Astro 28D: Field Astronomy at Mono Hot Springs - Sept 30-Oct 2, 2011

Schedule

Aug 30 Tue at 5:30 pm Room 705:
Orientation and sign-ups.

Sept 29 at Thur 5pm to ~8pm in room 706 (Planetarium)
Pre-trip meeting. Distribute maps, carpooling, logistics, food, and lecture/planetarium presentation on the formation of the solar system, and special emphasis on comets and asteroids. Mandatory if you want a good grade!

Sept 30 - Fri evening.
Arrive at the campground as soon as you can. Plan on eating on the road so when you arrive you can be ready for Friday night around the telescope, lecture on stars, the summer Milky Way and demonstration of the sun's place within the galaxy. Study of Comet Garradd. Till ~12:30am

Oct 1: Sat morning 3am: Occultation by Automedon. I'll videorecord and you can learn how it's done and how the equipment is set up, and watch the recording. The entire event will last only seconds.

Oct 1 -Sat morning 8am.
8am: Group Breakfast prep (French Crepes!).

10am - Hike to Doris Lake, stopping for "micro-lectures" along the way with chemical composition of the Earth's crust, origin of elements.

Lunch - above the lake, with more lectures on the differences between the inner planets geology and planetary evolution.

2pm - Return to camp, prepare for 2nd hike to Little Eden Spring, (1/2 mile uphill hike). Lectures on the formation and evolution of California and the Sierra. Contrast with that of other planets and the moon.

4pm - Lecture on cosmology, the origin of the universe at Little Eden Hot Spring.

6pm - Dinner prep at camp.

7:30pm - At the telescopes for more studies; star clusters, galaxies, demo of moving Comet Garradd and changing appearance. More explorations of the Milky Way galaxy, showing stars with known planetary systems as a bonus.

Oct 2 - Sunday
8am: Breakfast prep

9:30am Lecture at hot springs across the river, on planetary processes relevant to hot spring formation, and final pages of the handout lecture material on origin/evolution of the inner planets and principles which apply. Distribute final exams with instructions.