AST 215 SPACE SCIENCE I               Fall, 20xx

3 class hours; 3 lab hours; 3 credits

Course Description: This course covers the fundamental concepts of Space Science.  Topics include: Newton’s laws of motion and universal law of gravity, vector algebra; the solar system, celestial mechanics, comparative planetology: Earth-Moon, Terrestrial planets, Jovian planets, atmospheres and geology, small bodies; exploration and water-ice; electromagnetic radiation and atomic structure; telescopes and detectors; the Sun: structure, solar magnetism and energy transformation; Earth-Sun connection and geospace; and image processing and data analysis.
Co-requisite: MTH 202, Calculus I

Evaluation: Attendance:  Students are expected to attend all lecture/seminars.

Final Grade: Homework assignments are 60%. Laboratory Assignments are 25%. There will be a take-home Special Project 15%.

Text:  Astronomy: A Physical Perspective, 2nd Edition, 2003 by Marc L. Kutner, Publisher: Cambridge University Press.
NASA Materials

LECTURE OUTLINE

Week

Chapter Topics

1

Scale of the universe, stellar magnitude, electromagnetic spectrum.

2

Spectral lines, Bohr atom, formation of spectral lines, ionization

3

Solar System: overview, motion of the planets, motion of the moon

4

Earth-Luna (moon) system: early history, temperature of a planet, atmosphere, magnetosphere, moon, tides, lunar origin

5

The Terrestrial planets - Mars: NASA missions, basic features, radar     mapping, interior structure

6

Mars: surface, water and ice

7

Mars: Atmosphere, Martian weather, moons

8

The Terrestrial planets (Mercury, Venus): basic features, surfaces, interiors, atmospheres 

9

Jovian planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune): basic features, atmosphere, interior structure

10

Jovian planets: rings, basic structure, ring dynamics, moons 26Dwarf Planets: Pluto and Charon, Ceres, Eris, Kuiper belt objects, comets, asteroids, meteoroids

11

Telescopes: refractors, reflectors, data handling, ultraviolet observing, infrared observing, radio astronomy, high energy astronomy

12

The Sun: radiation transport theory, photosphere, chromosphere, corona, solar activity

13

Stellar energy sources, nuclear physics, nuclear energy in stars, stellar structure, stellar models, solar neutrinos

14

Origin of life: origin of solar system, chemistry on Earth, origin of life on Earth, planetary systems, SETI, life on Mars and life elsewhere in the solar system

                                                   
 LABORATORY OUTLINE (Tentative)

Week

Chap Topic

•Lab # 1

The Sky and Constellation Tour Using the Celestial Sphere

•Lab # 2

Interactive Data Language (IDL) - Introduction; Planck's Blackbody Radiation

•Lab # 3

Introduction to Digital Imaging and CCD Cameras

•Lab #

4 IDL - Image Calibration

•Lab #

5IDL - Tools of Image Analysis

•Lab # 6

CLEA - Flow of Energy Out of the Sun

•Lab # 7

Observation Session at CSI Observatory

•or

•Lab # 7

Astrometry of Asteroids

•Lab # 8

IDL - Mars Data

•Lab # 9

IDL - Mars Data

•Lab # 10

Basics of Photometry

•Lab # 11

Photometry of Asteroids and Comets

•Lab # 12

IDL Spectroscopy

•Lab # 13

IDL Linear Operators (Convolution)

•Lab # 14

IDL Images in Frequency Space

•Lab # 15

IDL Fourier Transform