20181113

Online reading assignment: the Milky Way (NC campus)

Astronomy 210, fall semester 2018
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 the Milky Way's shape, size and composition and spiral arm structure and formation.


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.
"Learning that the stars in the Milky Way are continuously being born and dying. I know we've gone over spiral arms of galaxies in lab, but it's a little more interesting to discuss their characteristics and make-up in more detail."

"How much we can and can't see in the night sky from Earth."

"I liked all of the pictures of the galaxy because they were pleasing to my eyes That by judging the motion of globular clusters we can find the center of the Milky Way. Dark matter making gravity everywhere."

"The radio wave map of the Milky Way, because I never knew that you would be able to see it."

"I found the Milky Way's spiral arm existence and possibility to be interesting because I never considered how much it takes for the arms to exist."

"The whole presentation about the Milky Way interested me. I really love galaxies and think they're fascinating. I also liked the first picture that you posted that showed the stars and Milky Way right above you."

"Those spinning lights are cool how they work but are ugly on cars. I think the idea is cool but the actual use of it is a letdown."

"In the spiral arms of the Milky Way there is a massive of stars that are born and than die at certain times as they orbit which helps to create an illusion."

Describe something you found confusing from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally confusing for you.
"Dark matter--I feel like I need more explanation on it."

"The pulsar periods of Cepheid stars, and I don't known exactly how much of the galaxy we can observe from Earth. Best guess 10% because compared to the rest of our galaxy, the solar system alone is just puny."

"Dark matter. I've read up on it before, but it's still a very abstract concept to me."

"I don't understand tracing the spiral arms. The O- and B-type stars threw me off."

"It took me a while to see and figure out the orbits and mass of the globular clusters."

"Global clusters and positioning."

"I would like to know more about how O- and B-type stars work."

"I would like more explanation on density waves."

"Dark matter seems a little confusing. We know it's there but we don't really know what it is."

"I was confused and really didn't understand how the globular clusters helps or tell us determine the shape of our galaxy."

"I didn't really find anything to be confusing."

In your experience, how much of the "Milky Way" (the band of faint stars across the celestial sphere) have you been able to see in the night sky?
As much as can be seen with the naked eye.  ******* [7]
Not very much.  **** [4]
Barely seen it.  [0]
(Never been able to see it.)  [0]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)  [0]

Using the most powerful light-gathering optical telescopes in the darkest skies, __________ of the stars in our entire galaxy can be observed from Earth.
1%.  *** [3]
5%.  ** [2]
10%.  ***** [5]
50%.  [0]
100%.  [0]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)  * [1]

If you did not have access to a mirror while camping, what could you do to find out whether or not you're having a bad hair day?
"Ask somebody. Unless I'm camping alone, I'd either use my phone camera or feel my hair out myself."

"Reflective water, or wear a hat."

"Look into water for your reflection."

"Look into very still water."

"On a reflection from the water."

"Use my phone, duhhhh."

"I really wouldn't mind how my hair looks if I didn't have a mirror while camping my hair is usually up in a bun and its pretty much trained to look the way I wanted."

"Feel around your head to see if your hair is going crazy or not."

Look at PimpStar Rims (*.html) for cars, or MonkeyLectric Rims (*.html) for bikes. Briefly explain how they work.
"With a microprocessor and a large set of LED lights, they they programmed to activate and create images if observed in motion. The illusion, known as the persistence of vision illusion, is difficult to explain, but the process is very simple. Easier to understand if observed."

"They work by projecting an image through rotating motion."

"Pimpstar Rims work by sending the images to the wheels via wifi. I'm not clicking on the other link because it deleted my whole survey!"

"They use wifi to project a image on the wheels using LED lights. You can have the same one on all them or a different one all of them."

"They work by using rapidly blinking lights coordinated to create patterns when swept across our field of view."

"There are set points made out of bright lights to create an image on the rims, as they move quickly we see the image."

"Computers using microprocessors and LED lights to create words, images, or designs."

"A series of LED lights are used to create an image while a car tire is turned. Each picture is sent over wifi and controlled with a computer."

"I think because they both have lights that flash in them. As they spin or are in motion the light can stay as a solid pattern. It's the same for the cars, bikes or MonkeyLectric rims--the lights seem to create a solid pattern."

Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.
"Do you have PimpStar Rims?" (On my bike. If you see me rolling at night, don't be hating.)

Can we do a small party just because? And do you know anyone who builds custom lights in the area?"

"Please pass me with a C, lol."

"I'm nervous about my grade, is there going to be more extra credit offered?" (Yes, next week in the study hour just before the midterm.)

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