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{\bf Course Syllabus\\
29:52 Exploration of the Solar System\\
Fall Semester 2004\\
Distance Education Section}\\
\par
Steven R. Spangler\\
705 Van Allen Hall\\
319-335-1948\\
steven-spangler@uiowa.edu\\
http://phobos.physics.uiowa.edu/$\sim$srs/\\
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{\em Exploration 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 
{\em New York Times}. This is an especially timely semester to take a solar system astronomy class. For the past several months, the Mars Exploration Rover spacecraft have been roaming the surface of Mars, returning information that will rewrite textbooks.  The Cassini spacecraft arrived at Saturn this summer after a seven year voyage, and is returning images of unprecedented detail.  In January it will send a probe to parachute to the surface of Saturn's moon Titan,  which may be the only solar system body other than the Earth to possess liquid lakes and oceans.  During the Fall semester, other spacecraft missions will be launched, progress in their planning, or come to completion.  As we discuss solar system objects and the latest findings about them, we will also be locating them in the night sky.  Looking to the future, it is highly likely that major discoveries in solar 
system astronomy will be made during our lifetimes, 
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. 
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{\bf General Course Information}
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\item The required textbook for the course is {\em Astronomy Volume I Solar System} by 
John D. Fix. It may be purchased from Iowa Book and Supply in Iowa City. 
\item Professor Spangler may be contacted via the mail facility in the WebCT site,  via regular email, or by telephone (the last two addresses given above). 
\item One hour exams will be held on September 22 and October 27. Students must arrange to take the exams in a supervised setting near their homes.  The Center for Credit Programs (CCP) has contacts throughout the state of Iowa who provide this service, and CCP will help you identify a convenient monitor.  Students who live near Iowa City should take the exams at the CCP center in the International Center building on campus. 
\item The final exam will be held on Friday, December 10.  This also must be taken in a supervised setting.  
\item Homework will be assigned, collected and graded. Completed assignments may be emailed or Faxed to the Center for Credit Programs. 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 the lecture notes and textbook readings. 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. I expect and want students to discuss these problems with me.  
\item There is a World Wide Web homepage associated with the course, 
(URL given above). Go to the link for 29:52 for this semester. 
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. 
\item Another link for communication and grade reporting is the WebCT site associated with the course.  On the internet, go to "http://courses.uiowa.edu", log in, and select this course.  
\item 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.  I employ + and - grades for students near the boundaries between grades. 


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{\bf Schedule of Topics}
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\begin{tabular}{||l|l|l||} \hline
{\bf Topic and Week} & {\bf Subject} & {\bf Textbook Reference} \\
\hline 
Topic 1, Week 1 & Initial pleasantries, Overview of Solar System & ---\\
Topic 2, Week 2 & The solar system in the night sky & Chapter 2 \& 4 \\
Topic 3, Week 3 & Orbit of the Moon and Kepler's Laws & Chapter 4 \& 5\\ 
Topic 4, Week 4 &  The Earth as a planet  & Chapter 8 \\
Topic 5, Week 4 & The Earth's atmosphere & Chapter 8 \\
Topic 6, Week 5 & The Moon and its Geology & Chapter 9 \\
Topic 7, Week 5 & The Age of Impacts & Chapter 9 \\
{\bf September 22} & {\bf First Hour Exam} & arranged location \\
Topic 8, Week 6 & Mars, water, and ancient life & Chapter 11 \\
Topic 9, Week 7 & Mars, 4 billion years ago & Chapter 11\\
Topic 10, Week 7 & Venus & Chapter 10 \\
Topic 11, Week 8 & the Jovian planets: big balls of liquid hydrogen & Chapter 12\\
Topic 12, Week 8 & The Galilean satellites: water on Europa & Chapter 14\\
Topic 13, Week 9 & Saturn: its ring and moons &  Chapters 12 \& 14    \\
Topic 14, Week 9 &  Way out: Uranus etc. & Chapter 13 \\
Topic 15, Week 10 & Comets, Asteroids, and Meteors & Chapter 15 \\
Topic 16, Week 10 &  Comets and cometary material & Chapter 15 \\
{\bf October 27} & {\bf Second Hour Exam} & arranged location\\
Topic 17, Week 11 & Asteroids: tiny worlds & Chapter 15\\
Topic 18, Week 11 & Meteors, Meteorites, and Asteroids & Chapter 15 \\
Topic 19, Week 12 & The Sun: story of a G2V star & Chapter 17 \\
Topic 20, Week 13 & The origin of the solar system & Chapter 18 \\
Topic 21, Week 14 & Stars like the Sun and other solar systems & Chapter 17\\
Topic 22, Week 15 & Where are they? Life in the universe & ---\\
{\bf December 10} & {\bf Final Exam} & arranged location \\ \hline
\end{tabular}
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