ASTR 115 Planetary Astronomy

Welcome! Buckle your space belts...

You have signed up for an intense adventure. Through rigorous and challenging study, you will create a mental map of the solar system. This is a course for the motivated, self-disciplined student. If that describes you, you can explore space!

I am Dave Kary and I will be your instructor. You can find out more about me (including contact information) using the Instructor link at the left of this page.

This page is designed as an introduction to the course, and it is available to folks who have and have not registered for the class.

There are several things you need to do right away:

If you are checking out this course and would like to learn more about it:

• Have a look at the Syllabus and the Elements of the course.
• Register for this course at Citrus College.
  This class always fills very quickly, so make sure you register as soon as possible.

If you have already registered:

• E-mail me by Wednesday, September 1 at midnight to hold your place in the course.
  You must tell me your real name and your e-mail address. Until you have sent me an e-mail message, you can't assume that I can contact you. It would also be extremely helpful for you to give me a little information about your background in science and math (what you last took and how long ago; whether you remember it well, or it feels rusty, etc.) and about your expectations for this course. This course usually has a long waiting list, and I set this early deadline so I can admit students from the list. You will know I have your correct address when you receive an e-mail copy of my welcome letter. If I don't have your address, you will be dropped!
• Of course, you will need to look over the Syllabus and the Elements of course.
• Make sure you have what you need to take this class:
  • a textbook, The Solar System, The Cosmic Perspective, 6th Edition by Jeffrey Bennett et. al., Addison Wesley. There are several versions of the book. Make sure you buy the 6th edition, covering the solar system, not stars and galaxies. Several chapters and problems sets have changed from older editions, so buying an older one may not work.
    You can buy your textbook at the Owl Bookshop at Citrus College, or at the Owl Bookshop Online . Also, make sure you register with the textbook web site, Mastering Astronomy, so that you can access the course tutorials. You will need the textbook for this.
  • a computer with a CD-ROM drive with a Java-enabled browser. (e.g. Netscape 7+, Microsoft Explorer 5.5+, or Firefox 1.5).
  • an e-mail account and Internet access.
  • a calculator that can compute in scientific notation.
• After August 30, check to make sure your account is activated on Blackboard (Note: I'm hoping to have this available a few days earlier, but it will certainly be up and running by the 30th. If it is available earlier, I will send an email message to everyone I can). This class will be using the Blackboard (see below) learning environment for most things, so you will need to be able to access it. Also, check your account information and make sure that the e-mail address listed for you is correct.
• If you are new to distance ed ("DE"), I recommend you attend the general DE Open House/Orientation: 5:30 to 6:30 pm, Wednesday, September 1, in the CFI/Community Center (the new building on the north side of campus). Folks there will be able to answer your questions about how distance education works. If you have already taken a distance ed class before, you probably won't need to attend this session. I will not be at the orientation on Wednesday evening.
• You can also try the Online Orientation at the distance education web site.
• Plan on attending our course's own orientation, which I highly recommend for all students. If you cannot attend, you should tell me beforehand so that I can send you the worksheet we will be going over. The orientation will be Wednesday, September 1 at 7 pm. in MA 225 .
• If you decide to drop the class, please send me an e-mail right away so I can admit a student from the waiting list.

If you want to register but couldn't because the course is full:

• If you would like to be on a waiting list, e-mail me after August 14. I will keep a waiting list in the order in which people contact me, however, I will not accept requests to be put on the waiting list until August 14. I will start adding people from the waiting list on or before Wednesday, September 1. The number I add depends on the number of students who drop or fail to contact me before then. I will then require that any student who adds does so before the end of the second week of classes (Friday, September 10). I will not add any more students after this date. Anyone starting more than two weeks late is already too far behind in this class.

• Update email on WingSpan so it will transfer to Blackboard
• Your WingSpan ID becomes your Blackboard Username
• Your WingSpan PIN number (six digits only) becomes your Blackboard password
• To change these on Blackboard requires you change them on WingSpan
• Data will be transferred from WingSpan to Blackboard on a regular basis

Once you get to the welcome page, click on the Planetary Astronomy course link on the right, and you will go to the course site. Please be familiarized yourself with the course site and if you have any questions please email your instructor with your concern. Get your textbook and get started with your initial assignments. A major key to your success in this course will be keeping up with both the reading and the other assignments.   

If you have a disability documented by a physician or other appropriate professional and wish to discuss academic accommodations, please contact the DSP&S office at (626) 914-8675. Please discuss your accommodations with me by email and be sure to allow at least one week to arrange appropriate accommodations.