Welcome! Buckle your space belts...

You have signed up for an intense adventure.  Through rigorous and challenging study, you will create a mental map of  the universe.  This is a course for the motivated, self-disciplined student.  If that describes you,  you can explore space!

I am Dave Kary and I will be your "lecture" instructor.  You can find out more about me (including contact information) using the Instructor button at the left of this page.

This page is designed as an introduction to the course, and it is available to folks who have and have not registered for the class.

There are several things you need to do right away:

If you are checking out this course and would like to learn more about it:

• Have a look at the Syllabus and the Elements of the course.
• Register for this course at Citrus College This class usually fills very quickly, so make sure you register as soon as possible.
• Very Important Note: This course has an associated lab which meets on campus. You must register for a lab at the same time you register for the lecture. You will have to select one of the four possible lab times: Monday at 7:00 - 10:10 p.m., Tuesday at 7-10:10 p.m., Wednesday at 7:00 - 10:10 p.m., or Thursday at 1:00 - 4:10 p.m. 

If you have already registered:

• E-mail me by Wednesday, February 22 at midnight to hold your place in the course. Until you have sent me an e-mail message, you can't assume that I can contact you. It would be extremely helpful for you to give me a little information about your background in science and math (what you last took and how long ago; whether you remember it well, or it feels rusty, etc.) and about your expectations for this course. This course always has a long waiting list, and I set this early deadline so I can admit students from the list. You will know I have your correct address when you receive an e-mail copy of my welcome letter. If I don't have your address, you will be dropped!

• You will need to look over the Syllabus and the Elements of course. 

• Make sure you have what you need to take this class:

  • A textbook, Stars, Galaxies, and Cosmology, The Cosmic Perspective, 6th Edition by Jeffrey Bennett et. al., Addison Wesley. There are several versions of the book. Make sure you buy the version covering the stars and galaxies, not the solar system.  Make sure you buy the 6th edition, covering stars and galaxies, not the Solar System. Also, if you have the 4th edition, 5th edition or a used copy of the 6th edition, you will need to purchase access to the textbook website directly from the publisher. Earlier editions of the textbook will not work for this class. Too much has changed in the chapters, questions, etc.
    
    You can buy your textbook at the Owl Bookshop at Citrus College, or at the Owl Bookshop Online . Also, make sure you register with the textbook web site, Mastering Astronomy, so that you can access the course tutorials. You will need the textbook for this. If you have a used book, you will have have to purchase access directly from this site.

   

  • A computer with a CD-ROM drive with a Java-enabled browser. Also, the Adobe reader software version 9 or later.

  • An e-mail account and Internet access.

  • A calculator that can compute in scientific notation.

• After February 22, check to make sure your account is activated on Blackboard. (Note: I'm hoping to have this available a few days earlier, but it will certainly be up and running by the 22rd. If it is available earlier, I will send an email message to everyone I can). This class will be using the Blackboard learning environment for most things, so you will need to be able to access it. Your account name and password will be the same as on Wingspan. Check on Wingspan to make sure that the e-mail address listed for you is correct.

• Plan on attending the one of the lab sessions in the first week (Monday and Tuesday sections start in the second week of classes). I will do an introduction to the class and you will be doing your first lab.

• If you are new to distance ed ("DE"), I recommend that you try the Online Orientation at the distance education web site.

• If you decide to drop the class, please send me an e-mail right away so I can admit a student from the waiting list. 

If you want to register but couldn't because the course is full:

NEW: All course adds for this class will be done through the lab sections. You should plan on attending the first meeting of the lab section you wish to add. If there is room you will be given an add code for both the lecture and the lab at that time.

You must attend the first meeting of your lab section in order to add the class. I will not be giving out add codes directly: all adds will be done via the lab instructors.