FSEM 174   Deciphering the Sky

Faculty Profile for Professor Balonek

Deciphering the Sky: Practical and Historic Astronomy

An investigation of the observed motions of the stars, Sun, Moon and planets in the celestial sky. Study of the physical models that explain these motions. The historic and cultural development of our understanding of celestial motions will be considered. Using the planetarium capabilities of the Ho Tung Visualization Laboratory, observations will be made of the night sky from different locations on Earth over time intervals ranging from minutes to centuries. Basic algebra, trigonometry and graphs will be used to quantify and visualize these motions. As part of a semester-long project, students develop their own instructional module that utilizes the "VisLab" to demonstrate and explain a celestial motion. Additional outdoor observing sessions will supplement the class instruction. Students who successfully complete this seminar will receive credit for ASTR 220 and satisfy one half of the Natural Science and Mathematics area of inquiry requirement.

Professor Tom Balonek is an observational astronomer whose research focuses on the study of the variability of quasars – a class of active galactic nuclei. He and his research students utilize the Colgate Foggy Bottom Observatory in this research. He enjoys stargazing from the dark skies at Colgate.