Throughout the semester, you will be asked to keep an observing journal, and will complete approximately one observation per class period. The journal itself should be either an unlined sketchpad or a three ring binder that you use to collect your observations.
Each observation will involve sketching or recording something about the night sky. The observations vary in length, and generally require you to plan ahead, sometimes by a week or more. Use the “Journal Check Schedule” included in this packet as a guide to keep you on track. Make sure that you read the entire explanation of each observation before attempting it to avoid having to repeat any observations.
You will answer followup questions after each observation, and should complete them as soon as possible afterward, while the observation is still fresh in your mind. If you’re using a sketchpad as your observing journal, leave a page or two blank after each sketch to leave room to answer these questions.
Weekly Journal Checks
Sketches/recorded data will be checked frequently – weekly on Wednesdays – so you should always bring your observing journal to class. On the dates listed in the attached Journal Check Schedule, I will be checking the observations listed. This means that I will circulate during the lab period and will assign you a score from 0-5. This score will simply be based on whether you completed all of the necessary pieces of the observation carefully.
The idea behind these journal checks is to help you stay on track with the journal and to make sure that your observations are being made correctly. If I spot any errors in your observations, I will point them out and give you an opportunity to correct them before the formal journal checks on 3/12 and 5/7. For formal journal checks, I will collect your entire observing journal, including the questions that need to be answered for each observation, and grade it.
I will not be grading the questions for each observation during the weekly journal checks, however it is to your advantage to complete them right after doing the observation while they are fresh in your mind. It is usually apparent during grading when students save the questions for later, and the quality of answers suffers. If you have trouble with any of the questions, please e-mail me or come see me at my office hours.
Your lowest weekly journal check score of the semester will be dropped. For that reason, no late journal checks will be accepted. If you miss a Wednesday class, you have a couple of options for receiving credit for a missed journal check: (1) scan and e-mail your observation before the start of class (2) leave a copy at the Faculty Resource Center before class, (3) have me check your journal on Monday if you know you will be gone or (4) simply accept that check as your dropped one.
Journal Check Schedule
|
Date |
Observations Due |
| 1/29 | Nightly Motion, Sunset Position #1 |
| 2/5 | Planet Position #1, Sun Sphere #1 |
| 2/12 | Dark Adaption, Jupiter’s Moons |
| 2/19 | Moon Phases |
| 2/26 | Sunset Position #2, Planet Position #2 |
| 3/5 | Light Sources, Observing Project Plan |
| 3/12 | COLLECT JOURNALS |
| 3/19 | None – Spring Break |
| 3/26 | Sun Sphere #2, Sunset Position #3, Planet Position #3 |
| 4/2 | Telescope Observing – First Half |
| 4/9 | Telescope Observing – Second Half |
| 4/16 | Lunar Eclipse |
| 4/23 | Meteor Shower, Sunset #4 |
| 4/30 | COLLECT JOURNALS (including Sun Sphere #3, Planet Position #4) |
| 5/7 | Semester Observing Project Presentations |
Specific instructions for each of these assignments can be found in the “Observing Journal Assignments” handout, and on the course website.
Grading
Your entire Observing Journal will be collected and graded twice over the course of the semester – on March 12 and April 30.
Altogether, the observations are worth 290 points, however the journal will be graded out of 250 points, so you may skip up to 40 points worth of observations over the course of the semester without penalty. Look over the requirements of all of the observing assignments before you decide if and when to skip one. There may be an assignment that is incompatible with your schedule that you wish to skip. If you do not wish to skip an observation, or more than one is incompatible with your schedule, please see me at least two weeks beforehand for an alternate observing assignment. Most of the assignments are designed to be flexible, so such cases should be exceedingly rare.
If you complete all of the observations, you will still be graded out of 250, so there is potential for scores greater than 100% if you do all of your observations well.
Weekly Journal Checks: 50 points (5 points each, 11 checks, lowest one dropped)
Notebook: 250 points (10-40 points per observation, may skip up to 40 points of observations or complete them all and get extra credit)
Total: 300 points
The observing journal is worth 20% of your final grade in the class.
Semester Observing Projects
You will also be asked to complete a Semester Observing Project, worth an additional 10% of your final grade. You will present your observing project at the end of the semester during a class “Poster Session” day. See the Semester Observing Project Description for full details.
This observing journal will have you completing a small piece of several of the semester observing projects, but in each case there is much more required for the full semester observing project version of the observation. The project description on the class website will give you all of the information about the extra pieces that you will need to complete to turn an observing journal observation into a semester observing project, so read the project descriptions carefully before beginning.
Several more semester observing projects are completely separate from the journal but could be “piggybacked” onto it, such as the Astrophotography project. If a journal observation can be turned into a semester observing project, it will say so in the final column of the journal assignment description.
Materials
Many of these observations require that you borrow materials from your instructor, which you will be responsible for bringing back in the same condition they were loaned to you. Loss or damage of any of these items will result in you paying the replacement costs, listed below. You must sign and turn in the agreement at the end of this packet before any of these items can be loaned to you.
Will be Constructed/Received in Class:
Astrolabe
Planisphere
Spectrograph
Red Cellophane for covering flashlight
May be Borrowed from Instructor:
Binoculars: $100
Galileoscope: $50
Flashlight: $10
Sun Sphere: $10
Diffraction Grating: $2
Grease Pen: $2
Solar Observing Glasses: $2
Compass: $1
Observing Journal Assignments
Read the entire assignment description before beginning any observations to be sure that you don’t miss any required pieces and have to repeat the whole thing. Use the Journal Check schedule to keep you on track as to what is due when. The “durations” listed in the assignment table are approximations for planning purposes. It may take you more or less time than is listed to complete these observations.
Resources for Planning Observations:
Websites:
Monthly Sky Charts – http://www.skymaps.com/downloads.html
Sky & Telescope Magazine’s Observing Page – http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/objects
Software:
Stellarium (free) – www.stellarium.org
A number of smartphone apps, some free some not. See list at the end of this document.
A Caution about Observing
In order to complete these assignments, you will often have to be outside in the dark for an hour or more. It’s essential that you be safe while doing this. Bring a flashlight, a warm jacket and a friend (or a classmate!). Be careful about lying on the ground in Tucson. If you are observing out in the desert or in a remote part of town, you may wish to bring a blacklight to look for scorpions before lying down or kneeling. Do not observe anywhere that you don’t feel safe!
Star Parties
There will be several class “Star Parties” throughout the semester, with a couple of larger telescopes set up to help you complete some of the observing journal assignments. Materials to help you complete these observations on your own will be available for checkout if you can’t make the star parties. These star parties are tentatively scheduled for 2/7, 3/30 and 4/14.