Week 1
Aug 20 - 26

Our place in the Universe, astronomical terms, scale of space and time, motions of objects in the universe, expansion of the universe

Week 2
Aug 27 - 31

The sky viewed from Earth, the celestial sphere, apparent motion of the stars and the Sun

Sky Motion Video

Star Motion Applet

• Lecture Tutorials:
  • Position
  • Motion

Week 3
Sept. 3
(no class);

Sept 5, 7

Seasons, yearly motion of Sun

Khan Academy: Seasons aren't dictated by closeness to the Sun

Khan Academy: How Earth's tilt causes seasons
but note that the second reason discussed (about "dissipation" of sunlight by passing through more atmosphere in winter isn't correct).

• Lecture Tutorials:
  • Seasons
• On the MasteringAstronomy website:
  • Do the Ch. 2 Seasons Homework: Due 9/09

Week 4
Sept 10 - 14

Path of the Sun, precession, phases of the moon, eclipses
Phases simulator

Chapter 2, Section 2.3
Class presentation in pdf format

• Lecture Tutorials:
  • Cause of Phases
• On the MasteringAstronomy website:
  • Do the Ch 2: Moon phases, eclipses Homework
  • Do the Chapter 2 Quiz
  • Due 9/16

Week 5
Sept 17, 19

Tropical/sidereal years; calendars

Week 5
Friday Sept. 21

Exam 1
Chapters 1, 2; sections of S1

Weeks 7-12

Please see the course moodle shell at ecampus.fiu.edu. Choose Moodle login (or "Where's my course?") and use your MyFIU account information to log in. Click on the "+" next to the Fall 2012 folder in the upper right and then on our class. This should bring up the course shell. All presentations and resources are now posted there.

Final Week
Friday
Dec 7

Optional Cumulative Final
Friday, Dec. 7 12:00-2:00pm
AHC3-215