11/18/09 - My office hours today will run only from 3:00 - 4:30.
11/2/09 - It is time to begin work on the third activity, the computer lab entitled Revolutions of the Moons of Jupiter. We have confirmed that the option to download to your personal PC is operating correctly and that the software is installed and operating on PC's at the Instructional Computing sites. Make sure that you have both the Student Manual and our class Activities page. Instructions for downloading the manual are on the Activities page. The due date has been changed to 11/19/09.
10/22/09 - The second hour exam will cover Chapters 5-9.
10/21/09 - Please bring your textbooks to discussion section tomorrow.
10/9/09 - Due to continuing bad weather, one final night observing session has been added to the schedule. It will occur on the first clear night next week (beginning Monday 10/12). In this course, night observing is for extra credit.
10/6/09 - Wednesday 10/7 and Thursday 10/8 have been added as makeup days for night observing. In this course, night observing is for extra credit.
10/1/09 - Monday 10/5 and Tuesday 10/6 have been scheduled as makeup days for night observing. In this course, night observing is for extra credit.
9/10/09 - This coming week is the LAST week for Planetarium shows.
9/10/09 - The weather forecast today is for partly cloudy skies with only a small chance of rain. So we will proceed with the plan for all discussion sections to meet at the Upwells site, just South of the Beckman Institute.
9/3/09 - Next week (September 10), discussion sections will meet at the Upwells site, just south of the Beckman Institute, weather permitting. See the Activities page for details.
9/3/09 - If we have your clicker ID number, it should now be visible to you in your Compass Gradebook. If you have not submitted your clicker ID, please do so.
8/31/09 - If you have trouble registering your i-clicker, go to the Illini Union Bookstore. At the bag-check counter there is a i-clicker system where you can "vote" and it will display your clicker ID. You can then email me your ID.
8/25/09 - Discussion section AD7 meets at 11 on Thursday. The syllabus has been corrected.
The textbook publisher offers free student Web resources at http://www.whfreeman/universe8e. These include online self-quizes, animations, .... Some of these I may use in class. Make the most of these resources!
The textbook for Astronomy 121 is Universe: The Solar System (3rd edition) by Freedman and Kaufmann. You have a choice of either a normal (paper) book or an eBook. All students also need an I-Clicker.
As of 8/13/09 the following were on the shelves at the IUB and TIS bookstores. Note that both bookstores chose to order some "bundles" (shrink wraps containing both the book and an I-Clicker).
Illini Union Bookstore (IUB): 36 bundles $ 75.75 14 eBooks $ 40.15 I-Clickers $ 33.60 new, $ 20.15 used. TIS: 10 bundles $104.83 35 books, new $ 83.20 24 books, used $ 62.40 19 eBooks $ 67.10 I-Clickers $ 34.56 new, $ 25.92 used Double check the prices before purchasing -- I think I have them right. The eBook is also available for purchase on-line directly from the publisher: ebooks $ 50.95 via the following web site: purchase.bfwpub.com/purchase/transaction/transaction.php?productId=universess The web site says that that is the second edition (probably acceptable), but you could call the technical support number and ask if the third edition is available (and at what price).
There should be no real disadvantage to a used I-Clicker. At worst, it might at some point need new batteries. But please check that the serial number (on a very small white tag on back) is still legible. If not, the I-Clicker may still work fine, but it is a bit of a pain to get it registered to you.
In the past, one semester access to the eBook has been included free if you buy a new copy of the paper book. New paper copies in the local bookstores may also come with a free "Starry Night" CD (not required for the course, but a nice freebie).
Your I-Clicker must be registered, after you use it on the first day in class, by going to www.iclicker.com/registration and providing the required information.
The contents of the syllabus, class materials, and lectures for this class are copyrighted. They are intended for the students' private use and may not be reproduced without the permission of the professor.