The sky connects people across cultures, time, and space, and inspires us to wonder what's up there, where it all came from, and what will happen in the future. In this course we'll learn modern answers to these ancient questions in three big steps. First, we'll study the astronomy of our ancestors: the motions in the sky that show us where we are. Then we'll jump forward centuries and see how the telescope revolutionized our ideas about the heavens, leading to an understanding that we are part of the stars. Finally, we will explore how distant galaxies show us the past, and the future, of our universe.
Lectures are the primary source of information in this course, and sections are designed to build your skills and give you an opportunity for peer and one-on-one instruction. If you do not plan on attending class, one of our asynchronous astronomy courses (Astro 101B and Astro 150E) might be a better fit for you. We do not assume or require an unusual scientific or mathematical background, but we do expect you to remember how to use scientific notation and algebra, as well as office software (e.g. Word, Powerpoint, or Google Docs). If you do not have access to these tools, please make a point of speaking with your instructor as soon as possible.
Things to Know
- No Required Textbook: But you may wish to supplement your learning with a textbook, and we recommend the open license textbook Astronomy (free to view or download) by Andrew Fraknoi, David Morrison, and Sidney Wolff.
- Late Work: We expect your work to be submitted in a timely fashion, but we know sometimes things happen, which is why we drop your lowest exam score. We do not drop any other assignments, but we do offer a one-day grace period for late homework and labs. Canvas will automatically assign a zero to assignments turned in even one second late; but labs turned in within this one-day window will still be graded. Otherwise, we cannot guarantee that late work will be graded.
- Make-Up Assignments, Redos, and Extra Credit: We do not offer make-ups, redos, or extra credit.
- Academic honesty: Cheating and/or plagiarism is not tolerated. While you are allowed and encouraged to work with other members of the class on other assignments, they must be in your own words, with citations to other people's work. If you used other people's work, you must cite it. If we suspect academic misconduct, I will withhold your grade and report the suspected activity to Community Standards & Student Conduct.
- The University of Washington Department of Astronomy does not tolerate harassment of any kind: Harassment is any behavior by an individual or group that contributes to a hostile, intimidating, unwelcoming, and/or inaccessible work environment. Anyone can experience harassment. If you believe that you are being harassed, please reach out to your instructor and/or SafeCampus.
- We Follow UW Policies: We follow the UW's guidelines for faculty, including not requiring notes from doctors. For a full list, see UW Syllabus Guidelines and Resources.
Accommodations & Support
Support is available to discuss safety and well-being 24 hours / 7 days a week through SafeCampus. Accommodations for temporary health conditions and permanent disabilities are organized through UW DRS.
Washington state law requires that UW develop a policy for accommodation of student absences or significant hardship due to reasons of faith or conscience, or for organized religious activities. The UW’s policy, including more information about how to request an accommodation, is available at Religious Accommodations Policy. Accommodations must be requested within the first two weeks of this course using the Religious Accommodations Request form.
Assignments
Exams -- 50% of your grade: There are three written, in-person exams. They are not cumulative, and we drop the lowest score. See About the Exams for more information.
HW & Labs -- 45% of your grade
Discussions -- 5% of your grade: Discussion summaries are turned in to your TA in section.
Grading
Your final grade is determined by transforming your overall percentage to the 4.0 scale. A percentage score of at least 60% is required for credit. A score of 72% guarantees a 2.0 or higher, an 82% guarantees a 3.0 or higher, and a 95% guarantees a 4.0. If you have chosen Satisfactory/Not-Satisfactory grading you will need a 2.0 or better to receive credit.