ASTRO 250: Astronomy Bizarre, Spring 2008

• Time and Room: MWF 2:10, Physics 58
• Instructor: Dr. Steve Kawaler
  • Office: A323 Physics Addition
  • Phone: 4-9728
  • e-mail: sdk@iastate.edu
• Office Hours: Feel free to stop by for individual help or discussions at any time, or call for an appointment to be sure I'm around.

Sources:

Readings: Assigned readings will be made using magazine articles, journal articles, and WWW--based sources, links to which will be posted on the course website. The print articles are almost excluslively available in electronic form through the Library - I will provide links throughthe WebCT site for this class.

Media: In addition to readings above, another source of background material will come from listening to astronomy-based radio broadcasts and podcasts. These will be made available either through direct links to the sources, or via posting on WebCT. You will need to listen to these with your mp3 player or iPod, and using audio-enabled computers via RealPlayer or equivalent. More information on the technological requirements will be provided in class and on the website.

Other reading: There is no single book that is designed for a course such as Astro 250. As a result, you are not required to buy any! Still, I list below several books that you may find helpful as study guides; they are genuinely good books that deserve a permanent place on your bookshelf. Some of them may be available at local bookstores. Most of them (those that are still in print) are easily available through online sources. If you still have your text from Astro 120 or 150, you will find that it will be a useful book for this course too.

• A Brief History of Time,
  by Steven Hawking (Bantam Books, 1990) $12.24 list, (at amazon.com)
  The rarest of science books, this one was on the New York Times bestseller list for years. Hawking explores the phenomena of black holes, cosmology, and the nature of time and does it with only one equation in the text. A CD-ROM version is available, too.

• Black Holes and Time Warps: Einstein's Outrageous Legacy ,
  by Kip S. Thorne (Norton, 1995): $12.89 (at Amazon.com)
  An authoritative and comprehensive discussion of Einstein's theory of General Relativity as it pertains to black holes and possible time machines - very readable and entertaining!

• A Short History of the Universe,
  by Joseph Silk (W.H. Freeman, 1997), ppb (at amazon.com)
  A wonderful synthesis of modern ideas about the origin and evolution of the Universe by a leading theoretical astrophysicist... this book covers the big bang and the early history of the universe with remarkable clarity.

• Cosmic Catastrophes: Supernovae, Gamma-Ray Bursts, and Adventures in Hyperspace,
  by J. Craig Wheeler (Cambridge University Press, 2000) $26.80, (at amazon.com)
  A wonderfully readable account of stars and their flashy endpoints, by one of my old professors, Craig Wheeler. Craig created the original "Astronomy Bizarre" at the University of Texas way back when, and has always threatened to write a book for the stars part of the course. This is that book!

• Mr. Tompkins in Paperback,
  by George Gamow (Cambridge, Canto Series, 1993): $12.91 (at amazon.com)
  This wonderful book is hard to describe - a series of essays starring a gentleman who unwittingly explores the fascinating world of relativity... written by an important figure in the early development of modern physics.

• Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions,
  by Edwin Abbott (Dover Thrift Ed. 1992, orig. 1890): $4.00, (at amazon.com)
  Ever had trouble imagining what a 4 dimensional universe is like? You won't after reading this! This is in the public domain, and is available as a free download from Project Gutenberg

• The First Three Minutes,
  by Steven Weinberg (Basic Books, 1993) $11.53 (at amazon.com)
  The definitive account of the Big Bang. Originally written 18 years ago, Weinberg's account of the BB remains a stirring and accurate account of the early moments of our Universe.

• Is Anybody Out There? the Scientific Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
  by Frank Drake and Dava Sobel (Delacorte, 1992) $10.00
  An account of the development of SETI as a legitimate scientific discipline by the founder of the whole thing, Frank Drake (of Drake Equation fame). This is a semi-autobiography of Drake and the field as a whole. A fascinating story! Unfortunately this book is out of print, but is a frequent denizen of bargain book tables and used bookstores.

• The Cosmic Connection; An Extraterrestrial Perspective,
  by Carl Sagan (Anchor, 1973, Doubleday 1980) ~$10.00
  Now almost 25 years old, this is the book that brought Carl Sagan to the attention of the world (and Johnny Carson). A very thoughtful collection of essays on our place in the Universe. Despite what you may think of Sagan now, this book is a masterpiece. Now out of print, you may be lucky and find a copy in a used bookstore --- try Firehouse Books in downtown Ames, or Half Price Books in Des Moines, for example.

• 2 in-class exams (each worth 20% of the final grade)
  Tentative in-class exam dates: March 5 and April 14
• Final Exam (worth 30 % of the final grade).
• Term Project (worth 5 % of the final grade, see below)
• In-class performance (worth 25 % of the final grade): homeworks and participation.

Term project: A term project is a component of Astro 250. Since it only accounts for 5% of your final grade, this term project is not designed to be a time-consuming affair. We will have more to say about the project later in the semester, but you should think about how to tie your own interests in with the subject matter of the course within the context of a term project.

Observing sessions (a.k.a. star parties):

Accommodations:

Academic Integrity:

COURSE OUTLINE