Course Syllabus
29:52 Characteristics and Origins of the Solar System
Spring Semester 2004

Steven R. Spangler
705 Van Allen Hall
335-1948
steven-spangler@uiowa.edu
http://phobos.physics.uiowa.edu/$\sim$srs/

Characteristics and Origins of the Solar System is an introductory course in the astronomy of the solar system, intended for students who are majoring in fields other than the natural sciences. The astronomy of the solar system is one of the most exciting fields in all science nowadays, ranking with molecular biology and genetics. New results from spacecraft are coming in daily, and may be seen on the front page of the New York Times. This is an especially timely semester to take a solar system astronomy class. At the beginning of the semester, the two Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, will set down on the surface of Mars and begin their exploration. Orbiting overhead, the Mars Express spacecraft will begin its seach for subsurface water on Mars, using a University of Iowa instrument. As the semester progresses, the Cassini spacecraft will near the end of its multi-year voyage to Saturn. As we discuss these objects and the latest findings about them, we will also be finding them in the night sky and observing them with telescopes. Looking to the future, it is highly likely that major discoveries in solar system astronomy will be made during the lifetimes of current college students, discoveries which may profoundly change our view of ourselves as human beings. This course will prepare students to better comprehend the nature and significance of those discoveries.

General Course Information

1. Lectures are from 1:30 to 2:20 PM, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, in Room 70 of Van Allen Hall.
2. The required textbook for the course is Astronomy Volume I Solar System by John D. Fix
3. Office hours for Professor Spangler are 1:00 to 2:00 Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, 11:00AM to 12:00 PM, Thursday, or by appointment if these times are inconvenient.
4. One hour exams will be held in the regular class period on March 1 and April 21.
5. The final exam will be held on Tuesday, May 11, 4:30 PM. The location will be announced at a later date.
6. Homework will be assigned, collected and graded. Homework exercises will consist of computational exercises and thought problems. The purpose of these exercises is to get you to actively think about what is presented in class. I plan to assign a homework assignment about every other week. The total score of all homework assignments will count the same as one exam. Students are encouraged to work in groups of 2 to 3 on these. I also expect and want students to come and talk to me about these.
7. Students are encouraged to visit the observatory on the roof of Van Allen Hall to see the objects discussed in this class. A laboratory instructor will be on duty on clear nights, Monday through Thursday, at 7:00 PM. The time will be moved later as the semester progresses. The roof of Van Allen Hall may be reached from a stairway at the east end of the 7th floor. The roof is kept dark during observing sessions, so be careful where you step and be alert for changes in elevation. I will personally direct several of these sessions during the semester, and stress features of the planets that we have discussed in class. In addition, I plan to organize a number of observing sessions at the observatory of the Cedar Amateur Astronomers.
8. There is a World Wide Web homepage associated with the course, (URL given above). Go to the link for 29:52. The website contains lecture notes and homework assignments. It also serves as a gateway to other astronomical links such as the homepages for spacecraft that provide data we will discuss this semester.
9. I would like to hear from anyone who has a disability which may require some modification of seating, testing, or other class requirements so that appropriate arrangements may be made. Please see me after class or during office hours.
10. The grading policy for this course will be as follows. The grade will be based on the percentage of the maximum number of points. The three exams and the homework will each contribute 25 % of the total number of points. The grading scale will be as follows: > 85 % = A; > 75 % = B; > 60 % = C; and > 50 % = D. To pass the course, a student must obtain 50 % or more of the maximum number of points. This grading curve differs from that I have traditionally used, in that the grade will be assigned on an absolute basis rather than the standing of a student relative to his or her peers. I employ + and - grades for students near the boundaries between grades.
11. It is recommended and expected that students attend all classes, with allowance made for reasonable excuses. I make notes available on the web, but the intent of these is to assist and aid students who come to hear and participate in the lectures, and save them some clerical work. The on-line lecture notes are not intended as a substitute for class participation.

Schedule of Topics

Date	Topic	Textbook Reference
Topic 1, January 21	Initial pleasantries, Overview of Solar System	--
Topic 2, January 23- 30	The solar system in the night sky	Chapter 2 & 4
Topic 3, February 2-4	Orbit of the Moon and Kepler's Laws	Chapter 4 & 5
Topic 4, February 6-9	The Earth as a planet	Chapter 8
Topic 5, February 11-13	The Earth's atmosphere	Chapter 8
Topic 6, February 16-18	The Moon and its Geology	Chapter 9
Topic 7, February 20	The Age of Impacts	Chapter 9
Topic 8, February 23-27	Mars, water, and ancient life	Chapter 11
March 1	First Hour Exam	--
Topic 9, March 3-5	Mars, 4 billion years ago	Chapter 11
Topic 10, March 8	Venus	Chapter 10
Topic 11, March 10-24	the Jovian planets: big balls of liquid hydrogen	Chapter 12
Topic 12, March 26	The Galilean satellites: water on Europa	Chapter 14
Topic 13, March 29-31	Saturn: its ring and moons	Chapters 12 & 14
Topic 14, April 2	Way out: Uranus etc.	Chapter 13
Topic 15, April 5	Comets, Asteroids, and Meteors	Chapter 15
Topic 16, April 7	Comets and cometary material	Chapter 15
Topic 17, April 9-12	Asteroids: tiny worlds	Chapter 15
Topic 18, April 14	Meteors, Meteorites, and Asteroids	Chapter 15
Topic 19, April 16-19	The Sun: story of a G2V star	Chapter 17
April 21	Third Hour Exam	--
Topic 20, April 23-30	The origin of the solar system	Chapter 18
Topic 21, May 3-5	Stars like the Sun and other solar systems	Chapter 17
Topic 22, May 7	Where are they? Life in the universe	--
May 11	4:30 PM: Final Exam	Stay tuned for location