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Astronomy 107 Lab

 

Physics Dept.

Physics Course Support


 

Lab Period and Investigations   Spring 2010
   - Each lab period involves the investigation of an overall topic that includes a number of different activities and experiments
   - Lab Guidelines (grading, notebook requirements, attendance, Physics contacts)

current Astronomy lab cancelled due to low enrolment
   

----- The labs below here are under development. Note: these labs can and will change -----
----- Current labs are moved to above this area, usually by the Wednesday before the lab period -----

 
   

1  Variable Stars - part 1
     - calibration with standard stars
     - uncertainties (mean deviation)
  Variable Stars - part 2
     - light curve of variable star No. 42
     - Note: there are PreLab questions for this period
     - SkyGazer software introduction
  3  Celestial Sphere - part 1
     - building & using a Celestial Sphere
  4  Celestial Sphere and Planisphere - part 2
     - using a Celestial Sphere continued
     - building and using a Planisphere
     - note: there is a PreLab for this period
  5  Parallax
    
- determining distance and size of a distant object
     - comparison of value (percent difference)
  6a  1st Quiz   ***be sure to bring your notebook!!!***
     - quiz is open notebook, notebook to be left in the lab after the quiz
     - quiz is expected to take an hour

6b SkyGazer software: Pole Stars & Transit of Venus
     - 2nd hour of the period will be SkyGazer software1hr Exercises
     -
*** Note: there are PreLab questions for this period ***
  7  Mass of Earth
     - measuring the Earth's mass
  8  Mass of Jupiter
     - determining Jupiter's mass using Kepler's 3rd law
  9  Telescopes
     - lenses and telescopes
  10  Spectroscopy
     - observing Continuous, Line and Absorption spectra
  11
     -
  12a    2nd Quiz   ***be sure to bring your notebook!!!***
     - quiz is open notebook, notebook to be left in the lab after the quiz
     - quiz is expected to take an hour

12b  H-R Diagram
     - 2nd hour of the period will be on plotting a Hertzsprung-Russell (H-R) Diagram
     - there is no prelab for this period
The End  
   
 --- Pool of experiments ---
SkyGazer software
  11  Inverse Square Law
      - observing intensity of a light bulb with distance 
   

Page last modified December 15, 2009