A Staircase Plan for Observational Astronomy Instruction

9352030 正如罗伯特·巴拉德（泰坦尼克号的发现者）所说，“科学是一项接触运动”，但直到最近，这项技术才能让入门学生真正接触天文学的“接触运动”。在该计划的第一步，所有入门课程的学生（包括没有实验室的学生）使用运行旅行者天文馆程序的Macintosh微型计算机控制10”望远镜独立于教师观察物体。虽然他们被要求观察一个共同的核心对象，这是中央的课程，他们正在采取，他们也研究对象，他们选择自己，所以介绍给双方的兴奋和挫折的接触体育天文学。在第二步中，参加实验室宇宙学课程的学生通过使用连接到望远镜的CCD相机并与微型计算机连接来进行成像和测光，从而建立这种经验。 到课程结束时，他们可以有足够的经验进行为期两周的自行设计的研究项目，如监测变星和寻找超新星，所以是天文学接触运动的积极参与者。在步骤3中，学生采取观测天文学进行广泛的自我设计的研究项目，如确定超新星的光变曲线，做快速移动的小行星天体测光，监测活动星系，观测变星。在第四步中，高级课程的学生继续这些项目，其中一些将是可重复的。在第5步，天文学专业和未成年人做个人研究能够做更复杂的论文比以前可能的。已经进行了设备测试和成功的试点计划，以证明该项目的大部分可行性。 这是第一个使用旅行者控制计算机化望远镜的项目，这项技术在全国天文学教育中具有重要的潜力。 ***

9352030 Barker As Robert Ballard (the discoverer of the Titanic) has said, "Science is a contact sport," but it was not until recently that the technology has become available to give introductory students a genuine exposure to the "contact sport" of astronomy. In Step 1 of the program, students in all introductory courses (including those without laboratories) use Macintosh microcomputers running the Voyager planetarium program to control 10" telescopes to observe objects independently of the instructor. Although they are asked to observe a common core of objects that are central to the course they are taking, they also study objects that they select themselves and so are introduced to both the excitement and frustration of the contact sport of astronomy. In Step 2, students taking the laboratory Cosmology course build on this experience by using CCD cameras attached to the telescopes and interfaced to the microcomputers to do imaging and photometry. By the end of the course, they can be experienced enough to carry out two-week self-designed research projects such as monitoring variable stars and looking for supernovae and so are active participants in the contact sport of astronomy. In Step 3, students taking Observational Astronomy carry out extensive self-designed research projects such as determining light curves of supernovae, doing photometry of fast-moving asteroidal objects, monitoring active galaxies, and observing variable stars. In Step 4, students in upper-level courses continue with these projects, some of which will be publishable. In Step 5, Astronomy majors and minors doing Individual Research are able to do much more sophisticated theses than was previously possible. Equipment tests and a successful pilot program have been carried out to demonstrate the feasibility of much of this project. This is the first project to use Voyager to control a computerized telescope, a technology that has s ignificant potential for astronomy education nationally. ***