Twenty per cent of your grade will be determined by a term project that will consist of two parts. Part one will be an illustration – a physical model, a detailed graphic, or some sort of presentation. Part two is a paper explaining the illustration and providing historical context. You must choose from one of the six projects outlined below. You can do something else if I approve it. To receive approval you must submit a request with the same level of detail as the projects outlined here.
NOTE: Be aware of the rules. Everything – illustration and paper- must be your own work – no downloads, no paste-ups, or other forms of copying will be tolerated. The only exception is the requirement for simple maps in some of the projects. These exceptions are explicitly spelled out in the project outline. All direct statements from books, the internet or other sources must be surrounded by quotation marks and referenced. Failure to comply will result in a grade of 0.
Prepare an illustration (model,
painting, etc.) of Stonehenge with an orientation valid for Cerritos. The illustration may be in any medium. At a minimum, you must indicate on the illustration
the cardinal directions (north, south, east and west), the location of the
summer solstice sunrise /sunset, and the location of the lunar
standstills. The illustration should
also indicate the location of (a) the heel stone and (b) the Aubrey
holes. Again, orientation must be
valid for Cerritos College, not Stonehenge in England. Instructions
for how to do this are on the astronomy 106 web
page.
1. solstices
2. equinoxes
3. lunar standstills
4. lunar eclipses
5. solar eclipses
1. Where did the people come from and how do they relate to other cultures of Britain?
2. What was their life like (what type of dwellings, what did they wear, did they farm or hunt, etc.)?
REMEMBER TO INCLUDE A BIBLIOGRAPHY! Also, put quotes in quotation marks and reference them immediately.
BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO PLAGIARIZE. It is very easy to copy things from books and web pages. I will be checking!
Model/Illustration
Make a set of Mayan lunar and solar eclipse tables for the years 1997 to 2006 following the instructions given in Stairways to the Stars on page 200. You should make these look as close as possible to the tables from the Dresden codex illustrated on page 112 (including the non-mathematical symbols at the appropriate positions).
a. Describe in detail how the table works. At a minimum you must
1. Describe (with illustrations) how the Mayan vigesimal number system works
2. Discuss in detail (must include diagrams) the conditions which must be satisfied for (a) a lunar eclipse and (b) a solar eclipse to occur.
3. Include a description of the saros cycle
4. Define the zenith passage, what your location must be for this phenomenon to occur, and how the Maya incorporated this into their calendar.
b. Show on a map the extent of Mayan culture at its peak. Map can be downloaded or pasted in, as long as boundaries and location is clearly marked, and the source of the map referenced.
c. Culture of the Maya
1. Where did the people come from and how do they relate to other cultures of Mesoamerica?
2. What was their life like (what type of dwellings, what did they wear, did they farm or hunt, etc.)?
d. What did the Maya believe about the cosmos, and to what practical uses did they apply their knowledge of astronomy? Be sure to discuss their beliefs concerning Venus and the cycles they identified for this planet.
REMEMBER TO INCLUDE A BIBLIOGRAPHY! Also, put quotes in quotation marks and reference them immediately.
BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO PLAGIARIZE. It is very easy to copy things from books and web pages. I will be checking!
The Greek Cosmos (Approach #1)
Prepare illustrations of at least four models of the universe suggested by the ancient Greeks. These illustrations may be physical models or drawings. At a minimum you must illustrate the models of (1) Thales, (2) Pythagoras, (3) Eudoxus, (4) Aristarchus, and (5) Ptolemy
a. Discuss each model, in particular describe in detail how each model accounted for these celestial motions:
1. night and day
2. the year
3. the month
4. the observed motion of the stars, the sun, the moon and the planets
b. Write brief biographies (including when and where they lived) and major contributions of the following people:
1. Thales
2. Eudoxus
3. Pythagoras
4. Aristotle
5. Aristarchus
6. Eratosthenes
7. Ptolemy
c. Culture of Ancient Greece
1. Show on a map the extent of Greek culture in classical antiquity from its beginnings through the Roman Empire. Map can be downloaded or pasted in, as long as boundaries and major locations are clearly marked and the source of the map referenced.
2. What was their life like (what type of dwellings, what did they wear, did they farm or hunt, etc.)?
d. Discuss in depth why the Greeks are usually considered forerunners of what we call science. How are these Greek cosmological models related to our present day view of the universe?
1. Thales
2. Eudoxus
3. Pythagoras
4. Aristotle
5. Aristarchus
6. Eratosthenes
7. Ptolemy
For each of these philosophers you should include:
· A brief summary of the time in which they lived. What did they wear and eat? What type of home did they live in? Did they farm or hunt? What was a typical day for someone living in this time? What did the map look like? (Which countries were known? Where were the borders? How big was the Greek empire at that time?)
· A brief summary of their life. Where and when were they born? Died? Where did they live? What did they do for a living? Add anything you can find about their lives!
· An extensive summary of their model of the Universe. Discuss how each model accounted for the night and day, the month, the year, and the observed motions of the stars, Sun, Moon, and planets.
· A physical model or illustration of their model of the Universe. Drawings, paintings, pictures, sculptures, etc. will be accepted. They should be correct and properly labeled.
After you have discussed these many things, you should look at the Greek contributions to Astronomy as a whole. Discuss in depth why the Greeks are usually considered forerunners of what we call science. How are these Greek cosmological models (each and every one) related to our present day view of the universe?
REMEMBER TO INCLUDE A BIBLIOGRAPHY! Also, put quotes in quotation marks and reference them immediately.
BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO PLAGIARIZE. It is very easy to copy things from books and web pages. I will be checking!
History of the Telescope
Prepare illustrations of (1) a refracting telescope (2) a reflecting telescope. If you decide to make models, they do not have to work, but whatever your medium of illustration, all of the key components should be labeled, and should include a mounting as well as the optical elements. The telescope designs can be either historic or contemporary.
a. Explain in detail (with diagrams) how each telescope works. At a minimum you must identify and define:
1. The objective
2. The eyepiece
3. The focal length/focal point
4. Magnification
5. Primary mirror
6. Secondary mirror
7. Alta-azimuth mounting
8. Equatorial mounting
b. Trace the development of the telescope from the earliest times to the present day. Be sure to include mini biographies of the following people, along with their contributions to telescope design and construction.
1. Hans Lippershey
2. Galileo
3. Isaac Newton
4. William Herschel
5. Lord Rosse
6. George Ellery Hale
c. Discuss in detail the impact on astronomy of the following significant telescopes:
1. Galileo’s telescope
2. William Herschel’s telescopes
3. The Mount Wilson 100 inch telescope
d. Discuss and describe the following telescopes of the present day:
1. The world’s largest optical telescope (10 meter Keck)
2. The Hubble space telescope
3. Radio, infrared, and x-ray telescopes.
REMEMBER TO INCLUDE A BIBLIOGRAPHY! Also, put quotes in quotation marks and reference them immediately.
BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO PLAGIARIZE. It is very easy to copy things from books and web pages. I will be checking!
The Trial of Galileo
Write a play or a set of newspaper columns on the trial of Galileo by they Office of the Holy See. The play doesn’t have to follow the actual trial, but should include all the issues and the major players. If you try for a newspaper format it should include factual reporting, editorial, and op-ed pieces.
Paper
a. Explain in detail the issues involved on both sides
b. Give brief biographies and describe the roles played by :
1. Cardinal Maffeo Barberini (Pope Urban VIII)
2. Gianfrancesco Sagredo
3. Father Caccini
4. Cardinal Bellarmine
5. Galileo Galilei
c. Describe the culture of Renaissance Italy including a discussion of (1) politics, (2) art, and (3) religion and philosophy
d. Discuss current issues involving science and society. Discuss similarities and differences in present day concerns and those of the renaissance.
REMEMBER TO INCLUDE A BIBLIOGRAPHY! Also, put quotes in quotation marks and reference them immediately.
BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO PLAGIARIZE. It is very easy to copy things from books and web pages. I will be checking!
Prepare either a model or a detailed illustration of a rocket. The model has to be more than simply a tube with a pointed end; it should have areas labeled for fuel tanks, payload, motors, exhaust, etc. Similarly, an illustration should include a cut-away, showing the interior working parts.
Paper
a. Explain in detail (including diagrams) how a rocket works and why, at present, there is no alternative to the rocket for space exploration.
b. Discuss the early ideas of travel beyond the earth, including (1) the Icarus myth, (2) the science fiction of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, and (3) the early speculations of Arthur C. Clarke.
c. Discuss space exploration in the twentieth century including:
1. V-2 rockets
2. A brief biography of Werner von Braun
3. Sputnik satellite
4. Brief biography of Yuri Garganan
5. Mercury and Gemini spacecraft
6. Brief biography of John Glenn
7. Apollo moon missions
8. A brief biography of Neil Armstrong
9. Pioneer, Voyager, Viking, and Mariner planetary probes
d. Discuss space missions planned for the 21st century:
1. Manned missions
2. Unmanned planetary probes and telescopes
REMEMBER TO INCLUDE A BIBLIOGRAPHY! Also, put quotes in quotation marks and reference them immediately.
BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO PLAGIARIZE. It is very easy to copy things from books and web pages. I will be checking!