This information supplements the official course syllabus.
Updated 2020 May 7 (latest changes are in red)
Students in this class have recommended two cellphone apps for stargazing: Sky Map and Star Walk.
An excellent, adjustable, downloadable simulator of orbital motion is My Solar System.
POINT VALUE CHANGES! Test 3 was dropped, so Tests 1 & 2 are now worth 200 points each, and the Final 350 points. Projects are still worth 250 points collectively.
1 COURSE HANDOUTS AND DOWNLOADS
Click here to download the FREE OpenStax Astronomy textbook used for this course. PDF file size is about 150 megabytes.
Click on the following links to download PDF files of the Syllabus, Math Guide, and Planet Handout (the last item for ASTR 1013 only). Also, paper copies of the 2-page Math Guide and the 2-page Planet Handout (ASTR 1013 only) will be distributed in class during the second and tenth weeks, respectively.
If you wish, you can also download PDF files of Sample Exam Questions and Lecture Topics for the entire semester, and a supplement on Relativity (ASTR 1023 only).
You may click on the following links to get the seating assignment list and seat map for all tests this semester. They will also be displayed in the lecture hall on test days.
2 HOW TO PICK UP GRADED COURSEWORK AND GET HELP WITH VOYAGER PROJECTS
GRADED VOYAGER PROJECTS AND EXAMS: Graded projects and exams will be distributed in class the first week after they were due or administered. The papers will be arranged in alphabetized stacks at the front of the lecture hall. If you don't retrieve yours in class, you must pick them up from the astronomy Teaching Assistants during their office hours or by appointment.
VOYAGER HELP: The astronomy Teaching Assistants can assist you with your Voyager 4 projects. Visit them during their office hours below, or else schedule appointments by e-mail. If you have questions about the grading of a particular project, the initials of the TA who graded it are written next to your score on the back of the front page, so you will know whom to ask.
ASTRONOMY TA OFFICE HOURS: Office hours begin the second week of the semester. They will not be held during breaks, holidays, and finals week.
| Name | E-mail address | Office hours via E-MAIL |
| Mazhar Islam | mazharul.islam11@okstate.edu | |
| Rosty Martinez | rostmar@okstate.edu |
3 VOYAGER 4 PROJECT NEWS AND TIPS
Please refer to Section 4 in your Syllabus for complete information about doing your Voyager 4 Projects.
If a planet, path, etc. is visible on your monitor but not obvious on the printout, then change its color (as suggested in the first full paragraph on page 6 of your Voyager 4 project book). Examples: in Project 7, when you are ready to print the Sky Charts, execute "Display / Colors..." and choose black for the paths of the Sun and planets. In Project 14, execute "Display / Satellites and Spacecraft...", highlight the Giotto segments, and click on the colored square at top right to change the color to black. Alternatively, just trace over hard-to-see paths with a pencil.
If you purchase a personal copy of Voyager 4 for your own computer, it must be version 4.5.7. Go to www.carinasoft.com to purchase it. Also, you must use the same special "Startup file" as do the OSU lab computers. To download a copy of it, click here. To install it, (a) move the downloaded file to the same directory that contains the original Startup file on your computer, (b) rename the original Startup file as "StartupOLD", (c) rename the downloaded "Startup copy" file as "Startup", and (d) retain the file's ".vgr" extension for Windows, or delete it for Mac OS X. If you then launch your copy of Voyager 4.5.7, it will open with a Stillwater location.
GENERAL WARNING: If you use your personal copy of Voyager 4 to do your Projects, you do so at your own risk. Leave yourself enough time to complete the Projects at one of the four computer labs listed in your Syllabus in case you encounter problems with your own equipment.
WARNING FOR WINDOWS 10 USERS: Recent releases of the Windows 10 operating system, such as version 1903, now generally work with Voyager 4. However, users may encounter occasional minor glitches. Please mention those to Dr. Shull.
4 STARGAZING
A convenient, dark spot for stargazing whenever you wish is the small, gravel parking area at Lake Carl Blackwell marked by the red rectangle on this map. Never go stargazing anywhere alone. You may want to bring along binoculars, a red flashlight, and constellation charts.
Telescopes and binoculars may be checked out from the OSU Library! Click here for details.
If you are considering purchasing a telescope, this link may be helpful.
5 EXAM RESULTS
In your individual Student Grade Reports, Score (%) is the percentage of questions you answered correctly. This represented graphically by the length of the horizontal, shaded bar to the right of your score number. The class average is marked by the short, vertical black line in the shaded bar.
The answer key for the final exam:
| 1 A |
| C |
| D |
| A |
|
B
|
| 6 D |
| D |
| B |
| C |
|
D
|
| 11 A |
| C |
| D |
| C |
|
A
|
| 16 A |
| C |
| B |
| C |
|
B
|
| 21 C |
| A |
| D |
| C |
|
C
|
| 26 A |
| A |
| A |
| D |
|
B
|
| 31 C |
| A |
| B |
| C |
|
A
|
| 36 D |
| D |
| B |
| B |
|
A
|
| 41 A |
| C |
| D |
| C |
|
C
|
| 46 C |
| C |
| C |
| A |
|
B
|
Here is the histogram for the most recent exam. It shows how you stand compared to everyone else who took that exam. Go to Section 6, the next section, to see how you compare to everyone else on the basis of all exams and Voyager projects to date.
6 COURSE GRADE HISTOGRAM
This histogram shows the distribution of total points earned by students on coursework through Project E and the final exam. The current maximum possible point total is marked by the rightmost "column" in the histogram. The current "floors" for the various letter grades are shown in the graph, and they reflect the standards in the Syllabus scaled to the maximum number of points currently possible. Individuals' course grades will be posted on SIS at the end of the semester.
To compute the points you earned on each exam or project, multiply your Percent Correct by the item's point value from the Syllabus. Examples:
A score of 80% on a project worth 25 points yields 80% x 25 pts = 0.80 x 25 pts = 20 pts.
A score of 65% on an exam worth 200 points yields 65% x 200 pts = 0.65 x 200 pts = 130 pts. The final exam is worth 350 points.
When you've completed eleven or twelve Projects, include only the top ten scores in your point total.
Remember...to learn the most & get the best grades, follow the Study Tips in Section 3 (Exams) of your syllabus!