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