ASTR430:
The Solar System, Spring 2026
ASTR430 Course Description
I have two main objectives in teaching ASTR430. First, I want you all
to gain a basic knowledge of the Solar System: its origin, the
interesting and diverse worlds that orbit within it, and the remnant
debris left over from its creation. We will learn about the history of
Planetary Science as it grew from one practitioner in the 1940s to
over 1500 active scientists worldwide today and its meteoritic rise
due primarily to the spectacular results of the U.S. and Soviet space
programs. We will see the results of titanic collisions and mammoth
volcanoes, peer through the murky atmospheres of worlds whose surfaces
we can barely see, and speculate on Solar System niches where
extraterrestrial life may exist. Scientists working in Planetary
Science come from many fields including geology, chemistry, physics,
astronomy, mathematics, fluid dynamics, and biology. Similarly, the
class textbook, Fundamental Planetary
Science, utilizes results from a wide diversity of different
sciences. One of my primary goals in ASTR430 is that you thoroughly
read and understand all of the chapters from this excellent
textbook. We will cover about a chapter per week and, to help motivate
you to keep up the reading pace, there will occasionally be short
quizzes on the reading. We will also spend at least 15 minutes per
lecture discussing the reading. This will work best if you all bring
questions and comments on the reading to class so that you can
contribute to the discussion.
My second main objective in ASTR430 is to help you develop your
problem solving skills. I assume that you all have had at least one
year of college Physics, and have some familiarity with differential
equations. Having the necessary prerequisites for this class, however,
does not necessarily make you a good problem solver. There are a
number of excellent techniques that you can and should use to improve
ou ability at problem solving (see Hints
for Problem Solving). These techniques are powerful and general,
and can be used in your other classes as well as this one. We will
spend the semester working on your problem solving skills, which you
will have a chance to practice on homework assignments, and to perfect
on the midterms and the final exam. Depending on student interest, we
may also have informal problem solving sessions prior to homework
deadlines.
Assignments and Grading
There are several types of assignments in ASTR430 listed below.
- Homeworks: The homework assignments
are meant to help you improve your problem solving skills. The
problems will cover aspects of planetary physics
and will emphasize using the basic conservation laws of Physics
(Energy, Momentum, and Angular Momentum).
- Midterms: The two midterms will emphasize
problem solving and will also include questions relating to the
reading, lectures, and class discussions. Problems will be similar to,
but easier than, those on the homework assignments.
- Final: The two-hour final exam will be
similar in format to the midterm. It will be cumulative, covering
the whole course, but with emphasis on the material after the last midterm.
- Presentation: You'll each have an opportunity to
read and present to the class material from one of the
book chapters. Public speaking can be scary, but is an extremely
important life skill. The idea here is to practice this skill in a
safe non-threatening space.
- Participation: Between 15 minutes and 1/2
hour of each class will be devoted to a class discussion of the
assigned reading. These discussions are more fun, more interesting,
and more relevant if you take an active role in contributing to them.
Maximum participation scores will be awarded to students who keep up
with the reading, regularly post interesting topics and questions to
Reading Log, and actively help to shape classroom discussions.
In addition, there will occasionally be quizzes on the assigned reading.
I grade on a point scale with different assignments weighted as shown
in this table.
| ASSIGNMENT |
Homework |
Midterms |
Final |
Presentation |
Participation |
Total |
| POINTS |
150 |
150 |
150 |
75 |
125 |
650 |
The number of points required to get a given grade will depend on the
class average. In addition, getting 90%, 80%, 68%, 55% of the total
possible points guarantees at least an A, B, C, D, respectively. You can
monitor my current estimate of your grade as the semester progresses
from the What's my Grade Right Now? link on the class webpage.
Late or Missing Work
If you are going to miss a day of class when there is a major in-class
assignment (midterm or final), it is essential that you let me
know in advance. No makeup work is allowed after the deadline without
my prior approval.
- Homeworks: Homeworks must be in by the due
date. If you will be away that day, please slip it under the door to
my office before the deadline or have a friend hand it in for you.
- Midterms and Final: Please make every effort to
be in class for these important exams. In exceptional cases, I will
arrange for a makeup exam.
Missing work gets a zero - not recommended.
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