Admission requirements
The course Praktische Sterrenkunde must be completed.
Participation in the La Palma trip is optional and only open to students who have obtained their first-year diploma (propedeuse) within one year.
Description
The Astronomy Lab and Observing Project will introduce students to the practical aspects of observational astronomy. The course consists of three main parts with the most important being the definition, execution and analysis of observations with the 2.5 m Isaac Newton Telescope (INT) on La Palma. The other two parts will introduce students to the handling of telescope images and the identification and analysis of objects and to the fitting of models to observational data. Each part is introduced in a lecture and carried out with the supervision of the assistants during practical classes using computers running Linux.
Course objectives
The course has several goals, aiming to prepare students for future practical research and to provide valuable lessons for all astronomical research. The main goals are:
Preparation, execution and analysis of astronomical observations with a professional telescope;
Practical error analysis;
Fitting of models to data, for instance using the weighted chi-square fit.
Soft skills
In this course, students will be trained in the following behaviour-oriented skills:
Problem solving (recognizing and analyzing problems, solution-oriented thinking)
Analytical skills (analytical thinking, abstraction, evidence)
Structured thinking (structure, modulated thinking, computational thinking, programming)
Complex ICT-skills (data analysis, programming, simulations, complex ICT applications)
Project management – planning, scope, boundaries, result-orientation
Responsibility – ownership, self-discipline, bear mistakes, accountability
Motivation – commitment, pro-active attitude, initiative
Self-regulation – independence, self-esteem, aware of own goals, motives and capacities
Written communication (writing skills, reporting, summarizing)
Collaboration – teamwork, group support, loyalty, attendance
Flexibility – adaptability, dealing with change, teachability, eagerness to learn
Critical thinking (asking questions, check assumptions)
Creative thinking – resourcefulness, curiosity, thinking out of the box
Integrity (honesty, moral, ethics, personal values)
Timetable
See Schedules bachelor Astronomy 2017-2018.
Mode of instruction
Lectures
Practical classes
Excursion to La Palma, one of the Canary Islands (participation is optional and limited to students having obtained their first-year diploma (propedeuse) within one year)
Assessment method
Written report
Poster presentation
The course is divided in three parts that count equally. The first two parts of the course are done on the basis of an obligatory report and the observing project is evaluated on the basis of the quality of the observing proposal, the preparation and execution of observations at the telescope and the final presentation of results in the form of a poster. The final grade is the average of the grade of the three sub-components to the course.
Blackboard
Lecture notes, additional readings and assignments will be provided on Blackboard. To have access, you need an ULCN account. More information:
Reading list
The necessary background material will be handed out during the course.
Registration
Register via uSis. More information about signing up for classes and exams can be found here. Exchange and Study Abroad students, please see the Prospective students website for information on how to register. For a la carte and contract registration, please see the dedicated section on the Prospective students website.
Contact information
Lecturer: Dr. Jarle Brinchmann
Lecturer: Dr. Reinout van Weeren
Assistants: Sebastiaan Haffert, Christos Georgiou, Esmee Stoop, Stefanie Brackenhoff
Remarks
None