ASTR 220 Collisions in Space

Fall 2004

You may contact Dr. Hayes-Gehrke at avondale@astro.umd.edu or x5-5099.

You may contact Ms. Brenneman at lwb@astro.umd.edu or x5-2693.

ASTR 220 Fall 2004 course grades have been submitted (as of 11:30am Wednesday). I don't know how long it will take the grades to get through the system. You can check your grades at http://www.testudo.umd.edu/apps/grades/.

You can make an appointment with me to stop by and see your final exam and pick up your last homework. I will be available the afternoons of Dec. 15 and 16, and the morning of Dec. 17. I will also be available intermittently next week. Send me an email (address above). I can't email your grades, but if you call me I can give them to you over the phone.

Enjoy the winter break.

-- Dr. Hayes-Gehrke

Homeworks

Homework 1, due Thursday, September 9, 2004

Homework 1 solutions

Homework 2, due Tuesday, September 21, 2004.

Homework 2 solutions.

Homework 3, due Tuesday, October 5, 2004.

Homework 3 solutions.

Homework 4, due Thursday, October 21, 2004.

Homework 4 solutions.

Homework 5, due Thursday, October 28, 2004.

Homework 5 solutions.

Homework 6, due Thursday, November 4, 2004.

Homework 6 solutions.

Homework 7, due Thursday, November 18, 2004.

Homework 7 solutions.

Homework 8, due Tuesday, November 30, 2004. Gal Crash simulator.

Homework 8 Solutions.

Homework 9, due Thursday, December 9, 2004.

Homework 9 Solutions.

Solutions to class discussion of Night Comes to the Cretaceous.

Solutions to the first midterm.

Solutions to the second midterm.

Links to some reviews of scientific notation:

College Algebra Tutorial on Scientific Notation from West Texas A&M university
whatis?com definition of scientific notation

Some Interesting Astronomy Links

General Astronomy

Astronomy Picture of the Day: current and historical images with explanations by professional astronomers
Robert Gendler's Astroimaging Gallery, which has some amazing amateur astronomy images
Powers of Ten, similar to the classic movie
Bad Astronomy -- examples of bad astronomy in the media and the real explanation
SPACE.com, which has astronomical and astronautical news
Find out when bright satellites such as Mir, the International Space Station and other will be visible in your location at Heavens Above
The Nine Planets, a nifty multimedia tour of the solar system. Very comprehensive.
An awesome solar system simulator that uses satellite images

Spacecraft Missions

The NASA homepage
Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn

Collisions

Info on the Shoemaker-Levy 9 collision with Jupiter
Rogue Star, a simulation that lets you send a "rogue star" into the solar system and see how the gravitational fields interact. Lot's of fun to break up the solar system.
Violence in the Cosmos, a good site on the "Explosive Processes and the Evolution of the Universe" with lots of pics and definitions.

Earth Impact Hazards

Near Earth Object Program at NASA
Asteroid and Comet Impact Hazards Website, run by NASA
B612 Foundation, which is dedicated to significantly altering the orbit of a near-Earth asteroid by 2015

The image in the background of this page was taken by Debra Meloy Elmegreen and colleges at Vassar College and the Hubble Heritage Team at the Space Telescope Science Institute.