Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
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.
"Always wondered why large observatories were located in such remote locations."Describe something you found confusing from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally confusing for you.
"The sun, because it's something we see everyday but don't fully understand yet."
"Light pollution--you don't really take into account how many stars you can't see because of all the lights."
"Astronomers no longer study the sky by mapping constellations or charting the phases of the moon, and now the modern astronomers analyze light using sophisticated instruments and techniques to investigate the compositions, motions, internal processes, and evolution of celestial objects. This is personally interesting to see how far astronomers have come from basic understanding to a more complete understanding of what happens in the universe."
"How two or more scopes (interferometer) working together accomplish what a larger single (more expensive) telescope would do, in terms of resolving power."
"Seeing all the different types of telescopes in class. It's totally different reading about it in the textbook than actually getting to look at one in person. It helps me because I am a 100% visual learner."
"How electromagnetic waves can travel through empty space."
"The excitation of atoms. The quantum chemistry laws went over my head."Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.
"How does turbulence in the atmosphere make the stars look like they are twinkling in the night sky?"
"Are we going to be put into groups every class?" (Yes, nearly every class you will be working in a different assigned group on an in-class activity.)
"How exactly does the diameter of a lens or mirror in a telescope determine its resolving power?" (A crude analogy would be thinking of light passing through a telescope like water coming out of a nozzle at the end of a hose--light passing through a narrower telescope lens or mirror will spread out like water passing through a narrow nozzle, losing its "directionality," which means fine details will be lost.)
"How do several telescopes work together as one (in an interferometer)? How is the light they gather combined to form one image?" (The light from each telescope is reflected through several mirrors and directed to reach the same detector simultaneously. Think of several separate mirrors that gather and reflect sunlight, and direct their beams and focusing them to the same spot (in this case, to cook something.) Now think of these several separate mirrors gathering and reflecting light from the same star during the night, directing their beams and focusing them to the same spot (in this case, a digital camera detector.))
"How do they put a telescope on a plane and make it stable? I have never been on a plane that would be stable enough for viewing space with a telescope, or even stable enough to not have to worry about my in-flight beverage spilling." (The airplane observatory flies at high altitudes when the air is clear and calm, and the telescope is also mounted such that it can be automatically stabilized independently of the airplane's motion.)
"If you can help cover the material we need to know in class it would help a lot, I've been very busy lately and haven't had much time to study." (I'm trying to "flip" the instruction in this class, where the presentations I would normally lecture during class is posted verbatim on the blog for students to read before coming to class, and to review after class. The intent is to only cover the material in class that students have trouble understanding on their own, as time allows. On occasion just a few minor concepts may need clarification in class, or sometimes the entire presentation may need to be gone over in class--so please come to class as prepared as possible so you can let me know what you need further explanation on in these online reading assignments, and I'll adapt the level and amount of instruction in each class accordingly.)
"Where can we learn to swing dance?" (The Cal Poly Swing Club (http://sloswing.com/) has beginner and intermediate lessons on Sunday afternoons during the school year.)
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