Online reading assignment: atmosphere problems, quantum leaps, sun's outer layers (NC campus)

Astronomy 210, fall semester 2012
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
Section 70160 (North county campus)

Students have a weekly online reading assignment (hosted by SurveyMonkey.com), where they answer questions based on reading their textbook, material covered in previous lectures, opinion questions, and/or asking (anonymous) questions or making (anonymous) comments. Full credit is given for completing the online reading assignment before next week's lecture, regardless if whether their answers are correct/incorrect. Selected results/questions/comments are addressed by the instructor at the start of the following lecture.

The following questions were asked on reading textbook chapters and previewing presentations on problems caused by the atmosphere for telescope observing, quantum leaps, and the sun's outer layers.

Selected/edited responses are given below.

Describe something you found interesting from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally interesting for you.

"I never knew the reason that stars twinkle is because of the atmosphere full of air. I always thought it was because of the fact that stars are giant balls of burning gas appearing to twinkle as they burn."

"The comparison between the view from underwater to the surface, and the view from Earth's surface to the sky! I personally love to lay underwater with a snorkel and look above, it looks really cool. It makes it a little easier to understand because I actually do that sometimes."

"Astronomers have to avoid society to be able to see faint stars because of light pollution and radio interference."

Describe something you found confusing from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally confusing for you.

"That the sun has sunspots that are cool, because you wouldn't think that something like the sun could be cool."

"Pretty much the whole section on atoms. I had difficulty seeing the correlation with everything."

Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.

"As a 'non-sciencey' (probably not a real word) person I am having a hard time grasping some of the more technical subjects of this class. I am now spending more time on the flashcard questions, studying them on my own time, and I think that is helping me. If you have any other advice I would really appreciate it. (-:" Sounds like you are doing what many students in past semesters have suggested as being helpful. Remember that you can e-mail me about flashcard questions or other topics up until 10:00 PM the night before the quiz, and I will attempt to respond to you sometime later that night (or very early that morning).