Course Objectives: This course and its companion, ASTR101, are designed to provide a complete survey of astronomy at the introductory level. Emphasis is placed on the concepts and processes which have led to our current understanding of the universe. In this course, you will spend as much or more time learning how we know things, and why we think we're right, as you will in learning what we know. ASTR102 is a survey of the universe beyond our solar system. We will start by examining the basic building block of the large-scale universe --- the star. We will discuss how it's built, how it generates light, and what happens to it during its long life in space. We will then investigate structures made from stars --- the clusters and galaxies that make up the structure of our universe on still larger scales. Finally we will discuss the nature of the universe itself, how it was created, how it evolved to its present state and what will likely happen to it in the future.
Instructor:	Ned Ladd
	Office: Olin 151 and 189
	Phone: 3102
	AS102 Office Hours: Monday and Tuesday 10-noon, and whenever my office door is open
	Email: ladd@bucknell.edu
	Spring 1998 Schedule
Text:	Astronomy: From the Earth to the Universe, by J. M. Pasachoff Get the Fifth Edition, shrink-wrapped with the Redshift 2 software, available at your friendly campus bookstore.
Class Meetings:	Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 1:00-1:52 PM, Olin 268 (see course calendar)
Labs: This course satisfies your laboratory science requirement, and labs are a major component of the course. Many new concepts critical to the course will be presented only in lab, and it is essential that you participate actively in the lab program if you are to learn anything in this course (or, incidentally, if you'd like to pass the course). The laboratory exercises for this course will be a combination of two types: traditional afternoon labs to be conducted mostly in Olin 269, and observing labs to be conducted in the evenings at the Observatory. Afternoon Labs: You should be scheduled for a lab section on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Friday afternoon. Unless specifically instructed otherwise, go to Olin 269 at the scheduled time. Several of the labs will be conducted at other locations (e.g., at the Observatory or outside), but you will be told in advance of a change in venue. Observing Labs: Three of your labs will be nighttime observing labs, and you will need to go to the Observatory on a clear night to complete them. Since we can't predict very well which nights will be clear during the semester, you have not been assigned to a specific night or nights. Rather, it is {\bf your responsibility} to complete these labs prior to their due dates. Typically, you will have more than ten days to complete these labs and none will require more than one evening at the Observatory. Be aware, however, that Lewisburg is a cloudy place, and that clear nights can be few and far between. ``It was cloudy'' is not an acceptable excuse for not completing these labs on time. An Observatory schedule will be made available very soon. The lab schedule is indicated on the course calendar. For each lab, you will be given a write-up prior to your lab session. You will be expected to read this write-up before you attend lab. In some cases, you will be asked to work problems before starting the lab; you should complete those problems before arriving at your lab session. During the lab, you should fill out the remainder of the write-up. For afternoon labs, write-ups are due before you leave. For observing labs, write-ups are due by 5:00 pm on the date indicated on the course calendar. Your lab grade will be determined by how well you fill out your write-up. Failure to attend labs, or failure to hand in a lab write-up will result in a zero grade (that's a zero, not an F; there's a difference), which will be averaged into your lab grade. Don't miss labs.
Problem Sets:	Problem sets will be assigned on average every other week, for a total of eight during the semester. Problems sets will be graded based on five points per problem (fractional points will be awarded), so that longer problem sets are worth more than short ones. Solutions will be posted at the time the problem sets are due, so no late problem sets will be accepted for credit. However, your problem set grade will be calculated from your six best problem sets.
Hour Exams:	In-class hour exams are scheduled for 19 February and 7 April during regular class meeting times. The first hour exam will cover material including reading and in-class presentation up to 15 February, and lab exercises up to 12 February (including the first observing Lab). The second hour exam will cover material including reading and in-class presentation up to 2 April, and lab exercises up to 31 March (including the second Observing Lab).
Final Exam:	The final exam is comprehensive in scope, and will be administered during the scheduled time on Finals Week.
Grading:	Your final grade will be the average of the two hour exams (1/9 each), the six best problem sets (1/9), your lab grade (1/3), and the final exam (1/3).