Montgomery College Planetarium

Dear N AS101 student:

Welcome to Introductory Astronomy, N AS101. I hope your experiences in this course will add to your knowledge and appreciation of the universe and how you fit into the cosmos as a whole.

I am the professor for N AS101. I will conduct three course seminars and the two examinations. I will be glad to help you resolve questions that may develop regarding course content or grading. You may call me at [240]-567-1463 the planetarium and my office at Montgomery College Takoma Park or at [301]-565-3709 my home. If you get an answering machine or a relative of mine please leave your name, the course (N AS101), and your telephone number. I want to help you. I will return your call as soon as possible. If you have access to the Internet you may contact me at haroldw@umd5.umd.edu.

Enclosed you will find information about N AS101, including the schedule of television lesson broadcasts on Montgomery Cable channel 51 and an important course syllabus from me. Videotapes of all lessons can also be viewed in the Learning Lab, Takoma Park campus, in the Library of the Rockville campus, and in the Media center at the Germantown campus. Enclosed in this package is As Easy as 1-2-3 Telecourse Student Manual. Refer to this immediately! Your success in this course depends upon your initiative.

You should purchase four things at the Rockville campus bookstore, immediately, (1) Horizons, exploring the universe by Michael A. Seeds, (2)Telecouse Student Guide Universe the Infinite Frontier by Stephen P. Lattanzio, Joel M. Levine, and Valerie Lynch Lee, (3) The College Astronomy Kit by William Luzaderas, and (4) Janus Personal Astrolabe by James Morrison.

The study guide tells you what to read in the text book before each video lesson, has a short overview, tells you what the learning objectives are, what the key terms and phrases are, has an exercise for you to complete (answer key provided), and has a self-test (answer key provided). Besides viewing the videos you must read the text, keep the learning objectives in mind, complete the exercise and self test if you are to do well in this course. You grade will be determined by a midterm and final given on campus and by laboratory exercises that you will mail to me--see the syllabus.

The date of our first seminar is Saturday, February 15 at 9:00A.M.until 12:00noon in the planetarium. The planetarium is located on Fenton Street on the Takoma Park campus of Montgomery College. It is attached to the Science South building on the ground level and has a conspicuous silver-colored domed roof which can be seen from Fenton street. The entrance is adjacent to the faculty/staff only parking lot on Fenton street and has a covered walk way leading to the planetarium and science south labeled SCIENCE SOUTH MC PLANETARIUM. You do not have to enter Science South to get into the planetarium. In fact, the entrance is outside of Science South next to handicapped parking.

The dates for the seminars and examinations, all in the planetarium at Takoma Park campus of Montgomery College from 9A.M. until 12 noon are:

• First Seminar Saturday, February 15
• Second Seminar Saturday, March 8
• Midterm examination Saturday, March 22
• Third Seminar Saturday, April 12
• Fourth Seminar Saturday, May 3
• Final examination Saturday, May 17

Look forward to meeting you then. Meanwhile, call me if you have any questions. Please bring your College Astronomy Kit to the first seminar and a pair of sissors.

Sincerely,

Dr. Harold Alden Williams
Planetarium Coordinator and adjunct professor at Montgomery College