University
of Vermont
Fall
2012 Term
Physics Department
Astronomy
57 Ancient Astronomy, Calendars & Clocks
Instructor: Prof.
Joanna Rankin (A538 Cook)
Office
Hours: W 1-2; Th 4-5
Q@; Preliminary Course Syllabus (PDF) R<>
Friday, Aug. 31
(1358 UT) Moon Full
Aug. 28, 30 Birth
of Astronomy/Getting Started
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§1.1-1.8
Duncan:
Introductions and Chapter 1
A
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
Saturday, Sept. 8 (0 UT) Aldebaran 4.5° S of Moon;
(11 UT) Jupiter 0.6° N of Moon/Occ'n; (1315 UT) Moon Waining 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
B
Assignments: Evans §§1.13, 1.15, 1.18 in notebook
Choose
culture/calendar of interest
Monday, Sept. 10 (13 UT) Mercury Superior
Conjunction
Wednesday, Sept. 12 (15 UT) Venus 3.6° N of Moon
Friday, Sept.
14 (09 UT) Regulus 5.5° N of Moon
Sept. 11,
13 Celestial
Sphere
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§2.1-2.8; Duncan: Chapts. 4 & 5
Aristotle:
extracts from On the Heavens
C
Observation: Evans §2.8 in notebook
Assignments: Evans §§2.3, 2.7 in notebook
Culture/calendar
paper proposal written,
corrected
& critiqued, due 9/18
Sunday, Sept. 16 (0211 UT) Moon New; (11 UT) Mercury
5.5° N of Moon
Tuesday, Sept. 18 (04 UT) Spica 0.8° N of Moon; (11
UT) Saturn 4.8° N of Moon
Wednesday, Sept. 19 (20 UT) Mars 0.2° N of Moon
Friday, Sept. 21 (09 UT) Antares 5.6° S of Moon
Saturday, Sept.
22 (14 UT) Autumnal Equinox; (19 UT) Moon Waxing Quarter
Sept. 18,
20 Celestial
Sphere (cont'd)
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§2.9-2.17; Duncan: Chapts. 6 & 7
D
Observation: Equinox; Evans §2.17 in notebook
Assignments: Formal
write-up of §1.18 due 9/25
Evans §§2.10, 2.12, 2.14 in notebook
Sept. 25,
27 Applications
of Spherics
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§3.1-3.4; Duncan: Chapts. 8 & 9
E
Aratus:
Phenomena
Assignments: Evans: §§3.3-3.4 in notebook
Notebook
check: notebooks due 10/4
Sunday, Sept. 30 (0319 UT) Moon Full
Wednesday, Oct. 1 (12 UT) Mercury 1.6° N of Spica
Wednesday, Oct. 3 (07 UT) Venus 0.1° S of Regulus
Thursday, Oct. 4 (13 UT) Jupiter Stationary; (23 UT)
Moon at Apogee
Friday, Oct. 5
(08 UT) Aldebaran 4.3° S of Moon; (10 UT) Mercury 3.2° S of Saturn; (21 UT)
Jupiter 0.9° N of Moon/Occ'n
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 10/13
F
Evans: §§3.6, 3.8 in notebook
Monday, Oct. 8
(0733 UT) Moon Waining Quarter
Thursday, Oct.
11 (19 UT) Regulus 5.6° N or Moon
Friday, Oct. 12
(14 UT) Venus 5.9° N of Moon
Astronomy 57, Fall 2012 Term
Page
2
Oct. 9, 11 Calendars
and Time Reconing
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§4.1-4.6; Duncan: Chapts. 12 & 13
G
Assignments: Evans: §§4.2, 4.4 in notebook
Culture
paper due 10/18
Monday, Oct. 15 (1202 UT) Moon New; (14 UT) Spica
0.7° N of Moon/Occultation
Tuesday, Oct.
16 (02 UT) Saturn 4.5° N of Moon
Wednesday, Oct.
17 (02 UT) Mercury 1.2° S of Moon
Thursday, Oct.
18 (13 UT) Mars 1.9° S of Moon; (16 UT) Antares 5.7° S of Moon
Oct. 16, 18 Calendars
and Time Reconing (cont'd)
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§4.7-4.12; Duncan: Chapts. 14 & 15
H
Assignments: Evans: §§4.6, 4.8, 4.12 in notebook
Submit finished astrolabe with your plate 10/23
Sunday, Oct. 21
(00 UT) Mars 3.6° N of Antares
Monday, Oct. 22 (0332 UT) Moon Waining Quarter
Thursday, Oct.
25: (08 UT) Saturn at conjunction
Friday, 26 Oct.
(15 UT) Mecury at greatest ecliptic longitude east (24°)
Oct. 23, 25 Calendars
and Time Reconing (cont'd)
MID-TERM
EXAM
Monday, Oct. 29
(1949 UT) Moon Full
Thursday, Nov.
1 (14 UT) Aldebaran 4.3° S of Moon
Friday, Nov. 2
(01 UT) Jupiter 0.8° N of Moon/Occultation
Oct.
30,Nov. 1 Solar
Theory
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§5.1-5.6
I
Ptolemy:
Extracts from the Almagest
Assignments: Evans: §§5.4, 5.6 in notebook
Wednesday, Nov. 7: (0036 UT) Moon Waining Quarter;
(00 UT) Mercury stationary
Thursday, 8
Nov. (04 UT) Regulus 5.7° N of Moon
Nov. 6, 8
Solar
Theory (cont'd)
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§5.7-5.10
J
Assignments: Evans: §§5.8, 5.10 in notebook
Sunday, Nov. 11 (14 UT) Venus 5.0° N of Moon
Monday Nov. 12 (01 UT) Spica 0.7° N of Moon/Occ'n;
(18 UT) Saturn 4.1° N of Moon
Tuesday, Nov. 13: (2208 UT) Moon New/Eclipse
Wednesday, Nov. 14 (10 UT) Mecury 0.9° S of
Moon/Occ'n; Moon at perigee
Friday Nov. 16 (09 UT) Mars 3.9° S of Moon
Saturday, Nov.
17 (04 UT) Venus 3.8° N of Spica; (16 UT) Mercury inferior conjunction
Nov. 13, 15 The
Fixed Stars
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§6.1-6.10
K
Observation: Evans §6.3 in notebook
Assignments: Evans: §§6.5, 6.7 in notebook
Tuesday, Nov.
20 (1431 UT) Moon Waxing Quarter
- - - - - - - - - - - - THANKSGIVING VACATION - - - - - - - - - - - -
Monday, Nov. 26 (23 UT) Mercury Stationary
Tuesday, Nov. 27 (01 UT) Venus 0.5° S of Saturn
Wednesday, Nov. 28 (1446 UT) Moon Full/Eclipse; (21
UT) Aldebaran 4.2° S of Moon
Thursday, Nov.
29 (01 UT) Jupiter 0.6° N of Moon/Occultation
Nov. 27, 29 Planetary
Theory
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§7.1-7.14
Observation: Evans §7.3 in notebook
L
Assignments: Evans: §§7.5, 7.8, 7.14 in notebook
Calendar
paper due 12/4
Monday, Nov. 3 (01 UT) Jupiter at opposition
Wednesday, Dec. 5: (06 UT) Mercury at greatest
ecliptic longitude west (21°); (11 UT) Regulus 5.7° N of Moon
Thursday, Dec.
6 (1531 UT) Moon Waining Quarter
Dec. 4
Planetary
Theory (cont'd)
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§7.15-7.22
Z T UV W Assignments: Evans: §§7.16, 7.18, 7.22 in notebook
Dec. 11, 1:30 pm FINAL EXAM (Tuesday)
Thursday, Dec. 21 (1112 UT) Winter Solstice
Wednesday, 2012 Jan. 2 (05 UT) Earth at Perihelion