PHYSICS 1061 ``Stars and Galaxies''  Fall 2025

Class Home page: https://jpastro.net/AST1061/syll-ast1061.html (this page!)
Department: Physics and Astronomy
Class time and place:  MWF,9:00-9:50 am, Me 113
Section: 1 (CRN=30769)
Instructor: Dr. Jason Pinkney 
Office hours:   in 111 Science Annex on Mon at 2 pm and 1 pm, Wed at 1 pm and Thu at 9-11 am.
E-mail j-pinkney@onu.edu or call 419-772-2740. 
Instructor's Home page: https://jpastro.net
Credit hours: 3
Observatory Phone: 772-4028
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NEW STUFF      (Watch this spot for new links, outlines, solutions, etc.)

Pumba, Timon, and Simba wondering about the universe
This is a link about solving word problems.
Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD)
SkyMaps.pdf Color version of all 4 constellation sheets.
Interactive scale of the universe.
Week 1-2 outline (PDF) (slight changes 9/6/25) Powers of 10 and some Ch 1 material.
Powers of 10 (9 minute video shown in class)
RQ Review questions for 1st quiz.
Answers to 1st homework.
Week 2-3 outline on Celestial Sphere (PDF).
Key to Powers of 10 worksheet
RQ Review questions for 2nd quiz.
YouTube: Precession Shows most phenomena related to precession but gives no cause.
Answers to Celestial Sphere worksheet.
Answers to 2nd homework on Ch 1.
Copernican Revolution outline. (Modified 9/22.)
Cosmos Episode 3 - Harmony of the Worlds Dubunks Astrology (3:15), Anasazi and Fajada Butte (15:50), Kepler's regular solids (32:00), Tycho and Kepler working together (37:45), and Kepler's laws (46:00).
RQ: Review Questions for Exam I.(I won't ask questions about ancient civilizations except Stonehenge.)
Answers to Ch. 2 homework.
Light (Ch. 3) notes. (PDF)
Spectroscopy (Ch. 4) notes. (PDF)
YouTube: The Doppler Effect
RQ: Review questions Ch 3+4 Quiz.
Answers to Ch. 3-4 homework
The Sun (Ch. 16) PDF
RQ: Review questions on Ch 16 (The Sun).
YouTube Video "Sun by SOHO satellite". The old "SOHO Montage" was taken down, but here's a 25th anniversary of SOHO with narration.
YouTube Video: demonstration of resonances (Chladni plates). Notice the similarity between these 2D resonances and the vibrations on the Sun's surface studied by GONG.
The Sun in Ultra-HD (4K) Beautiful hi-def. Just sample some of this 30-minute video.
Answers to Bohr Model worksheet.
Answers to Ch. 16 homework
Stellar Properties. (Ch. 17) PDF version of PowerPoint.
RQ: Review Questions on Stel. Prop.s
Stellar Properties Handout. (PDF)
Answers to "Stellar Properties and the H-R Diagram" worksheet, p. 1 (updated to 2025 version.)
Answers to "Stellar Properties and the H-R Diagram" worksheet, p. 2 (updated to 2025 version.)
Stellar Evolution. (PDF)
RQ: Review Questions on Stellar Evolution for Exam 2
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Text: Astronomy Today, 9/E   (9th Edition)  by Chaisson and McMillan. This 2017 edition has a "rent-only" ISBN-13 of 978-0134450278. This is what we have in the bookstore. Do NOT buy the Volume 1 or 2 versions ("The Solar System" and "Stars and Galaxies"). Cost of rental should be about $76. I don't require you to bring the text to class.

Course Description:
Stars and Galaxies is an introductory astronomy course.   You will learn about the nature of stars, galaxies and the universe. The details of our solar system are left to PHYS 1051.   We will begin with a survey of the naked-eye universe (mostly nearby objects) and end with cosmology (the distant universe).   In-between we will discuss such topics as the electromagnetic spectrum, the sunspot cycle, how stars are born and die, and galaxies. A recurrent theme will be distances and the distance ladder , a battery of techniques that take us from the Earth all the way out to the most distant galaxies. A tentative calendar of topics is outlined below.

Physics 1061 fulfills a general education learning outcome called 'knowledge of the physical/natural world'.

Course Objectives:
By the end of this course, students will:


Observatory:
Your visits to the ONU Observatory  will weigh into the "Observing" portion of your grade (see below). You should try to visit at least 3 times for 100%. There is a legal pad in the control room that you must sign for credit. I plan to be at the observatory for 1 hour on Friday nights (if < 50% cloudcover) so that I can help you fulfill your observing duties. Another time to visit is during meetings of the ONU Astronomy Club every other Wednesday night at 9 pm. Still another time is during "Public Events" which are held on Friday nights for two hours.
When you visit, bring along your constellation sheets and observing forms (see below), and try to get some views through our telescopes and binoculars. It is best if you label your constellation sheets before going out to the observatory! I can help you with your sheets and forms, although my attention may be divided if I'm holding a lab or public event. You can bring a friend or two (not necessarily signed up in the class) for the long, dark walk to and from the Observatory.

Grading:

You will be graded on the following:
Observing Observing forms, 3 visits to Observatory  
5%
In-class Homework, in-class activities, attendance 20%
Quizzes Quizzes (drop lowest grade) 25%
Exams There will be two exams and a final. 50%
Total
100%

Score to letter grade conversion:
<55
55-70
70-80
80-90
90-100
F
D
C
B
A

I will not grade any "harder" than the above. However, if the class mean drops below 75, I will grade more leniently.

Schedule (approximate):

Week of Topic Chapter(s) Tests
8/25,27,29
 Syllabus. Powers of 10 Cosmology. 1 Pre-course Survey
9/1
 LABOR DAY


9/3,5
 Naked Eye Universe, Celestial Sphere 1
9/8,10,12*
 Celestial Sphere: coordinates, seasons
1 quiz 1
9/15,17,19
Time, precession, parallax. History
1,2 quiz 2
9/22,24,26
 History: Geocentric vs Heliocentric solar system
 2 quiz 3
9/29,10/1,3
 History: Kepler, Newton, the A.U.
2 Exam I
10/6,8,10
Light & Spectroscopy 3, 4
10/13-14
 FALL BREAK

10/15,17
The Sun - Observatory visit
16
 quiz 4
10/20,22,24
 Stellar Properties
17
10/27,29,31
 ISM,Star formation
18,19
 quiz 5
11/3,5,7
 Stellar Evol. - low-mass stars like Sun
20

11/10,12,14*
 Stellar Evol. - High mass, supernovae
 20,21
Exam II
11/17,19,21
 The Milky Way Galaxy
23
 quiz 6
11/24,26,28
THANKSGIVING BREAK - -
12/1,3,5
 Galaxies / The Distance Ladder
 24
 quiz 7
12/8,10,12
 Cosmology.
26
 Turn in constel. shts.
12/17 Wed
Comprehensive Final Exam on Wednesday 12/17, 9:15-11:15 am.
 _ Final exam.
* 9/15 is last drop, Nov 14 is last day to W

Other Course Policies

Canvas will be used minimally for this course. This web page is my LMS! I may use Canvas to post your grades by importing them from my spreadsheet. This can be used to check that I have the correct scores for you on individual assignments or tests. Do not trust any letter grades or calculated scores (e.g., average quiz score) that Canvas spits out automatically. I may also give a quiz on Canvas if we need to do remote learning or classes get cancelled.

Attendance is important for doing well in this course.   Absenteeism indirectly lowers your grade because you miss lecture material and in-class activities. Being absent also directly effects the "In-class" part of your grade. When I take attendance I give those who are present one point. If you are absent you don't get this point even if it is an "excused" absence. The only way to make up these points is by reporting on astronomy news in class, which adds up to one point on a given day. If you miss on a day that a test is given or handed out, then you get a 0 on that test unless you have a valid excuse. If you have a valid excuse, I will allow you to make up the test so long as it can be done before the graded test is returned. Let me know in advance (e-mail is good), providing a valid reason for your absence. This may be that your team or musical group is on the road (the coach or director should also send out an e-mail listing students involved). If you miss because of sickness or an emergency, let me know as soon as possible, and provide proof of the situation. "Proof" may consist of a signed note, or a name and phone number of a parent or authority figure who knows your situation, or a digital photo. Do not schedule appointments, capstone activities, flights, etc at the same time as this class.

Graded Homework consists primarily of answering questions and problems from the textbook.   Homework will be accepted late, but will only receive 50% credit if it has already been graded. Try to turn it in before an impending absence. Homework will be scored on completeness and correctness, but not every question will be checked. Look for keys posted after your homework is due. I encourage you to discuss homework with your classmates, but don't copy their work verbatim. You may be docked points for this.

Quizzes will be given on most non-exam weeks.  They will consist of 5-15 multiple choice/short answer questions.  They cover the assigned reading and especially the material discussed in class.  The exact time and day of the quiz will be announced in class. (They will not always be given on the same day shown on the calendar.)   You can only make up a quiz that was missed because of a valid conflict or emergency.  Also, you can only make up the quiz before the answers are revealed, which is usually the next time the class meets. For this reason, I will drop your lowest quiz score.

Exams will be given roughly every 4-5 weeks. These will weigh most heavily towards your class grade. The final exam will be comprehensive, but will emphasize the last 2-3 weeks of material. The final will occur on Wednesday of finals week. Do not schedule anything to conflict with your final exam! Do not ask to get out of this time! Drop NOW if this will be a problem.

Review Questions will be provided to help you prepare for quizzes and exams. They will appear under "NEW STUFF". Many of these questions will appear on the quizzes and exams and so it is strongly recommended that you use them to prepare. Typically, more than half of the questions on a given test will be found in the review. Answers to these questions will not be included in the document, but you can ask about them in the 5-10 minute review sessions just prior to the tests.

Observing consists of filling out Constellation Sheets , Observing Forms , and visiting the ONU Observatory. I'll provide you with your first hardcopy of these pages. If you need more, you can print out these PDF files: SkyMaps.pdf, and ObservingForm.pdf . The Constellation Sheets (or "sky maps") PDF has a total of 4 pages: a North and South facing map for 9:00 pm on 2 dates, early and late spring.
Your job is to 1) write the names of the constellations within all of the constellation boundaries on all 4 sheets, 2) label the 6 brightest stars on each sheet, and 3) fill out an Observing Form on two different occasions in which you actually viewed the sky. #1 and #2 can be done on your laptop using a planetarium program (e.g, Stellarium). #3 must be done under open skies, but not necessarily at the ONU Observatory. For full observing credit, you must visit the observatory at least 3 times. Additional visits give you extra credit in the "Observing" portion of your grade. You must sign the log inside the observatory's north entrance in order to get credit for a visit. The Observing Forms and Constellation Sheets are due on the last day of class.

Tutoring is available. You are welcome to drop by during my office hours, or you can make an appointment. Physics tutoring sessions should occur on Thursday evenings, starting at 7:00 PM.  

Disruptions: Please do ask questions during class, and talk during group activities, but in general you shouldn't talk while the professor is talking. Anything that distracts your teacher or your neighbors is hindering the teaching/learning process. This includes playing with your phones, laptops or tablets, talking with neighbors, coming to class late, and leaving class early. Do NOT use your phones and laptops during class. If you want to make a case that you should take notes with your laptop/tablet rather then traditional paper, come and show me which software you use.

Academic Misconduct: In PHYS 1061 (this class), the biggest temptation will be to look at another person's work during tests. Do not wear caps during quizzes or exams or store information on electronic devices. The penalty for cheating is a zero score for the quiz or exam. See the link to the university's "Academic Honesty" in the table below.

Common syllabus information.. Here is common course information which applies to all courses. This includes the covid Safety Plan, Grading Modes, Readmission, Repeat Policies, and more.

Other Mandatory Syllabus Information:
Disability services Academic Honesty (Append. F, p. 97) Title IX
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