ASTR 214 Lab Schedule, Fall 2016 Semester

  • The laboratory portion of this course consists of a series of activities to be carried out either during weekly evening meetings or outside of class, depending on the nature of the assignment. [Other assignments and exams are scheduled separately.]
  • Many laboratory activities involve direct observation of the sky, but some can be done indoors. These latter are generally held in reserve for weekly meetings when the weather is not suitable for observing.
  • Activity locations include "classroom" = TCCW classroom (e.g., 236 or 201), "laboratory" = physics lab (e.g., 209; meet in classroom first), "rooftop" = TCCW rooftop observing deck + telescope dome (meet in classroom first), and "elsewhere" = site of your own choosing (a "take-home" lab, working on your own, not in a class meeting).
  • Since most astronomy observing activities depend on weather conditions, moon phase, or other external factors, the order in which the laboratories are assigned will of necessity be subject to change.
  • This table will be updated during the semester as laboratories are assigned. Unassigned possible laboratories are shown in a different color. Not all unassigned laboratories will be assigned.
  • For further questions, please consult the syllabus or just ask.

# Laboratory Topic Start Date Location
1 Planisphere and Night Sky Navigation Tue 23 Aug rooftop/elsewhere
2 Lunar Phases and Daily Motion Tue 23 Aug elsewhere
- Planisphere/Navigation Lab, Continued Tue 30 Aug rooftop
3 Angular Scale vs. Physical Scale Tue 6 Sep rooftop
4 Gas Characteristics via Spectroscope Observations Tue 13 Sep classroom/laboratory/rooftop
5 The Moon's Orbit Tue 20 Sep classroom
6 Star Magnitudes, Distances, and Limitations Tue 27 Sep rooftop/elsewhere
7 Time and Coordinates Tue 4 Oct classroom
- Solar Photosphere + Prominence Viewing (Demo) Wed 5 Oct rooftop (during lecture)
8 Interplanetary Travel Tue 11 Oct classroom
- Bad Weather - No Observing (catch-up night) Tue 18 Oct (lab meeting cancelled)
9 Interstellar Travel Tue 25 Oct classroom
10 CCD Observations and Imaging Tue 1 Nov rooftop
- Election Day - No Lab (catch-up night) Tue 8 Nov (lab meeting cancelled)
11 CCD Processing and Analysis Tue 15 Nov classroom
- Thanksgiving Break - No Lab Tue 22 Nov (campus closed)
12 Radio Jove Data Analysis Tue 29 Nov classroom
Radio Jove Remote Station Bell Observatory (daytime)
Microwave Radiation classroom/outside/Bell
VLF Radiation and the Terrestrial Magnetosphere outside/Bell Observatory
How Far is the Galactic Center? classroom
Hubble's Law classroom

ASTR 214 | Steven Gibson