AST 1002: Reading Assignments

Required reading materials consists of your 1) astronomy textbook and a 2) Study Guide that I have prepared for this class. The Study Guide does not replace your textbook. Rather, it contains a large selection of past, example exam questions, a few worked problems, and many tables and figures that we will use in class. (Bring the Study Guide to every class.)

TOPIC

CHAPTER

PAGES

MATERIAL (From CHAISSON/McMILLAN)

APPEARANCE OF THE SKY

Preface

xi–xviii

Introductory Material

Prologue
(P.1–P.4)

1–16

Charting the Heavens: Motion of Sky, Sun & Moon
(pg. 6, omit declination & right ascension)

258

Magnitude Scale; incl. Fig. 10.6
(pg. 259, omit absolute magnitudes

1.1

Motions of the Planets: 1st 3 main paragraphs
(rest of chapter for Topic B)

Star Charts

S1–S4

Star Patterns (do not memorize,
illustrate example "constellations")

MOTIONS OF THE PLANETS

1.1–1.4

23–39

Planetary Motion (Geocentricism & Heliocentricism,
Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Newton)

COMPARATIVE PLANETOLOGY

4.1–4.3

99–122

The Solar System

Appendix

A-4

Tables 2A & 2B: Planetary Data, Orbital & Physical
(do not memorize numbers–for illustrative purposes)

5–8

127–229

Earth & Moon; Terrestrial Planets; Jovian Planets; Moons, Rings & Pluto
(most material optional—use for reference—be guided by class material).
Do study Fig. 6.26, 7.6, 7.18, 71.9 & 8.1; also Table 7.1

RADIATION FROM SPACE

2.1–2.3

43–51

Light & the E-M Spectrum, Spectral Lines (Kirchoff's Laws)

2.5–2.6

55–57

Spectral Lines (Kirchoff's Laws); Formation of Spectral Lines

2.4

The Kelvin Temperature Scale

2.4

51–53

Black Bodies, Radiation Laws

2.4

"More on Radiation Laws" (pg. 58)

3.3

79–82

High Resolution Astronomy: The CCD–see Fig. 3.13
(rest of chp. 3 optional)

STELLAR FUNDAMENTALS

10.1

254–256

Measuring the Stars: Distances & Motions

2.6

64–65

The Doppler Effect

10.2

257–259

Magnitudes: Luminosity & Apparent Brightness

10.3

260–262

Stellar Temperatures, Spectra & Spectral Classification

Appendix

A-5 &
A-6

Tables 3 & 4: Twenty Brightest & Twenty Nearest Stars
(do not memorize numbers–for illustrative purposes)

CLASSIFICATION OF STARS

10.5

265–267

The Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram

10.7

271–273

Luminosity Class

10.4

262–264

Stellar Sizes (incl. "Estimating Stellar Radii")

BINARY STARS

10.6

267–270

Binary Stars & Stellar Masses

STELLAR STRUCTURE AND EVOLUTION

9.1–9.3

231–239

The Sun: Interior, Atmosphere

9.5

245–248

Heart of the Sun: Energy Generation

11.1–11.5

277–296

The Interstellar Medium: Birthplaces of Stars; Protstar Formation; Zero Age Main Sequence; Star Clusters/TD>

12.1–12.6

301–322

Stellar Evolution: Lives & Deaths of Stars

13.1–13.67

327–347

Neutron Stars & Black Holes

(Revised 08/21/00)
Underlined Items Available On Web
(An asterisk * indicates examples, tables & figures only on web site)
TOPIC	ITEM	TITLE
A	Example 8*	Illustrated Math Problem (not in printed Study Guide)
	Table 1	Sky Objects
	Table 19*	Naming Stars
	Table 2	Primary and Secondary Motions of the Heavens
	Table 3	Phases and Aspects of Moon
	Questions A	Sample Questions for Topic A
	Outline A	Topic A Outline incl. Study Guide Questions to Do or Omit
B	Figure 3	Heliocentric vs. Geocentric (A Brief History)
	Table 4	Some Comparisons of Ptolemaic and Copernican Models
	Figure 4	Properties of a Keplerian Ellipse
	Figure 24*	Mars at Conjunction and Opposition
	Example 1	Kepler's First Law
	Example 2	Kepler's Third (Harmonic) Law
	Questions B	Sample Questions for Topic B
	Outline B	Topic B Outline incl. Study Guide Questions to Do or Omit
C	Table 5	Solar System Regularities and Properties
	Table 6	General Properties (with Notes)
	Table 6b*	Planet Group Summary
	Table 7	The Titius-Bode Relation (OMIT)
	Questions C	Sample Questions for Topic C
	Outline C	Topic C Outline incl. Study Guide Questions to Do or Omit
D	Table 8	The Electromagnetic Spectrum
	Table 8b*	Astronomical Detectors
	Table 8c*	Basic Terms Relating to Spectra
	Figure 5	Components of a Spectrograph
	Figure 6	Types of Spectra (Kirchoff's Laws)
	Example 3	Wein's Radiation Law
	Example 4	Stefan-Bolztmann's Radiation Law
	Questions D	Sample Questions for Topic D
	Outline D	Topic D Outline incl. Study Guide Questions to Do or Omit
E	Figure 7	Black Body Radiation Curve
	Figure 8	The Annual Heliocentric Trigonometric Parallax
	Figure 9	Measuring Stellar Parallax
	Figure 9b*	Stellar Parallax: Some Results
	Figure 10	Space Motion of a Star
	Figure 11	Measuring The Doppler Shift to Determine Radial Velocity
	Table 9	A Brief Catalog of Selected Star Data
	Table 10	The Magnitude Scale (OMIT)
	Example 5	Magnitude and Brightness Ratio Conversions (OMIT)
	Figure 12	Inverse Square Law of Light Propagation
	Example 6	Apparent and Absolute Magnitude Conversions (OMIT)
	Table 11	Spectral Classes of the Stars
	Questions E	Sample Questions for Topic E
	Outline E	Topic E Outline incl. Study Guide Questions to Do or Omit
F	Figure 13	The Hertzsprung Russell Diagram
	Figure 13b*	HR Diagram and Stellar Radii
	Figure 14	Observational Bias—The Brightest Stars
	Figure 15	Observational Bias—The Nearest Stars
	Example 7	Luminosity–Radius–Temperature Relation (OMIT)
	Table 12	Properties of Open and Globular Clusters (OMIT)
	Table 13	Average Properties of Main Sequence Stars
	Questions F	Sample Questions for Topic F
	Outline F	Topic F Outline incl. Study Guide Questions to Do or Omit
G	Table 13	Average Properties of Main Sequence Stars
	Figure 16	The Mass-Luminosity Relation
	Questions G	Sample Questions for Topic G
	Outline G	Topic G Outline incl. Study Guide Questions to Do or Omit
H	Table 23*	H-Burning Thermostat
	Table 14	Possible Solar Energy Generation Sources
	Table 15	Hydrogen Burning (PP Chain and CNO Cycle)
	Figure 17	A Graphical Model of Solar Structure
	Figure 18	A Pictorial Model of Solar Structure
	Table 16	Evolution of a One Solar Mass Star
	Figure 19	Evolutionary Track of a One Solar Mass Star
	Table 17	Comparison of Stellar Evolutionary Time Scales
	Table 18	Nuclear Burning Processes in Stars
	Figure 20	A Paradigm of Stellar Evolution for Different Masses
	Figure 21	Star Cluster Color-Magnitude Diagrams
	Figure 22	Star Cluster Evolution
	Questions H	Sample Questions for Topic H
	Outline H	Topic H Outline incl. Study Guide Questions to Do or Omit

Announcements	Examinations	Exam Scores	Course Description	Course Topics
Grades	Mailing List	Readings	Term Calendar	Textbooks

AST 1002: Course Readings

Spring 2003 [Sections 0422 & 0427]