Astronomy
57 "History & Practice of Ancient Astronomy"
Instructor: Prof.
Joanna Rankin (A538 Cook)
Office Hours: WTh 2–3
Preliminary Course Syllabus
Wednesday, Jan. 4 (15 GMT), Sun
at Perigee
Saturday, Jan. 14 (0948 GMT), Moon
Full
Tuesday, Jan. 17 (19 GMT), Moon
at Apogee
Jan. 17, 19
Birth of Astronomy/Getting Started
Prepare:
Evans: Chapter §§1.1-1.8
Duncan: Introductions and Chapter 1
7
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, Jan. 22 (1514 GMT), Moon
Third Quarter
Friday, Jan. 27 (23 GMT), Saturn
at Opposition
Jan. 24, 26
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
Sunday, Jan. 29 (1415 GMT), Moon
New
Monday, Jan. 30 (08 GMT), Moon at
Perigee
Jan. 31, Feb. 2
Celestial Sphere
Prepare:
Evans: Chapter §§2.1-2.8; Duncan: Chapts. 4 & 5
g
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 2/9
Sunday, Feb. 5 (0629 GMT), Moon
First Quarter
Feb. 7, 9
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
Monday, Feb. 13 (0444 GMT), Moon
Full
Tuesday, Feb. 14 (01 GMT), Moon
at Apogee
Feb. 14, 16
Applications of Spherics
Prepare:
Evans: Chapter §§3.1-3.4; Duncan: Chapts. 8 & 9
Observation: Night Sky Observations with Prof. Manley
Aratus: Phenomena
Assignments:
Evans: §§3.3-3.4 in notebook
Notebook check: notebooks due 2/21
Tuesday, Feb. 21 (0717 GMT), Moon
Third Quarter
Feb. 21, 23
Applications of Spherics (cont'd)
Prepare:
Evans: Chapter §§3.5-3.8; Duncan: Chapts. 10 & 11
Janus astrolabe instructions
8
Assignments:
Submit finished sundial 2/28
Evans: §§3.6, 3.8 in notebook
Friday, Feb. 24 (05 GMT), Mercury
at Greatest E Elongation
Monday, Feb. 27 (20 GMT), Moon at
Perigee
Tuesday, Feb. 28 (0031 GMT), Moon
New
Feb. 28, Mar. 2
Calendars and Time Reconing
Prepare:
Evans: Chapter §§4.1-4.6; Duncan: Chapts. 12 & 13
7
Assignments:
Evans: §§4.2, 4.4 in notebook
Culture paper due 3/9
Sunday, Mar. 5 (00 GMT), Jupiter
Stationary
Monday, Mar. 6 (2016 GMT), Moon
First Quarter
Mar. (7), 9
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 3/14
Monday, Mar. 13 (02 GMT), Moon at
Apogee
Tuesday, Mar. 14 (2335 GMT), Moon
Full
Mar. 14, 16
Calendars and Time Reconing (cont'd)
MID-TERM EXAM
Monday, Mar. 20 (1826 GMT), Vernal
Equinox
Wednesday, Mar. 22 (1911 GMT), Moon
Third Quarter
Saturday, Mar. 25 (07 GMT), Venus
at Greatest W Elongation
- - - - - - - - - - - - SPRING VACATION - - - - - - - - - - - -
Tuesday, Mar. 28 (07 GMT), Moon
at Perigee
Wednesday, Mar. 29 (1015 GMT), Moon
New
Mar. 28, 30
Solar Theory
Prepare:
Evans: Chapter §§5.1-5.6
Ptolemy: Extracts from the Almagest
Assignments:
Evans: §§5.4, 5.6 in notebook
Wednesday, Apr. 5 (1201 GMT), Moon
First Quarter
Wednesday, Apr. 5 (12 GMT), Saturn
Stationary
Saturday, Apr. 8 (19 GMT), Mercury
at Greatest W Elongation
Apr. 4, 6
Solar Theory (cont'd)
Prepare:
Evans: Chapter §§5.7-5.10
Assignments:
Evans: §§5.8, 5.10 in notebook
Tuesday, Apr. 9 (13 GMT), Moon at
Apogee
Thursday, Apr. 13 (1640 GMT), Moon
Full
Apr. 11, 13
The Fixed Stars
Prepare:
Evans: Chapter §§6.1-6.10
Observation: Evans §6.3 in notebook
Assignments:
Evans: §§6.5, 6.7 in notebook
Friday, Apr. 21 (0328 GMT), Moon
Third Quarter
Apr. 18, 20
Planetary Theory
Prepare:
Evans: Chapter §§7.1-7.14
Observation: Evans §7.3 in notebook
8
Assignments:
Evans: §§7.5, 7.8, 7.14 in notebook
Calendar paper due 4/25
Tuesday, Mar. 25 (11 GMT), Moon
at Perigee
Thursday, Apr. 27 (1944 GMT), Moon
New
Apr. 25, 27
Planetary Theory (cont'd)
Prepare:
Evans: Chapter §§7.15-7.22
Assignments:
Evans: §§7.16, 7.18, 7.22 in notebook
Thursday, May 4 (15 GMT), Jupiter
at Opposition
Sunday, May. 7 (07 GMT), Moon at
Apogee
Friday, May 5 (0513 GMT), Moon First
Quarter
May. 2
Planetary Theory (cont'd)
Prepare:
Evans: Chapter §§7.23-7.31
Assignments:
Evans: §§7.19, either 7.23,
7.22 or 7.28
Notebooks, indexed with TOC due 5/5
May 5, 4:00 pm FINAL EXAM (Friday)
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