12.409
Full Description 12.409
Full Description
12s22 Hands-On Astronomy
Prof. James Elliot,
Dr. Andrew Rivkin,
Dr. Joanna Thomas-Osip
Prereq.: -
U(1)
0-6-0 [P/D/F]
Limited enrollment.
Initial Organizational Meeting:
Monday Jan. 7, 2001 at 7:00 pm, Room 37-562
In this seminar we explore the background and techniques of visual observation and imaging of the Moon, planets, and brighter deep-space objects using 8-inch telescopes. (Some sample images appear in our "photo album".) Telescope work begins with visual observing, then we advance to CCD (charge-coupled device) cameras. Each class observing session meets one evening a week. Whenever weather conditions permit us to observe outdoors we do so! In cloudy weather we'll try some astronomical computing and image processing indoors instead. Either way, virtually all the work for the seminar is done during the evening sessions, so students must attend section every session in order to pass. Past experience has been that if you're really enthusiastic about hands-on out-under-the-sky astronomy, enough to be willing to deal with dressing warmly, tinkering with equipment, and committing several hours a night for a few weeks, 12s22 is great fun! One student wrote, "Unlike most seminars, you will earn your units and, unlike most other MIT courses, you will look forward to doing it!"
But we'll be direct: 12s22 is not for everyone, and in past years many whose interest was merely casual found themselves unwilling to devote the necessary amount of time to the class. If your interest is only casual then consider whether a more typical astronomy survey subject (such as 12.400) might be a better choice, since it'll have more outside preparation time that you can rearrange at your discretion and less in-class time that you can't.
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Last modified 2002 Jan 2 |
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