, and what
we have time for, and what projects happen;
A. Variable Star Magnitude Charting: 25% of Grade. This will be your single biggest project. I've taken a series of photographs of several star fields containing binocular or naked-eye bright variable stars and making those photos on each suitable clear night that I can. These are posted on the web and you'll examine them, identify the target star and nearby comparison stars and "by eye" estimate the magnitude of the variable on each of the images I have for you, and then plot a chart of their changing brightness. Some are periodic variables and then we'll also be "folding" their light curves. I have about a half dozen or more variable stars we'll be following.
A --- 85% and above
B --- 75%
C --- 65% Pass
D --- 57%
F --- less than 57%
Students needing accommodations should inform the instructor. As required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), accommodations are provided to insure equal access for students with verified disabilities. To determine if you qualify or need assistance with an accommodation, please contact ACCESSIBILITY SUPPORT CENTER (Formerly DSPS), Room 1073, (831) 479-6379.
Here is a valuable list of Cabrillo policies and resources for you as students
The Official Student Learner Outcomes for Astro 8A
1. Operate an astronomical telescope, including polar alignment and object
acquisition.
2. Measure and chart the brightness of irregular and periodic variable stars,
including error estimation.
3. Manipulate digital images of astronomical objects to bring out subtle morphologies
and colors, and capture the full dynamic range of intensities.
4. Demonstrate the acquisition of digital images, using telescope/ software/
computer control systems, and optimizing relevant choices in the process.