Curriculum Guidelines for ASTR1105 at Douglas College
DESCRIPTION
COURSE DETAILS
COURSE CURRICULUM
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the course the student will be able to:
- identify major contributors and their contributions to the development of astronomy
- identify commonly used coordinate systems for viewing the sky
- identify major stars and constellations
- explain seasons, eclipses, precession, phases of the Moon, tides
- identify and explain features of light: wave nature, speed, spectrum, reflection, refraction, Doppler effect
- explain operation of and distinction between optical telescopes
- identify the various types of bodies in the solar system
- explain the evolution of the solar system
- identify features on the Moon
- compare features of the planets
- indicate the peculiarities of asteroids, meteoroids, comets
- identify the prominent features of the Sun
- explain stellar parallax
- distinguish between apparent magnitude and absolute magnitude of stars
- explain stars luminosity and the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram
- explain the current view of birth, life and death of stars
- identify types and structures of galaxies and clusters of galaxies
- define quasar, pulsar, black hole
- explain the current view of the Big Bang and the expansion of the Universe
Course Content
1. Classroom:
- Discovering the night sky
- Some astronomy history
- Properties of light
- Telescopes
- Earth-Moon-Sun system
- Overall solar system
- Nature of stars
- Galaxies
- Cosmology
2. Laboratory
- Sky charts
- Night sky observations
- Image formation via mirrors and lenses
- Light spectra/wavelength measurements
- Sunspots
- Photometry
- Planetarium/observatory field trip
Methods Of Instruction: This course will be presented using lectures, assigned readings and laboratory exercises, which will include outside observations. A variety of audio-visual materials, computer simulations, and internet searches will be used where appropriate.
Text Books\MaterialsTextbooks and materials to be purchased by students include the free open source textbook Astronomy by Open Stax. There might be a custom edition.
Douglas College, Astronomy 1105 Laboratory Experiments
Means Of Assessment: The final grade for the course will be determined based on the following components:
- final examination – minimum of 30% / maximum of 40%
- two tests administered during the semester – minimum of 15% / maximum of 25% each
- submitted laboratory reports – 20%
- quizzes, assignments (possibly online), projects – maximum of 20%