Course Syllabus

Introduction to Astronomy (PSCI 1503) Syllabus

Course prefix and number:             PSCI 1503                   Section number:        W01
Course Title:  Introduction to Astronomy

Credit hours:  3                   Lecture hours: 3                  Clinical/Lab hours:  0

 

Catalog description: This course is designed to introduce the non-science major to the basic concepts of astronomy. The student will examine the structure, properties, evolution, and dynamics of the earth, our solar system, stars, galaxies, and the universe. IAI: P1 906

 

 

Faculty

 

Adam Tournier
(815) 802 - 8753
atournier@kcc.edu

Liberal Arts and Sciences

 

Office Location/Office hours

 

Student Success Center

 

Monday                       10-11 & 12-1

Wednesday                10-11 & 12-1

Thursday                     10-12

Friday                         10-11

 

Or by appointment

 

Dean

 

Jennifer Hays Huggins

Dean, Liberal Arts and Sciences

Kankakee Community College

100 College Drive, Kankakee, IL 60901

815.802.8484

jhuggins@kcc.edu

 

Division Office

 

              L355

              815-802-8750

 

 

 

 

 

Textbook(s) and/or Course Materials

 

OpenStax Astronomy

free for download from https://openstax.org/details/books/astronomy

 

 

Relationship to academic programs and transferability 

 

This course was designed to meet specific student needs either individually or within a program and is designed to transfer to other colleges and universities. KCC participates in the Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI), a statewide transfer agreement for general education courses. All colleges and universities participating in the IAI agree to accept a collective “package” of IAI general education courses; transfer of courses separately is not guaranteed. For more information about IAI and the transferability of courses to specific four-year institutions, go to itransfer.org and mycreditstransfer.org.

 

 

 

Goals and Objectives

 

Upon completion of this course, you will:

 

1. Describe the process of and apply the scientific method, detailing the role of hypothesis, prediction, experiment, and theory.
2. Explain the motions in the night sky, the Sun-Earth-Moon system, and Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion.
3. Describe the structure and origin of the solar system and discuss the features and properties of the following: Sun, Moon, Earth, terrestrial planets, Jovian planets, moons, dwarf planets, asteroids, comets.
4. Describe stars, including our sun, in terms of their types, properties, location on Hertzsprung-Russell diagrams and discuss the life cycle of stars based on their masses (low, intermediate, high).
5. Describe the interstellar medium and the various types of nebulae.
6. Describe the properties of black holes.
7. Describe the characteristics of the different types of galaxies, including the Milky Way.
8. Describe the large-scale structure of the universe.
9. Discuss the Big Bang Theory and the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe.

 

 

 

 

General Education Goals and Objectives 

 

The general education program at KCC is designed to enable students to write, read and speak at a level reflecting college-level learning. The general education goals and objectives are designed to enable students to use reasoning and problem-solving skills and to acquire skills in ethical reasoning. Students who complete the general education program will be able to examine complex topics and apply systematic processes to form conclusions. KCC has six general education goals:

 

Inquiry and Analysis: Students will examine complex topics and apply systematic processes resulting in informed conclusions.

 

 

 

Evaluation

 

Outlines                       (30 Outlines @ 10 points each)          300 points

Quizzes                       (15 quizzes @ 30 points each)            450 points

Discussions                 (15 Discussions @ 10 points each)     150 points

Final                                                                                        100 points

                                                                                                                                                         

Letter Grade                            A              B              C              D                    F

Overall points                        900           800          700            600        (less than 600)

 

 

 

 

Course Policies

 

This is an online course. It is required that you have access to a computer and the internet as all content and assignments are done through our Canvas course shell.  If you have any issues or concerns, please contact me so that we can support your learning needs.

 

The course is divided into 15 modules each with 2 chapters.  Each module will have a reading assignment, two chapter outlines to complete, a discussion post to complete, and a quiz over the module chapters.  All module content for a week will be due Sunday by 11:59 PM central standard time. The specific due dates will be stated in each module.

 

There will be no late work accepted. All assignments will close on their due dates and any uncompleted work will be assigned a score of zero.

 

It is imperative that you do not fall behind in our course.  Your course is truly self-paced.  The first 5 modules are published for the start of class and the remainder will be published by the end of week 3.  You can work ahead and complete your assignments as early as possible.

 

There will be examples and a rubric for the outlines, and clear instructions for each discussion post. 

 

There will be videos and other supplemental materials available for each chapter.  I recommend that you use these resources, but the book is where the assignments originate, and quiz questions will be answered.

 

I have scheduled office hours in the student support center.  I am available face to face or online during those times, but I am also available by appointment.  You just must ask and schedule a time to meet either face to face or remotely, by phone or zoom meeting.

 

Most importantly, you must communicate with me.  Please ask questions, please let me know what you need to be successful.  My goal is your success in our course.  I will support you in any way that I can, but ultimately it is up to you to put in the time and complete all the assignments.

 

 

College Policies

 

For information related to the Student Code of Conduct Policy, Withdrawal Policy, Email Policy, and Non-Attendance/Non-Participation Policy, please review the college’s Code of Campus Affairs and Regulations webpage, which can be found at catalog.kcc.edu.

 

 

 

College Resources 

 

Tutoring Services

Tutoring assistance is free to all currently enrolled KCC students. Our tutor program is certified by the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA). For schedules, resources, and other helpful information, go to www.kcc.edu/tutoring.

 

Office of Disability Services

KCC works closely with students and instructors to accommodate individual student learning needs. For the services they offer, their contact information, and other helpful information, go to               www.kcc.edu/disabilityservices.

 

Miner Memorial Library

The Miner Memorial Library provides a variety of services free to students. For the services, they offer, their hours of operation, and other helpful information, go to www.kcc.edu/library.

 

 

Course Calendar of topics by week:

Through reading, discussions, and assignments, the following topics will be covered.

 

Week 2:

CH1-Science and the Universe

Define astronomy, scientific method, laws, theories, numbers in astronomy,

light-years, light, and fundamental forces, a quick tour of the universe, elements in the universe, the timeline from the big bang to now

 

CH2-Observing the Sky

Celestial sphere, motions of stars, sun, moon, and planets from the earth, constellations, Ancient Greek astronomers and their discoveries, discoveries/contributions of Copernicus and Galileo

 

Week 3:

CH3-Orbits and Gravity

Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion, Newton’s Laws of Motion, Universal Law of Gravitation, orbits of planets, asteroids,s and comets in our solar system

 

CH4-Earth, Moon, and Sky

Latitude and longitude, right ascension and declination, the reason for seasons, solar day, phases and motions of the moon, ocean tides and the moon, lunar, and solar eclipses

 

 

 

Week 4:

CH5-Radiation and Spectra

Properties of light and the electromagnetic spectrum, spectral lines, and composition of gases, the structure of the atom, and the Doppler effect

 

CH6-Astronomical Instruments

Optical and Radio telescopes, Hubble Telescope, Observations from outside Earth’s atmosphere

 

Week 5:

CH7-Intro to the Solar System

Composition and Structure of terrestrial and Jovian planets, moons, asteroids, and comets. Dating and origin of objects in the solar system

 

CH8-Earth as a Planet

Earth’s interior, magnetic field, crust, atmosphere, life on Earth, Greenhouse effect

 

Week 6:

CH9-Cratered Worlds

Properties of the Moon, lunar surface, impact craters, the origin of the Moon, Properties of Mercury

 

CH10-Earthlike Planets

Properties, geology and atmosphere of Venus, Properties, geology, water, and life on Mars

 

Week 7:

CH11-The Giant Planets

Composition, properties, characteristics, appearance, and rotation of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune

 

CH12-Rings, Moons, and Pluto

Properties of Major moons (Galilean, Titan, and Triton) and ring systems of Jovian planets, Pluto

 

Week 8:

CH13-Comets and Asteroids

Composition and types of Asteroids, near-Earth objects, Oort cloud, Kuiper belt, and comets

 

CH14-Origin of the Solar System

Meteors, meteorites, formation of the solar system, other planetary systems, and planetary evolution

 

 

 

Week 9:

CH15-The Sun: A Garden Variety Star

Structure and composition of the sun, solar cycle, solar activity

 

CH16-The Sun: A Nuclear Powerhouse

Forms of energy, conservation, and transformation of energy, matter, and energy, atoms, nuclear forces and reactions, thermonuclear fusion, the interior of the sun, equilibrium, energy balance, and energy movement

 

Week 10:

CH17-Analyzing Starlight

Brightness, color, temperature, and spectra of stars, using spectra to measure composition and motion of stars

 

CH 18-The Stars: A Celestial Census

Physical properties including masses and diameters of stars, classification, H-R diagrams

 

Week 11:

CH19-Celestial Distances

Metric system, Astronomical Unit, distances to stars, parallax, variable stars

 

CH20-Between the Stars: Gas and Dust

Properties of interstellar medium, gas, dust

 

Week 12:

CH21-The Birth of Stars

Star formation, exoplanets, planet formation

 

CH22-Stars from Adolescence to Old Age

The life cycle of main-sequence stars, red giants, star clusters, planetary nebulae, formation of chemical elements, massive stars

 

Week 13:

CH23-The Death of Stars

Death of low mass stars, massive stars and supernova, pulsars and neutron stars, binary star systems, and gamma-ray bursts

 

CH24-Black Holes and Curved Spacetime

A basic introduction to general relativity, gravity, warping of spacetime, Blackholes, and evidence for their existence

 

 

 

 

Week 14:

CH25-The Milky Way Galaxy

Structure and main components of Milky Way galaxy, stellar populations in the galaxy, formation of galaxy

 

CH26-Galaxies

Types of galaxies and their properties, the expanding universe

 

Week 15:

CH27-Active Galaxies, Quasars, and Supermassive Blackholes

Characteristics of quasars, supermassive black holes

 

CH28-The Evolutions and Distribution of Galaxies

Distant galaxies, galactic collisions, distribution of galaxies, dark matter, formation, and evolution of galaxies

 

 

Week 16:

CH29-The Big Bang

Age and expansion of the universe, the beginning of the universe, cosmic microwave background, the composition of the universe

 

CH30-Life in the Universe

Conditions for life on Earth, chemical building blocks of life, habitable environments, SETI

 

Week 17: Final exam

 

 

 

Week	Unit	Textbook Reading
2	CH1-Science and the Universe CH2-Observing the Sky	1.1-1.9	2.1-2.4
3	CH3-Orbits and Gravity CH4-Earth, Moon, and Sky	3.1-3.6	4.1-4.7
4	CH5-Radiation and Spectra CH6-Astronomical Units	5.1-5.6	6.1-6.6
5	CH7-Intro to the Solar System CH8-Earth as a Planet	7.1-7.4	8.1-8.5
6	CH9-Cratered Worlds CH10-Earthlike Planets	9.1-9.5	10.1-10.6
7	CH 11-The Giant Planets CH 12-Rings, Moons, and Pluto	11.1-11.3	12.1-12.5
8	CH13-Comets and Asteroids CH14-Origin of the Solar System	13.1-13.4	14.1-14.5
9	CH15-The Sun: A Garden Variety Star CH16-The Sun: A Nuclear Powerhouse	15.1-15.4	16.1-16.4
10	CH 17-Analyzing Starlight CH18-The Stars: A Celestial Census	17.1-17.4	18.1-18.4
11	CH19-Celestial Distances CH 20-Between the Stars: Gas and Dust	19.1-19.4	20.1-20.6
12	CH21-The Birth of Stars CH22-Stars from Adolescence to Old Age	21.1-21.6	22.1-22.5
13	CH 23-The Death of Stars CH24-Black Holes and Curved Spacetime	23.1-23.6	24.1-24.7
14	CH25-The Milky Way Galaxy CH26-Galaxies	25.1-25.6	26.1-26.5
15	CH27-Active Galaxies, Quasars, and Supermassive Blackholes CH28-The Evolutions and Distribution of Galaxies	27.1-27.3	28.1-28.5
16	CH29-The Big Bang CH30-Life in the Universe	29.1-29.7	30.1-30.4
Finals	Final Exam

 

 

 

 

Copyright

The materials on this course are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course. Further information regarding KCC's copyright policy is available at www.kcc.edu/copyright.

 

Syllabus Disclaimer

Course syllabus/calendar is subject to change.