University of Vermont Fall 2013 Term

Physics Department Astronomy 57 “Ancient Astronomy, Calendars & Clocks”

Instructor: Prof. Joanna Rankin (A538 Cook) Office Hours: W 1-2; Th 4-5

Q@; Course Syllabus PDF R<>

Wednesday, Aug. 28 (10 UT) Moon Waining Quarter

Saturday, Aug. 31: (00 UT) Moon at Apogee; (17 UT) Jupiter 4° N or Moon

Aug. 27, 29 Birth of Astronomy/Getting Started
Prepare: Evans: Chapter §§1.1-1.8
Duncan: Introductions and Chapter 1
A Observations: Evans §§1.3, 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

Monday, Sept. 2 (10 UT) Mars 6° N of Moon

Friday, Sept. 5: (12 UT) Moon New; (13 UT) Venus 1.8° N or Spica

Sept. 3, 5 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

Sunday, Sept. 8: (15 UT) Spica 0.8° S of Moon; (21 UT) Venus 0.4° N of Moon

Monday, Sept. 9 (17 UT) Saturn 2° N of Moon; Tuesday, Sept. 10 (13 UT) Mercury Superior Conjunction

Thursday, Sept. 12 (17 UT) Moon Waxing Quarter

Sept. 10, 12 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 9/17

Sunday, Sept. 15 (17 UT) Moon at Perigee

Thursday, Sept. 19 (11 UT) Moon Full

Friday, Sept. 20 (00 UT) Venus 4° S of Saturn

Sept. 17, 19 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 9/24
Evans §§2.10, 2.12, 2.14 in notebook

Sunday, Sept. 22 (2044 UT) Autumnal Equinox

Tuesday, Sept. 24 (19 UT) Mercury 0.8° N of Spica

Friday, Sept. 27: (04 UT) Moon Waining Quarter; (18 UT) Moon at Apogee

Saturday, Sept. 28 (09 UT) Jupiter 5° N of Moon

Sept. 24, 26 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 10/3

Tuesday, Oct. 1 (06 UT) Mars 7° N of Moon

Saturday, Oct. 5 (01 UT) Moon New

Oct. 1, 3 Applications of Spherics (cont’d)
Prepare: Evans: Chapter §§3.5-3.8; Duncan: Chapts. 10 & 11
Janus astrolabe instructions
Assignments: Submit finished sundial 10/12
F Evans: §§3.6, 3.8 in notebook

Sunday, Oct. 6 (22 UT) Mercury 3° S of Moon; Monday, Oct. 7 (04 UT) Saturn 1.9° N of Moon

Tuesday, Oct. 8 (12 UT) Venus 5° S of Moon; Monday, Oct. 9 (10 UT) Mercury at greatest ecliptic longitude East (25°)

Thursday, Oct. 10: Mercury 5° S of Saturn; (23 UT) Moon at Perigee; Friday, Oct. 11 (23 UT) Moon Waxing Quarter

Astronomy 57, Fall 2013 Term Page 2

Oct. 8, 10 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 10/17

Monday, Oct. 14 (22 UT) Mars 1.0° N of Regulus

Wednesday, Oct. 16 (16 UT) Venus 1.6° N of Antares

Saturday, Oct. 19: (00 UT) Moon Full, Penumbral Lunar Eclipse

Oct. 15, 17 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 10/22

Monday, Oct. 21 (15 UT) Mercury stationary

Friday, Oct. 25: (14 UT) Moon at Apogee; (22 UT) Jupiter 5° N of Moon

Oct. 22, 24 Calendars and Time Reconing (cont’d)
MID-TERM EXAM

Sunday, Oct. 27 (00 UT) Moon Waining Quarter

Wednesday, Oct. 30 (01 UT) Mars 6° N of Moon

Friday, Nov. 1: (08) Venus at greatest ecliptic longitude East (47°); (20 UT) Mercury in inferior conjunction

Saturday, Nov. 2 ((07 UT) Spica 0.8° S of Moon

Oct. 29, 31 Solar Theory
Prepare: Evans: Chapter §§5.1-5.6
I Ptolemy: Extracts from the Almagest
Assignments: Evans: §§5.4, 5.6 in notebook

Sunday, Nov. 3: (13 UT) Moon New: Total Solar Eclipse (partial here)

Friday, Nov. 6: (09 UT) Moon at Perigee; (12 UT) Saturn conjunction

Thursday, Nov. 7: (01 UT) Venus 8° S of Moon; (07 UT) Jupiter stationary

Nov. 5, 7 Solar Theory (cont’d)
Prepare: Evans: Chapter §§5.7-5.10
J Assignments: Evans: §§5.8, 5.10 in notebook

Sunday, Nov. 10: (06 UT) Moon Waxing Quarter; (14 UT) Mercury stationary

Nov. 12, 14 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

Sunday, Nov. 17 (15 UT) Moon Full

Monday, Nov. 18 (03 UT) Mercury at greatest ecliptic longitude West (19°)

Friday, Nov. 22: (05 UT) Jupiter 5° N of Moon; (10 UT) Moon at Apogee

- - - - - - - - - - - - THANKSGIVING VACATION - - - - - - - - - - - -

Sunday, Nov. 25 (19 UT) Moon Waining Quarter

Monday, Nov. 26: (04 UT) Mercury 0.3° S of Saturn; (23 UT) Mercury Stationary

Tuesday, Nov. 27 (16 UT) Mars 6° N of Moon

Friday, Nov. 29 (17 UT) Spica 0.9° S of Moon

Nov. 26, 28 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 12/3

Sunday, Dec. 1 (10 UT) Saturn 1.3° N of Moon

Tuesday, Dec. 3 (00 UT) Moon New

Wednesday, Nov. 4 (10 UT) Moon at Perigee

Saturday, Dec. 21 (1711 UT) Winter Solstice

Dec. 3 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. 13, 7:30 am FINAL EXAM (Friday)