P101.931.02.AL-SHUKRI

جامعة الملك فهد للبترول والمعادن - قسم الفيزياء - مقدمة في علم الفلك

KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM AND MINERALS - DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS

PHYS 215 - INTRODUCTION TO ASTRONOMY - FIRST SEMESTER 2007-2008 (071)

COURSE SCHEDULE AND DESCRIPTION AND GRADING POLICY

Revised: October 23, 2007

1) COURSE DESCRIPTION (UNDERGRADUATE BULLETIN 2005)

An Elementary Introduction to Astronomy. Topics Covered Include: Astronomy and Astrology; Light and Telescopes; Time and Calendar; Celestial Mechanics; Solar System; Stellar Measurements, Stellar Motions, Magnitudes, Spectra, Distances, Parallaxes, and Formation; Early and Modern History of Astronomy; Contribution of Arab and Muslim Scientists to Astronomy. ( Prerequisite : Phys 102 )

2) TEXTBOOK

Astronomy : From The Earth To The Universe By Jay M. Pasachoff, Sixth Edition, Saunders College Publishing 2002.

3) SUPPLEMENTARY (OPTIONAL) READINGS

a) Frontiers of Astronomy, Morrison and Wolff, Saunders 1990.

b) Exploration of The Universe, Abell; Morrison; and Wolff, Saunders 1987.

c) Astronomy From Stonehenge to Quasars, Friedlander, Prentice-Hall 1985.

d) Sky Guide : A Field Guide For Amateur Astronomy, Chartrand and Wimmer, Golden 1982.

e) Laboratory Exercises In Astronomy, Holzinger and Seeds, Macmillan 1976.

f) 365 Starry Nights, Raymo, Printice-Hall 1982.

g) Sky and Telescope Magazine (Monthly).

h) Astronomy Magazine (Monthly).

i) Al-Oloom Al-Bahtah Fi Alhadharah Alarabiah Waleslamiah, Ali A. Al-Dafaa, Al-Risalah Est, Lebanon, 1981. (Arabic)

العلوم البحتة في الحضارة العربية والإسلامية ؛ أ.د. علي عبدالله الدفاع ؛ مؤسسة الرسالة – بيروت 1981 م.

j) Al-Falal Eind Al-Arab (Astronomy and Arabs), Abdulraheem Badir, Al-Masri Est., Lebanon, 1985. (Arabic)

الفلك عند العرب ؛ عبد الرحيم بدر ؛ مؤسسة المصري – بيروت 1985 م.

k) Elm Al-Falak (Arab and Muslim Contributions to Astronomy), Yahya Shami, Dar Al-Fikr Al-Arabi Pub., Lebanon, 1997. (Arabic) علم الفلك صفحات من التراث العلمي العربي والإسلامي ؛ د. يحى شامي ؛ دار الفكر العربي - بيروت 1997 م.

l) Al-Gegrafiah Al-Falakyiah (Astronomical Geography), Ameen Tarboosh, Dar Al-Fikr Est., Syria, 1997. (Arabic)

الجغرافية الفلكية والطرق العملية في مراقبة الأجرام السماوية ؛ د. أمين طربوش ؛ دار الفكر - دمشق 1997 م.

4) INSTRUCTOR

Dr. Ali Mohammad Al-Shukri, ( Office : Location : 6-111, Phone : 2255, Office Hours: U.M.W 7:30 - 9:00 )

5) GRADING POLICY

(a) COURSE GRADE

The Course Grade Will be Evaluated as Follows:

Class Work and Observing Sessions. 14%

First Major Exam . 24%

Second Major Exam. 24%

Final Exam (Comprehensive). 38%

(b) CLASS AND OBSERVING SESSION WORK

The class and observing sessions work shall comprise of quizzes, homework, projects, presentations, attendance, reports, papers, ... etc. and any other assignments the instructor wishes to give.

(Major And Final Exams Are Of Problem-Solving, Multiple Choice, T/F, And/Or Discussion Type Exams)

MAJOR AND FINAL EXAMINATIONS ARE SCHEDULED AS FOLLOWS:

First Major Exam 03 November 2007 (Chapters 01 To 05 + Hand-Outs + Class Discussions)

Second Major Exam 09 December 2007 (Chapters 06 To 17 + Hand-Outs + Class Discussions)

Final Exams (19 – 29 January) 2008 (Chapters 01 To 23 + Hand-Outs + Class Discussions)

6) ATTENDANCE

Attendance will be evaluated according to current university regulations. Official excuse for an absence should be presented

within a week of resuming the class. A DN grade will be issued if the total number of unexcused absences exceeds 9 absences.

PHYS215.071.(October 23, 2007).AL-SHUKRI

(Attendance is compulsory in lectures and observing sessions. You should be in class on time. One point will be taken from your grade for each absence. DN grade will be given for more than 9 absences)

PHYS 215 (INTRODUCTION TO ASTRONOMY) - TERM: 071 (FIRST SEMESTER 2007 -2008)

Week Date Topic Chapter Homework

1. 08 Sep. Course Organization and Policy) --

10 The Universe : An Overview 01 03, 04, 05

12 The Universe : An Overview 01

Tuesday 11 September - Last Day for Late Registration and adding courses

__________________ _________________ _______________________________________ __ .

2. 15 Sep. The Universe : An Overview 01

17 The Early History of Astronomy 02 02, 07, 12

19 The Early History of Astronomy 02

Tuesday 18 September - Last Day for Dropping Courses Without Permanent Record

__________________ _________________ _______________________________________ __ .

3. 22 Sep. The Early History of Astronomy, Muslim Astronomers 02

24 The Origin of Modern Astronomy 03 03, 04, 05, 08

26 The Origin of Modern Astronomy 03

Sunday 23 September - National Day

__________________ _________________ _______________________________________ __ .

4. 29 Sep. The Origin of Modern Astronomy 03

01 Oct. Light and Telescopes 04 01, 03, 05, 09

03 Light and Telescopes 04

03 October Last day of Classes before Eid Al-Fitr Vacation

__________________ _________________ _______________________________________ __ .

5. 20 Oct. Light and Telescopes 04

22 Observatories 05 03, 05, 12, 13

24 Observatories 05

__________________ _________________ _______________________________________ __ .

6. 27 Oct. The Sky and The Calendar 06 01, 03, 05, 08

29 The Sky and The Calendar 06

31 The Sky and The Calendar 06

Wednesday, 1 November First Major Exam (Chapters 01 To 05 + Class Discussions + Hand-Outs)

__________________ _________________ _______________________________________ __ .

7. 03 Nov. The Sky and The Calendar 06

05 The Structure and Origin of the Solar System 07 03, 06, 15, 16

07 The Structure and Origin of the Solar System 07

Tuesday, 6 November - Last Day for Dropping Courses with Grade Of 'W' Thru Internet

__________________ _________________ _______________________________________ __ .

8. 10 Nov. The Structure and Origin of the Solar System 07

12 The Earth 08 01, 03, 08

14 The Earth 08

__________________ _________________ _______________________________________ __ .

9. 17 Nov. The Moon 09 01, 03, 11

19 The Moon 09

21 Mercury 10 02, 03, 07

__________________ _________________ _______________________________________ __ .

10. 24 Nov. Venus 11 01,03,10

26 Mars 12 03, 04, 13

28 Jupiter and Saturn 13 / 14 01, 05 / 01, 02

Tuesday, 27 November - Last Day for Withdrawal from ALL Courses with Grade of 'W' Thru Internet

__________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________

11. 01 Dec. Uranus and Neptune 15 / 16 01, 07 / 01, 05

03 Pluto and general information about the Solar System 17+ 04, 07

05 Extra Solar Planets 18 04, 06, 07

__________________ _________________ _______________________________________ __ .

12. 08 Dec. Comets 19 01, 04, 07

10 Asteroids 20 02, 04, 06

12 Life in The Universe 21 07, 08, 09

Sunday, 09 December Second Major Exam (Chapters 06 To 17 + Class Discussions + Hand-Outs)

12 December Last day of Classes before Eid Al-Adha Vacation

__________________ _________________ _______________________________________ __ .

13. 29 Dec. The Sun (Photosphere, Chromosphere 22 03, 09

31 The Sun (Corona, Solar Eclipses) 22

02 Jan. The Sun (Sunspots, Flares, Prominences) 23 01, 09, 10

__________________ _________________ _______________________________________ __ .

14. 05 Jan. The Sun (Solar Wind, Solar Constant) 23

07 Colors of Stars 24 01, 04, 06

09 Planck’s Law and Black Bodies 24

Tuesday, 08 January - Last Day For Withdrawal From ALL Courses With Grade of 'WP/WF' , Last Day of Major Exams

__________________ _________________ _______________________________________ __ .

15. 12 Jan. Stellar Spectral Lines 24

14 Stellar Magnitudes and Distances 25 02, 03, 05,06,21,26,30

16 HR Diagram, Doppler Effect, and Stellar Motions 25 (Last Day Of Classes)

__________________ _________________ _______________________________________ __ __ .

16. 19 Jan Final Exams Begin (Final Exams period: 19 – 29 January 2008) .

_________________________

Dr. Ali Mohammad Al-Shukri

PHYS 215 Instructor