SUMMER 2015

ASTO-109

PROFESSOR BATUSKI

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

Course Description: ASTO 109 is an online descriptive survey course intended to give any student an
introduction to astronomy. No mathematics or physics background is assumed. The minimal amounts of
these subjects that are required will be introduced in class. All course lectures are recorded and delivered
through our Blackboard (Bb) site (https://www.courses.maine.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp). Exams
and homework will also be completed through the Bb site. You must have an account on this system. If
you do not, OR if you ever have any other technical problem with this course, please contact
help@umit.maine.edu or call 1-877-947-HELP.
AST 110: Using Astronomy for fulfillment of your General Education laboratory science requirement
requires passing both the lecture (AST 109, the LIVE version of the course, or ASTO 109, the online
version) and accompanying lab (AST or ASTO 110), which is a separate course, requiring separate
registration. AST(O) 110 may be taken in the same semester as AST(O) 109, or later. On the other hand,
AST(O) 109 can be taken WITHOUT AST(O) 110 to satisfy the General Education science application
requirement.
Office Hours: By appointment, with either Dr. Batuski or the course TA.
Contact Information:
Dr. Batuski: Office: Room 121 Bennett Hall
TA: Alex Axthelm

Telephone: 207-581-1023

Computer Messages: Use your account on the University of Maine Blackboard course management
system for all course communication. The TA and I will be emailing messages to you and the rest of the
class there, and this will be your primary channel for all communications related to this course. Make sure
that the email address in your profile on our MaineStreet records management system is the correct
address for us to reach you quickly.
You may email me directly through Blackboard, as the course instructor, or through "David Batuski" when
you are on FirstClass (or batuski@umit.maine.edu from another system). Likewise, the TA will be
available through either Blackboard or FirstClass email.
All important communication with me or the TA should be in writing, either a 'hardcopy' note (our mail
boxes are in room 120 of Bennett Hall, if you are on campus) or an email message. All excuses for
absences, etc., must be signed by the student (and by the relevant confirming authority, as appropriate)
and mailed to me by snail mail, left in my department mailbox (Rm 120 Bennett Hall), or handed to me or
the TA personally.
Required Materials:
Printed class note outline, Astronomy Notes: Organizing for Success by Comins
Discovering the Essential Universe 5th ed. by Comins
Optional Material:
IF you want t o get a hard copy of t he game, STELLAR 2 8 , t o learn t he const ellat ions, as used
by t he last 1 0 ,0 0 0 st udent s who have previously t aken t his course, y ou can buy it at :
ht t p:/ / www.kendallhunt .com/ ent er " St ellar 2 8 " under " Product Search" . This game is
opt ional, but very usef ul. [ As an alt ernat ive way t o learn your const ellat ions f or exams, please
check out f ree online sof t ware at http://fmaonline.com/clients/bfw/stellar/ .]

Grade:
Your grade will be based on 3 online prelims (20% each), a final exam (20%), a series of online
homework exercises (totaling 15% of your grade) and participation (BEFORE the last week of class) in
the Class Discussion conferences in Blackboard (5%). All prelims (preliminary exams) and the final will be
online, none will be dropped, and makeups may be given if you provide to Dr. Batuski documentation of
medical reasons or other emergencies that preclude your taking the exam during the time it is available
online. Even without good reasons, an exam MAY be taken up to one week late, with a 20% penalty
deducted from your score.
Exams:
The exams are all proctored, closed-book, and multiple choice; with a few matching and short answer
questions. Each prelim will have 50 questions (10 of them on constellations/stars), to be answered within
a strictly limited 70 minute time period from the moment you begin the exam. The final will be cumulative
and will also have 50 questions (again, 10 on constellations/stars). If you live within an hour of the
University campus in Orono, you will need to sign up on Blackboard for an appointment to take each
exam in Bennett Hall on the Orono campus. If you are more distant from the Orono Campus than one
hour driving time, you will also need to sign up on Blackboard to let us know that you will be contacting a
UMaine distance learning site or center near you (see the next paragraph) to arrange taking each exam.

IF YOU WILL NOT BE TAKING EXAMS ON THE UMAINE CAMPUS, you must go to
http://www.learn2.maine.edu/exam and complete the online form there. [If you would be commuting from
the Bangor area to our Orono campus for exams, you MAY want to instead signup with the UMA-Bangor
testing site on that form, ESPECIALLY if our proctoring schedule at Bennett Hall as posted under
Groups on our Blackboard conference - does not work well for you.] Upon selecting a test site away from
the UMaine campus, your browser will then be directed to two webpages in sequence that will provide
you an online confirmation of successful site selection/registration, as well as a notice that you must now
contact site staff directly to schedule an exact date/time for the exam (the notice webpage will provide a
contact name/number for the site). Please note that sites have varying schedules for accommodating
these exams. Walk-ins are not allowed. Also, it is presumed you will test at the same location for the
duration of the semester. If you need to change testing site or re-confirm your site contact information or
arrange anything else for your test site, call 1-800-868-7000 or e-mail ucls@maine.edu .
IF YOU WILL NOT BE PRESENT IN THE STATE OF MAINE, or if the testing sites available at the link
above are too inconvenient for you, for some of the exam periods of this course, please provide Dr.
Batuski a name and contact information of a suitable proctor in the community where you will be,
preferably a public school, university or college professional, or librarian. Once he has approved your
choice of proctor, he will forward information about the tests to that person only.
Each exam must be completed within the timeframe, or "window" of dates, specified in the course
schedule below. So that we know to have a computer workstation and/or a person to proctor reserved for
your exam at your chosen site, please sign up for a site location in our class area on Blackboard no later
than 1 week in advance of each date window.
Homework:
There will be 14 homework sets (to be found under Assessments in the AST 109 conference on
Blackboard), most of them covering two lessons, plus one Bonus set at the end of the course that will
review early lessons. The homework sets will be online, untimed, open-book, and multiple choice; with a
few possible matching and short answer questions. Each homework set will have roughly 14-day time
availabilities (except for the first exercise or two, which have shorter availability) for you to work on them,
take each one twice if your first attempt is not perfect and submit them for grading before the
deadlines listed below. Only 14 of the 15 sets will count toward your overall homework grade the one
with the lowest score will be dropped.

Constellations:
The constellation questions on exams will be of the following types and refer to a diagram on your
computer screen during the exam:
1. Which constellation is Bootes?
2. What is the name of constellation 6? (Stars & constellations will be numbered)
3. Which star is Mira?
4. What is the name of star 12?
5. Which constellation is called the Lion"?
For Prelim 1 learn the constellations (with lines) and stars in Group A (list below).
For Prelim 2 learn the constellations (with lines) and stars in Group B (list below) plus the constellations
(without lines) and stars in Group A. The sky maps may be rotated at some angle.
For Prelim 3 and for the Final exam, learn all the constellations in Groups A and B without lines and learn
all stars. The sky map may be rotated at some angle.
Learning Constellations: The "Stellar 28" hardcopy game or the online version of this game at
http://fmaonline.com/clients/bfw/stellar/ , both designed for AST 109, is the best way to learn
constellations, but some other materials posted for this course on Blackboard may work well for some
students. They will not be taught in class, you need to learn on your own. Learn constellations with star
chart rotated at different angles. Why? The patterns of stars move through the sky and change
orientation throughout the night and throughout the year. You will be tested at different map angles.
GROUP A
CONSTELLATIONS
Auriga
Camelopardus
Cancer
Canes Venatici
Canis Major
Canis Minor
Coma Berenices
Corvus
Crater
Eridanus
Gemini

Hydra
Leo(Major)
Leo Minor
Lepus
Lynx
Monoceros
Orion
Perseus
Taurus
Ursa Major
Virgo

GROUP B
CONSTELLATIONS
Andromeda
Aquarius
Aquila
Aries
Bootes
Capricornus
Cassiopeia
Cepheus
Cetus
Corona Borealis
Cygnus
Delphinus
Draco
Equuleus

Lacerta
Libra
Lyra
Ophiuchus
Pegasus
Pisces
Piscis Austrinus
Sagitta
Sagittarius
Scutum
Scorpius
Serpens Caput
Serpens Cauda
Triangulum

STARS
Aldebaran
Algol
Alphard
Arneb
Betelgeuse
Capella
Castor
Cor Caroli
Dubhe

Gienah
Merak
Mizar
Pollux
Procyon
Regulus
Rigel
Sirius
Spica

STARS
Alderamin
Alpheratz
Altair
Alya
Antares
Arcturus
Deneb
Eltanin
Fomalhaut
Gemma
Hamal
Kaus Australis

Kochab
Markab
Mira
Nunki
Polaris
Ras Algethi
Ras Alhague
Shedar
Skat
Unukalhai
Vega
Zubenschamali

Hercules

Ursa Minor

ASTO 109 Lesson and Topic Schedule

Week

Lesson

Topic

Chapters/Sections

6-Jul

Scale of the Universe

6-Jul

Night Sky, Earth-Sun System, Seasons

6-Jul

Lunar Phases, Eclipses

13-Jul

Kepler's Laws, Planet Motions

13-Jul

Radiation and Optics

3.1 3.4

13-Jul

Telescopes

3.5 3.11

13-Jul

Cosmogony, Solar System Tour

Prelim I (To be taken July 15, 16, 17, 18, or 20)

Covers Lessons 1 - 7

20-Jul

Moon

5.6 5.8

20-Jul

Mercury, Venus

5.9 5.15

20-Jul

10

Mars

5.16 5.20

20-Jul

11

Jupiter

6.1 6.5

27-Jul

12

Saturn

6.6 6.8

27-Jul

13

Outer Planets

6.9 6-13

27-Jul

14

Comets, Meteoroids, Asteroids

Prelim II (Take Jul 29, 30, 31, Aug 1, or 3)

Covers Lessons 8 - 14

3-Aug

15

Starlight

3.12 3.18

3-Aug

16

Stars and Spectra

9.4 9.9

3-Aug

17

The Sun

3-Aug

18

Distances and Properties of Stars

9.1 9.3

Exoplanets

4.10 - 4.12

10-Aug

19

Starbirth

10.1 10.5

10-Aug

20

Stellar Evolution

10.6 10.11

10-Aug

21

Stellar Death

11.1 11.10

10-Aug

22

Blackholes

11.12 11.17

Prelim III (Take Aug 12, 13, 14, 15, or 17)

Covers Lessons 15 22

17-Aug

23

Milky Way

12.1 12.6

17-Aug

24

Galaxies

12.7 12.15

17-Aug

25

Quasars

12.16 12.23

17-Aug

26

Cosmology

13

Final Exam (To be taken Aug 19, 20, 21, 22, or 24)

Covers all Lessons

ASTO 109 course homework and exam schedule:

Homework/Exam Name
Intro, Lesson 1 Homework
Lessons 2, 3 Homework
Lessons 4, 5 Homework
Lessons 6, 7 Homework
Prelim 1

Date/time due
Wednesday, 8 July 11 pm
Friday, 10 July 11 pm
Tuesday, 14 July 11 pm
MONDAY, 20 July 11 pm
Between 9 am Wednesday, 15 July and
11 pm Monday, 20 July

NOTE: Blackboard is scheduled to be unavailable from 10 pm on 16 July to 10 pm on 17 July.

Lesson 8 & 9 Homework
Lessons 10, 11 Homework
Lesson 12, 13 Homework
Lessons 14 Homework
Prelim 2

Tuesday, 21 July 11 pm
Friday, 24 July 11 pm
Tuesday, 28 July 11 pm
Friday, 31 July 11 pm
Between 9 am Wednesday, 29 July, and
11 pm Monday, 3 August

Lessons 15, 16 Homework

Lessons 17, 18 Homework
Lessons 19, 20 Homework
Lessons 21, 22 Homework
Prelim 3

Tuesday, 4 August 11 pm
Friday, 7 August 11 pm
Tuesday, 11 August 11 pm
Friday, 14 August 11 pm
Between 9 am Wednesday, 12 August, and
11 pm Monday, 17 August

Lessons 23, 24 Homework

Lessons 25, 26 Homework
Bonus Homework
Final Exam

Tuesday, 18 August 11 pm
Friday, 21 August 11 pm
Friday, 21 August 11 pm
Between 9 am Wednesday, 19 August, and
11 pm Monday, 24 August

In the event of an extended disruption of normal classroom activities, the format for this course
may be modified to enable its completion within its programmed time frame. In that event, you
will be provided an addendum to the syllabus that will supersede this version.
DISABILITIES: If you have a disability for which you may be requesting an accommodation, please contact either
your instructor or Ann Smith, Coordinator of Services for Students with Disabilities (Onward Building, 581-2319),
as early as possible in the term.

ACADEMIC HONESTY: Students at the University of Maine are expected to be honest and forthright in their
intellectual pursuits. To falsify your research results or to steal the words or results of others are violations of the
Student Conduct Code. You are encouraged to become familiar with the University's policy on Academic
Dishonesty found in the Student Conduct Code of the Student Handbook. Copies of the Code may be found in the
UMaine library, Center for Student Services, or online at
http://www.maine.edu/system/policy_manual/policy_section501.php.

SEXUAL DISCRIMINATION REPORTING:The University of Maine is committed to making campus a safe

place for students. Because of this commitment, if you tell a teacher about an experience of sexual assault, sexual
harassment, stalking, relationship abuse (dating violence and domestic violence), sexual misconduct or any
form of gender discrimination involving members of the campus, your teacher is required to report this
information to the campus Office of Sexual Assault & Violence Prevention or the Office of Equal Opportunity.
If you want to talk in confidence to someone about an experience of sexual discrimination, please contact these
resources:
For confidential resources on campus: Counseling Center: 207-581-1392 or Cutler Health Center: at
207-581-4000.
For confidential resources off campus: Rape Response Services: 1-800-310-0000 or Spruce Run: 1-800863-9909.
Other resources: The resources listed below can offer support but may have to report the incident to others who
can help:
For support services on campus: Office of Sexual Assault & Violence Prevention: 207-581-1406, Office
of Community Standards: 207-581-1409, University of Maine Police: 207-581-4040 or 911. Or see the
OSAVP website for a complete list of services at http://www.umaine.edu/osavp/