University of Vermont Fall
2008 Term
Physics Department
Astronomy
57 "History & Practice of Ancient Astronomy"
Instructor: Prof.
Joanna Rankin (A538 Cook)
Office
Hours: W 1-2; Th 4-5
Preliminary Course Syllabus
Sunday, Aug. 30 (1958 GMT), Moon New
Sept. 2, 4 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
Sunday, Sept. 7 (1404 GMT), Moon First
Quarter
Saturday, Sept. 7 (4 GMT), Moon at Apogee
Thursday, Sept. 8 (3 GMT), Jupiter
Stationary
Thursday,
Oct. 11 (10 GMT), Mercury at Greatest East Elongation (27¡)
Sept. 9, 11 Birth
of Astronomy (cont'd)
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§1.9-1.18; Duncan: Chapts. 2 & 3
Zodiacal
constellations
ª
Observations: Evans §§1.11,
1.16 in notebook
Assignments: Evans §§1.13,
1.15, 1.18 in notebook
Choose
culture/calendar of interest
Monday, Sept. 15 (0913 GMT), Moon Full
Sept, 15 Monday Prof.
Seiradakis Burack Lecture on Antikythera Mechanism,
4:00
pm, Livak Ballroom, Davis Center (be early!!!)
Sept. 16, 18 Celestial
Sphere
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§2.1-2.8; Duncan: Chapts. 4 & 5
š
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 9/25
Saturday, Sept. 20 (0317 GMT), Moon at
Perigee
Monday, Sept. 22 (0504 GMT), Moon Third
Quarter
Monday, Sept. 22 (1545 GMT), Autumnal
Equinox
Sept. 23, 25 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 10/2
Evans §§2.10, 2.12, 2.14 in notebook
Monday, Sept. 29 (0812 GMT), Moon New
Sept. 30, Oct. 2 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 10/7
Sunday, Oct. 5 (1034 GMT), Moon at Apogee
Tuesday, Oct. 7 (0904 GMT), Moon First
Quarter
Oct. 7, 9
Applications
of Spherics (cont'd)
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§3.5-3.8; Duncan: Chapts. 10 & 11
Janus
astrolabe instructions
ª
Assignments: Submit finished
sundial 10/14
Evans: §§3.6, 3.8 in notebook
Tuesday, Oct. 14 (2003 GMT), Moon Full
Friday, Oct. 17 (0605 GMT), Moon at
Perigee
Oct. 14, 16 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 10/23
Oct. 21, 23 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 10/28
Tuesday, Oct. 28 (2114 GMT), Moon New
Friday, Oct. 26 (12 GMT), Moon at Perigee
Oct. 28, 30 MID-TERM
EXAM
Calendars
and Time Reconing (cont'd)
Sunday, Nov. 2 (0455 GMT), Moon at Apogee
Thursday,
Nov. 6 (0404 GMT), Moon First Quarter
Nov. 4, 6
Solar
Theory
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§5.1-5.6
‘
Ptolemy:
Extracts from the Almagest
Assignments: Evans: §§5.4, 5.6
in notebook
Thursday, Nov. 13 (0617 GMT), Moon Full
Friday,
Nov. 14 (0959 GMT), Moon at Perigee
Nov. 11, 13 Solar
Theory (contÕd)
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§5.7-5.10
’
Assignments: Evans: §§5.8,
5.10 in notebook
Wednesday, Nov. 19 (2131 GMT), Moon Third
Quarter
Nov. 18, 20 The
Fixed Stars
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§6.1-6.10
Observation: Evans §6.3 in notebook
Assignments: Evans: §§6.5, 6.7
in notebook
Thursday, Nov. 27 (1655 GMT), Moon New
Saturday, Nov. 29 (1655 GMT), Moon at
Apogee
- - - - - - - - - - - - THANKSGIVING VACATION - - - - - - - - - - - -
Friday, Dec. 5 (2126 GMT), Moon First
Quarter
Dec. 2, 4
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
Friday, Dec. 12 (1637 GMT), Moon Full
Friday, Dec. 12 (2137 GMT), Moon at
Perigee
Dec. 9, 11 Planetary
Theory (cont'd)
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§7.15-7.22
•
Assignments: Evans: §§7.16,
7.18, 7.22 in notebook
Friday, Dec. 19 (1029 GMT), Moon Third Quarter
Dec. 18, 8:00 am FINAL EXAM (Thursday)
Sunday, Dec. 21 (1204 GMT), Winter
Solstice
Thursday, Dec. 27 (1223 GMT), Moon New
Saturday, Jan. 3 (00 GMT), Earth at
Perihelion
— ° § ™ ¢