University
of Vermont Fall
2010 Term
Physics Department
Honors
195C “Ancient Astronomy, Calendars & Clocks”
Instructor: Prof.
Joanna Rankin (A538 Cook) Office
Hours: W 1-2; Th 4-5
Preliminary Course Syllabus
Thursday, Aug. 20 (04 GMT), Venus at Greatest Eastern
Elongation (46°)
Thursday, Aug. 20 (04 GMT), Mercury Stationary
Saturday, Sept. 3 (13 GMT), Mercury Inferior
Conjunction
Thursday, Sept. 1 (1722 GMT), Moon Waning Quarter
Wednesday, Aug.
25 (0552 GMT), Moon at Apogee
Aug. 31,
Sept. 2 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
Wednesday, Sept. 8 (1030 GMT), Moon New
Wednesday, Sept. 8 (0402 GMT), Moon at Perigee
Saturday, Sept.
11 (13 GMT), Venus 1° N of Moon
Sept. 7, 9 Birth
of Astronomy (cont’d)
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§1.9-1.18; Duncan: Chapts. 2 & 3
Zodiacal
constellations
g
Observations: Evans §§1.11, 1.16 in notebook
Assignments: Evans §§1.13, 1.15, 1.18 in notebook
Choose
culture/calendar of interest
Wednesday, Sept. 15 (0550 GMT), Moon Waxing Quarter
Sunday, Sept. 12 (03 GMT) Mercury Stationary
Monday, Sept.
22 (1545 GMT), Autumnal Equinox
Sept. 14,
16 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 9/21
Sunday, September. 19 (17 GMT), Mercury at Greatest
Western Elongation (18°)
Tuesday, Sept. 21 (0804 GMT), Moon at Apogee
Thursday, Sept. 23 (0917 GMT), Moon Full
Thursday, Sept.
23 (0309 GMT), Autumnal Equinox
Sept. 21,
23 Celestial
Sphere (cont’d)
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§2.9-2.17; Duncan: Chapts. 6 & 7
8
Observation: Equinox; Evans §2.17 in notebook
Assignments: Formal
write-up of §1.18 due 9/28
Evans §§2.10, 2.12, 2.14 in notebook
Friday, Oct. 1
(0352 GMT), Moon Waning Quarter
Sept. 28,
30 Applications
of Spherics
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§3.1-3.4; Duncan: Chapts. 8 & 9
7
Aratus:
Phenomena
Assignments: Evans: §§3.3-3.4 in notebook
Notebook
check: notebooks due 10/5
Wednesday, Oct. 6 (1342 GMT), Moon at Perigee
Thursday, Oct. 7 (1844 GMT), Moon New
Thursday, Oct.
7 (19 GMT), Venus Stationary
Oct. 5, 7
Applications
of Spherics (cont’d)
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§3.5-3.8; Duncan: Chapts. 10 & 11
Janus
astrolabe instructions
g
Assignments: Submit
finished sundial 10/14
Evans: §§3.6, 3.8 in notebook
Thursday, Oct.
14 (2127 GMT), Moon Waxing Quarter
Oct. 12, 14 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 10/21
Sunday, Oct. 17 (01 GMT), Mercury Superior
Conjunction
Wednesday, Oct. 18 (1819 GMT), Moon at Apogee
Saturday, Oct.
23 (0137 GMT), Moon Full
Oct. 19, 21 Calendars
and Time Reconing (cont’d)
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§4.7-4.12; Duncan: Chapts. 14 & 15
8
Assignments: Evans: §§4.6, 4.8, 4.12 in notebook
Submit finished astrolabe with your plate 10/26
Saturday, Oct.
30 (1246 GMT), Moon Waning Quarter
Friday, Oct. 29
(1 GMT), Venus Inferior Conjunction
Oct. 26, 28 Calendars
and Time Reconing (cont’d)
MID-TERM
EXAM
Wednesday, Nov. 3 (1723 GMT), Moon at Perigee
Saturday, Nov. 6 (0452 GMT), Moon New
Friday, Nov. 5
(09 GMT), Venus 1¡ N of Moon
Nov. 2, 4
Solar
Theory
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§5.1-5.6
7
Ptolemy:
Extracts from the Almagest
Assignments: Evans: §§5.4, 5.6 in notebook
Saturday, Nov. 13 (1639 GMT), Moon Waxing Quarter
Nov. 9, 11 Solar
Theory (cont’d)
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§5.7-5.10
g
Assignments: Evans: §§5.8, 5.10 in notebook
Monday, Nov. 15 (1148 GMT), Moon at Apogee
Tuesday, Nov.
16 (16 GMT), Venus Stationary
Nov. 16, 18 The
Fixed Stars
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§6.1-6.10
@
Observation: Evans §6.3 in notebook
Assignments: Evans: §§6.5, 6.7 in notebook
Sunday, Nov. 21
(1727 GMT), Moon Full
- - - - - - - - - - - - THANKSGIVING VACATION - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sunday, Nov. 28 (2036 GMT), Moon Waning Quarter
Tuesday, Nov. 30 (1910 GMT), Moon at Perigee
Wednesday, Dec.
1 (16 GMT), Mercury at Greatest East Elongation (21.5¡)
Nov. 30,
Dec. 2 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 12/7
Friday, Dec. 10 (16 GMT), Mercury Stationary
Sunday, Dec. 5 (1736 GMT), Moon New
Monday, Nov. 6 (16 GMT), Mars very near Moon
Dec. 7, 9
Planetary
Theory (cont’d)
Prepare: Evans:
Chapter §§7.15-7.22
7
Assignments: Evans: §§7.16, 7.18, 7.22 in notebook
Monday, Dec. 13 (0836 GMT), Moon at Apogee
Monday, Dec. 13 (1359 GMT), Moon Waxing Quarter
Dec. 16, 1:30 pm FINAL EXAM (Thursday)
Tuesday, Dec. 21 (2338 GMT), Winter Solstice
Monday, Dec. 21 (15 GMT), Mars Stationary
Tuesday, Dec. 21 (0813 GMT), Moon Full (Lunar
Eclipse)
Saturday, Dec. 25 (1210 GMT), Moon at Perigee
Sunday, Jan. 3 (03 GMT), Earth at Perihelion