TENTATIVE - Check back frequently!
We will participate in all "public nights" at the Rice Campus Observatory. Plus one trip to the George Observatory TBD
January 9: Organizational meeting; pretest; paperwork; scheduling observing sessions; what's in the sky
January 16 (MLK day): No class; will have session at HMNS planetarium TBD: celestial coordinates and the sky
January 23: simple lenses and binoculars; Venus and Jupiter observing if clear. Start on your observing project; use observing forms to record your observations.
Jan 25: Start the Moon watch observations at sunset, the same time every clear day for two weeks. Use the Sky Tonight activities 4 and 5, BUT ALSO observe the Moon with your naked eye and record its shape, altitude and azimuth. You should be able to see the crescent moon with your naked eye a day before it appears in the evening sky in the software (why?)
January 27 (tent): Public Observing night. If not clear, we may do a planetarium training.
January 30: Reflecting and refracting telescopes; image brightness and magnification; time at telescope (if clear)
February 6:
Feb 22: Electromagnetic spectrum; make a simple spectroscope; telescopes in space; class project planning
Feb 24: Public night at the Rice Observatory (observe but also be helpers). Mercury, Mars, Venus and Jupiter
Feb 27: Observing the Sun and sky in various wavelengths; Quiz 1 (if no Rice students in the class; otherwise, end of previous week)
March 5: HISD spring break (no class)
March 12: Digital photography; 3D anaglyphs; movie-making
March 19: Class TBD
March 26: CCD imaging and image processing
March 28-31: NSTA, Indianapolis (optional)
April 2: CCD imaging and image processing (continued)
April 16: Class Project Presentations; Observing project due
April 28 - May 5: Quiz 2 (takehome); due 5pm May 5
Last Update: Jan 3, 2012