University of Vermont Fall
2007 Term
Physics Department
Astronomy
57 “History & Practice of Ancient Astronomy”
Instructor: Prof.
Joanna Rankin (A538 Cook)
Office
Hours: W 2-3; Th 4-5
Preliminary Course Syllabus
Tuesday, Aug. 28 (1035 GMT), Moon Full,
Lunar Eclipse
Saturday,
Aug. 31 (00 GMT), Moon at Perigee
Aug. 28, 30 Birth
of Astronomy/Getting Started
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§1.1-1.8
Duncan:
Introductions and Chapter 1
Observations: Evans §§1.2,
1.7 in notebook
Assignments: Evans §1.5 in
notebook, timelines
Make/use
a shadow table (see §§1.5, 1.13)
before, on, & after the equinox
Tuesday,
Sept. 4 (0232 GMT), Moon Third Quarter
Sept. 4, 6 Birth
of Astronomy (cont’d)
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§1.9-1.18; Duncan: Chapts. 2 & 3
Zodiacal
constellations
Observations: Evans §§1.11,
1.16 in notebook
Assignments: Evans §§1.13,
1.15, 1.18 in notebook
Choose
culture/calendar of interest
Tuesday, Sept. 11 (1244 GMT), Moon New
Saturday,
Sept. 15 (21 GMT), Moon at Apogee
Sept. 11, 13 Celestial
Sphere
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§2.1-2.8; Duncan: Chapts. 4 & 5
Aristotle:
extracts from On the Heavens
Observation: Evans §2.8 in notebook
Assignments: Evans §§2.3, 2.7
in notebook
Culture/calendar
paper proposal written,
corrected
& critiqued, due 9/20
Wednesday,
Sept. 19 (1648 GMT), Moon First Quarter
Sept. 18, 20 Celestial
Sphere (cont’d)
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§2.9-2.17; Duncan: Chapts. 6 & 7
Observation: Equinox;
Evans §2.17 in notebook
Assignments: Formal write-up
of §1.18 due 9/20
Evans §§2.10, 2.12, 2.14 in notebook
Sunday, Sept. 23 (0951 GMT), Autumnal
Equinox
Wednesday, Sept. 26 (1945 GMT), Moon Full
Friday, Sept. 28 (02 GMT), Moon at
Perigee
Saturday,
Sept. 29 (16 GMT), Mercury at Greatest E Elongation
Sept. 25, 27 Applications
of Spherics
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§3.1-3.4; Duncan: Chapts. 8 & 9
Aratus:
Phenomena
Assignments: Evans: §§3.3-3.4
in notebook
Notebook
check: notebooks due 10/2
Wednesday,
Oct. 3 (1006 GMT), Moon Third Quarter
Oct. 2, 4
Applications
of Spherics (cont’d)
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§3.5-3.8; Duncan: Chapts. 10 & 11
Janus
astrolabe instructions
Assignments: Submit finished
sundial 2/28
Evans: §§3.6, 3.8 in notebook
Thursday, Oct. 11 (0501 GMT), Moon New
Saturday,
Oct. 13 (10 GMT), Moon at Apogee
Oct. 9, 11 Calendars
and Time Reconing
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§4.1-4.6; Duncan: Chapts. 12 & 13
Assignments: Evans: §§4.2, 4.4
in notebook
Culture
paper due 10/18
Friday, Oct. 19 (0833 GMT), Moon First
Quarter
Oct. 16, 18 Calendars
and Time Reconing (cont’d)
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§4.7-4.12; Duncan: Chapts. 14 & 15
Assignments: Evans: §§4.6,
4.8, 4.12 in notebook
Submit finished astrolabe with your plate 10/23
Friday, Oct. 26 (0452 GMT), Moon Full
Friday, Oct. 26 (12 GMT), Moon at Perigee
Oct. 23, 25 Calendars
and Time Reconing (cont’d)
MID-TERM
EXAM
Sunday, Oct. 28 (15 GMT), Venus at
Greatest W Elongation
Thursday, Nov. 1 (2118 GMT), Moon Third
Quarter
Oct. 30, Nov. 1 Solar
Theory
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§5.1-5.6
Ptolemy:
Extracts from the Almagest
Assignments: Evans: §§5.4, 5.6
in notebook
Thursday, Nov. 8 (21 GMT), Mercury at
Greatest W Elongation
Friday, Nov. 9 (2303 GMT), Moon New
Friday, Nov. 9 (13 GMT), Moon at Apogee
Nov. 6, 8
Solar
Theory (cont’d)
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§5.7-5.10
Assignments: Evans: §§5.8,
5.10 in notebook
Thursday, Nov. 15 (16 GMT), Mars
Stationary
Saturday, Nov. 17 (2233 GMT), Moon First
Quarter
Nov. 13, 15 The
Fixed Stars
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§6.1-6.10
Observation: Evans §6.3 in notebook
Assignments: Evans: §§6.5, 6.7
in notebook
Saturday, Nov. 24 (1430 GMT), Moon Full
Saturday, Nov. 24 (00 GMT), Moon at
Perigee
- - - - - - - - - - - - THANKSGIVING VACATION - - - - - - - - - - - -
Saturday, Dec. 1 (1244 GMT), Moon Third
Quarter
Nov. 27, 29 Planetary
Theory
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§7.1-7.14
Observation: Evans §7.3 in notebook
Assignments: Evans: §§7.5,
7.8, 7.14 in notebook
Calendar
paper due 12/4
Thursday, Dec. 6 (17 GMT), Moon at Apogee
Sunday, Dec. 9 (1740 GMT), Moon New
Dec. 4, 6
Planetary
Theory (cont’d)
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§7.15-7.22
Assignments: Evans: §§7.16,
7.18, 7.22 in notebook
Sunday, Dec. 9 (1740 GMT), Moon New
Dec. 11, 3:30 pm FINAL EXAM (Tuesday)
Thursday, Dec. 20 (12 GMT), Saturn
Stationary
Saturday, Dec. 22 (10 GMT), Moon at
Perigee
Saturday, Dec. 22 (0608 GMT), Winter
Solstice
Sunday, Dec. 23 (06 GMT), Jupiter in
Conjunction