Protractor

     Lab 1: 
Angles and Scales



Additional information may be found in the textbook in chapter 1, section 1.1 on page 4, and chapter 2. See also Table 2.1 on page 39.


Welcome to the wonderful world of astronomy here at Georgia State University! Hopefully you are taking this class because you have some interest in the subject (and because it fills your science lab requirement) and not just because it fills out your schedule this semester...

Throughout this course you will be introduced to a variety of topics in the broad scheme of astronomy. What you learn in the laboratory exercises is meant to supplement and clarify what is discussed in the lectures. You will be tested on the lab material, though, as well as the lecture material, so make sure that you understand what is being asked of you in each case. If for any reason you do not understand the objectives, ASK SOMEONE!! Your lab instructor is a great place to start. Since the labs are made up of 25 students or less, it is a lot easier for the instructor to get to know you and give more individualized attention. But it is still good to know your professor. The way the lab side of the course is taught, there are a lot of basic skills that you will need to master and as the course progresses, these skills will build on each other more and more. That is why you really need to make sure you understand what each lab is about.

This first lab that you will be doing has a lot of the basics that are needed throughout the course. Part of the first lab meeting is spent going over all the introductions and general housekeeping things that need to be done at the beginning of each new semester. This does not mean that you should skip the class on the assumption that nothing is really covered on the first week. You will be doing a lab at the first lab meeting and it will be for a grade.



Here are some of the general things that are covered on the first week of lab:

Your lab instructor will introduce himself or herself and tell you how you can get in contact with them if you need to see them outside of class time. We are usually easy to find, especially with access to the internet. At Georgia State University, the Physics and Astronomy department is one department with one chairman, even though Physics and Astronomy are in separate buildings. There is a general web page for the entire department at www.phy-astr.gsu.edu. From there you can get to the Astronomy page at www.chara.gsu.edu. From the astronomy web page you can find listings for all of the professors and lab instructors including office numbers and e-mail addresses.

Your lab instructor will also go over the lab syllabus and the general rules of the classroom. One of the major rules is show up for the lab time to which you are assigned. Most of the classes are full and there are many labs where there is not enough equipment to go around if a few more students decide to randomly show up for a different class time. If for some reason you feel you need to change lab times, either permanently or for one week, you must clear it with the lab coordinator, John Wilson. You are responsible for all of the information on the lab syllabus whether or not the instructor reads it out to you, so keep it handy. Among other things that you will find on it is a schedule of which lab you will do each week since not all of the labs are in the book and they are not always done in numerical order.

Another thing that your lab instructor will go over is the observing session requirement. Every student in ASTR 1010 and 1020 is expected to go to one (1) observing session per class term. (This means that you are expected to go once when taking 1010 and once when taking 1020.) The sessions are held in the evening at Georgia State on the roof of the Urban Life building, at Agnes Scott College's Bradley Observatory in Decatur, or at GSU's Hard Labor Creek Observatory in Rutledge. Students may also attend public sessions at the Fernbank Science Center (the old building, not the new museum). The sessions are short and informal, though total time depends on how clear the sky is that night and how many students show up. The purpose of these sessions is to allow the students to actually see how the telescopes and observatories work. There is a schedule put out every semester listing about 15 to 20 sessions to choose from, but please note that they can be cancelled due to weather, so call the information number that is listed to make sure the session is still planned for that evening. Also note that the open house sessions at HLCO and ASC each month are held rain or shine. Note: there is a separate observing schedule for 1010 and 1020 students.



The purpose of this lab is to refresh your memory, or perhaps to teach you, about how to properly use a compass and protractor. There are two main sections of this lab. The first section focuses on angular measurements and using a protractor, while the second section focuses on drawing with a compass and following directions.

Measuring Angles Drawing Angles Scale Drawings of the Solar System Remember:   Everything that is covered in this lab you are expected to be able to repeat later. If you have trouble using a protractor or compass, please get help from either your lab instructor or someone else because you will be using them a lot in future labs.




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