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Earth Science 2150: The Solar System |
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Physics
1020 |
The next twenty years promise to be a very exciting time for the exploration of the solar system. Already we have returned samples of comet-stuff and landed a probe on Saturn’s smoggy moon, Titan. There are two robotic explorers which continue to study the surface of Mars, more than 2400 days after landing. An orbiter will soon be surveying sun-baked Mercury and another is on its way to distant Pluto. There's never been a better time to consider a course in the ultimate "environmental science" - planetary astronomy!
We will not describe the planets one by one. Instead, you’ll learn about processes such as the origin of planets and the evolution of their surfaces. By mastering a few basic concepts from several different fields, you will be able to understand a remarkable variety of processes that affect the planets, including the Earth. What will this give you? A knowledge of how planets evolve, of what governs their crustal structure and their surfaces, and of the nearly limitless resources of material and energy that lie within our reach - knowledge that can help us live more successfully on and off the Earth.
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This course was
last offered
in Winter Term 2011 and should be offered again in 2012/13.
Instructor:
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
| Marking Scheme 2011 | Quiz Dates: TBA | ||
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Exercises (6) |
24 % |
Quiz 1: |
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Homework |
5 % | ||
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Selenography |
5 % | Quiz 2: | |
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Quizzes (3) |
30 % | ||
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Final Exam |
36 % | Quiz 3: | |
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Total |
100 % |
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| Exercises: |
Due Date |
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Exercise 1 |
Orbit of Mercury |
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Exercise 2 |
Lunar Topography |
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Exercise 3 |
Impacts I - D.I.Y. Cratering |
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Exercise 4 |
Impacts II - The Asteroid Connection |
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Exercise 5 |
Photo-Interpretation of the Moon |
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Exercise 6 |
Surfaces of the Galilean Satellites |
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Course Topics & Chapters from text: |
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Introduction and overview |
Chapters 1, 2 |
Week 1 |
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Celestial mechanics |
Chapter 3 |
Week 2 |
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Star formation |
Chapter 4 |
Week 3 |
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Planet formation |
Chapter 5 |
Week 4 |
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Planetary building blocks |
Chapter 6, 7 |
Week 5 & 6 |
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Planetary interiors |
Chapter 8 |
Week 7 |
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Planetary surfaces |
Chapter 9, 10 |
Week 8 & 9 |
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Atmospheres |
Chapter 11 |
Week 10 |
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Mars - a case study |
Chapter 13 |
Week 11 & 12 |
Outside Reading:
If resources permit, photocopies
of some interesting articles from other sources will be placed on reserve in
the library.
You will find a reasonably good selection of books on astronomy and related topics in the SWGC library. The main astronomy titles are to be found in the QB section. Some related titles will be found in the neighbouring physics and earth sciences stacks. There are also some astronomy titles in the QB section of the reference stacks - most of the star atlases are kept there. The College library also carries periodicals such as Sky and Telescope, Scientific American, New Scientist, among others, which often feature articles and up-to-date- reports on astronomy. All three of these magazines have excellent web sites, updated daily.
Also see The Bookshelf page, elsewhere in the Physics site.
Astronomy on the Web:
There are many, many astronomy sites on the Internet and extensive information in Wikipedia. A short list of astronomy links can be found within this web site.
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CURRENT MOON
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History Pages:
- 400th Anniversary of the Telescope
- Galileo Galilei (1564 – 1642)
- Johannes Kepler (1571 – 1630)
- Isaac Newton (1642 – 1727)
- Nicholas Copernicus (1473 - 1543)
Planet and Moon Exploration Pages:
- Mercury
- Messenger
- Venus
- ESA Venus Express
Moon
- Lunar Picture of the Day
- Gateway to the Moon
- USGC Astrogeology - Apollo Mission Media Gallery
- Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
- Apollo Lunar Surface Journal
- A good Moon map
- Mars
- Mars Express
- Phoenix Mars Lander
- Mars Exploration Homepage NASA's links to science, images, and info on (US) missions past present and future.
- Jupiter
- Galileo Home Page Results from the 1989 - 2004 mission to Jupiter
Saturn
- Cassini-Huygens Mission to Saturn and Titan
- Uranus & Neptune
- Voyager
- Pluto and Kuiper Belt
- Voyager
- Why Pluto is No Longer Considered a Planet
- Asteroids, Meteorites, Comets, etc.
- Dawn Space Probe mission to Ceres and Vesta
- Deep Impact to Comet Tempel 1
- NEAR Mission to asteroid 433 Eros
General Solar
System:
- Astronomy Picture of the Day with a complete explanation and links to related sites.
- NASA Lunar and Planetary Science
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- USGS Astrogeology
- NASA Solar System Exploration
- Archive for Planetary Science Research An educational site sharing the latest research on meteorites, planets, and other solar system bodies being made by NASA-sponsored scientists.
- Spaceflight Now
- Check out today's Space Weather! How's the solar wind? What's the sunspot count?
- Planetary Photojournal: NASA's Image Access Page
- Solar System Exploration Links to sites for everything from NASA, plus archived information and images from previous missions.
- Icarus, the International Journal of Solar System Studies The professional journal of solar system studies
- Sky & Telescope The best amateur astronomy magazine. The web site has equipment buying tips, links to astronomical news sites and just about everything else!
Last Update: 22 December, 2011