Astronomical Observation Lab

Owner	Bachelor Natuur- en Sterrenkunde (joint degree)
Coordinator	Rudy Wijnands
Part of	Minor Natuurkunde en Sterrenkunde, year 1Minor Physics and Astronomy: Astronomy, year 1Bachelor Physics and Astronomy (Joint Degree), year 3

Course manual 2018/2019

Course content

During this practicum the students will obtain spectroscopic data using the telescopes and instrumentation of the Anton Pannekoek Observatorium. The students will get familiar with the techniques and methods and will understand the importance of spectroscopy for astronomy and astrophysics. The students will choice a target (from a list of targets) and they will write a proposal to observe this target to obtain the desired (astro-)physical information from it. The proposal will be evaluated and graded by their fellow students using a peer review system. The students will perform their proposed observations themselves (under guidance of a teaching assistant) using the available telescopes and spectrographs of the observatory. After the observations have been completed successfully, the students will reduce and analyze the obtained data themselves using the available software packages. The students will present their results during a presentation in front of the class, in which they also will interpret the results and draw conclusions about the scientific questions they wanted to address with their observations.

Study materials

Practical training material

• Manuals on how to observe with the difference instruments

Software

• Data analysis software; partly in Python

Other

• College slides via Canvas. Additional literature (also via Canvas).

Objectives

• Learn how to work with the telescopes and spectroscopic instruments of the Anton Pannekoek Observatory
• Learn how to  plan observations
• Learn the basic concepts with respect to spectroscopy and the power of this technique for astronomy and astrophysics
• Learn how to perform the planned observations and how to reduce the obtained data.
• Learn how to interpret the observations and obtain physical properties of the selected targets.

Teaching methods

• (Computer)practicum
• Zelfstudie
• Zelfstandig werken aan bijv. project/scriptie
• Begeleiding/feedbackmoment
• Hoorcollege
• Presentatie/symposium
• Lecture
• Self-study
• Presentation/symposium
• Working independently on e.g. a project or thesis

- The lectures are needed to learn the basic concepts of spectroscopy, observing, and planning observations. The students are expected to attend the lectures, watch and study the associated online video's, and to perform self study with the given lecture notes.

- Using a practice observing run during daytime (of the day time sky, either blue or cloudy sky) the students will take observations using the same instruments as during the night time. With this observations the students will practice taken data and reducting and analysing the obtained data so that they are well prepared for the night time observation run. The daytime observations are performed betweein mid-September and mid-October.

- The night observations will start around mid-October and can last until Christmas. The students will observe in groups of 3 to 4 students and will be assisted by a teaching assistant (TA) throughout the night. After the basic introduction by the TAs in combination with the obtained experience during the daytime observing run, the students are expected to perform the observations mostly by themselves with only the basic guidance by the TAs.  The TAs will judge the quality of the observing the students performed (as well as the data reduction and analysis, see next point).

- After the observations, the students (with basic help and input of the TAs) will reduce, analyze and interpret their obtained data so that at the end of block 3 the students can present their results during a presentation in front of all students. Mostly this work will be done by the students themselves. The presentation will be judge by the lecturer and the TAs.

Learning activities

Academic skills

Not applicable.

Attendance

Programme's requirements concerning attendance (OER-B):

• Each student is expected to participate actively in each component of the programme that he/she signed up for. A student that does not attend the first two seminars of a course, will be administratively removed from the seminar group. A request for reregistration for the seminars can be applied to the programme coordinator.
• If a student cannot attend an obligatory component of a programme's component due to circumstances beyond his control, he must report in writing to the relevant teacher as soon as possible. The teacher, if necessary after consulting the study adviser, may decide to issue the student a replacing assignment.
• It is not allowed to miss obligatory commponents of the programme if there is no case of circumstances beyond one's control.
• In case of participating qualitatively or quantitatively insufficiently, the examiner can expel a student from further participation in the programme's component or a part of that component. Conditions for sufficient participation are set down in advance in the course manual.
• In addition to the above mentioned rules, in the first semester of the first year a student should be present in at least 80% of the seminars. Moreover, participation to midterm tests and obligatory homework is required. If the student does not comply with these obligations, the student is expelled from the resit of this course. Students in the double Bachelor's degree programme Mathematics and Physics are exempted from this requirement. In case of personal circumstances, as described in OER-A Article 6.4, a different study plan will be made in consultation with the study advisor.

Additional requirements for this course:

- It is highly desirable that the students are present during the lectures. If unable to be present, the students are expected to study the lecture notes of the miss lecture and to discuss the missed lecture with the other group members of the group they are assigned.

- All members of the group have to participate during the observing runs. If one group member cannot come, the group should not observe and should wait until the next observing opportunity arises *and* all group members can attend.

- All groups have to give a presentation during the final meeting at the end of block 3. All students of the group have to be present during the presentation.

 

 

Assessment

Item and weight	Details
Final grade

Fraud and plagiarism

The 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' applies to this course. This will be monitored carefully. Upon suspicion of fraud or plagiarism the Examinations Board of the programme will be informed. For the 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' see: www.student.uva.nl

Course structure

Timetable

The schedule for this course is published on DataNose.

Additional information

Recommended prior knowledge: Elementary knowledge of Optics, and first and second year astrophysics and physics courses.

Max. participants: 20 students. Students work in groups of typically 3 students.

Processed course evaluations

Below you will find the adjustments in the course design in response to the course evaluations.

Contact information

Coordinator

• Rudy Wijnands

Docenten

• Alicia Rouco Escorial, head TA
• Kelly Gourdji
• Deniz Aksulu

Technical support

• Rudy Wijnands
• Rasjied Sloot
• Esther Hanko