A Staircase Plan for Observational Astronomy Instruction

9352030巴克正如罗伯特·巴拉德(泰坦尼克号的发现者)所说，“科学是一项接触性的运动”，但直到最近，这项技术才出现，让初级学生真正接触到天文学的“接触性运动”。在该计划的第一步中，所有入门课程(包括那些没有实验室的课程)的学生使用运行旅行者天文馆计划的Macintosh微型计算机来控制10英寸望远镜，以独立于教员观察物体。虽然他们被要求观察对他们所选课程至关重要的物体的共同核心，但他们也研究自己选择的物体，因此他们被介绍给天文学这项接触运动的兴奋和沮丧。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上的CCD相机和连接到微型计算机的接口来进行成像和测光，以此来建立这种体验。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，因此他们是天文学接触运动的积极参与者。在第三步，学观测天文学的学生广泛开展自己设计的研究项目，如确定超新星的光曲线，进行快速运动的小行星物体的光度测量，监测活动星系，以及观测变星。在第四步中，高级课程的学生继续进行这些项目，其中一些项目将会出版。在第五步中，天文学专业的学生和从事个人研究的辅修生能够完成比以前更复杂的论文。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号控制计算机化望远镜的项目，这项技术对S来说，在全国天文学教育中具有巨大的潜力。***

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. ***