There are four possible ways to make up a missed lab this semester. They are described below:
Meteorite Museum Lab
During the Museum's regular operating hours (Tuesday through Friday, 1pm-4pm and Saturday, 9am-4pm), you will have the chance to complete a self-paced lab activity in the Monnig meteorite museum. Give yourself at least one hour to complete the assignment, so do not plan to arrive at the museum to begin the activity after 3pm.
To get credit for this activity, you will need to pick up a worksheet from the museum assistant stationed at a table outside the entrance to the museum. Ask for the Astronomy lab worksheet, and the assistant will give you a four page worksheet filled with questions you can answer while in the museum. When you are finished, return the completed worksheet to the assistant, and Dr. Ingram will collect these periodically for grading.
You will need to get a grade of at least 70% on this assignment for it to count as a lab. If you get less than 70%, you will be allowed to try again starting with a new worksheet. Graded labs will not be returned to students, but you will be able to ask your TA for your grade any time starting about a week after you did the lab. This opportunity will be available for all students from Tuesday, September 29 until Saturday, November 21 (the Saturday before Thanksgiving).
Observing Labs
On the nights of Monday Oct 26, Tuesday Oct 27, Wednesday Oct 28 and Thursday Oct 29, there will be an observing lab (weather permitting) held starting at 845pm and 945pm on the roof of the Tucker Technology Center (follow the staircase at the south end of the building all the way up to the roof - come a few minutes early so you can be sure you have time to find the right staircase). This lab activity will last for about 50 minutes. You need to bring something to write with and a small light source. I will provide the worksheet. Only 40 students will be allowed to sign up for any given time (of the 8 possible times). TA's will hold onto the signup sheets for these labs until 1pm of the same day of the lab.
The observing lab will only be held if the weather is clear is enough to see the stars. If it is mostly cloudy, rainy or worse, then no lab will be held. If you are unsure about whether or not a lab will be held on a given evening, there will be a voicemail message about the status of the lab on my office phone (817-257-7313) by 7pm stating whether or not the lab will be held. If no lab is held, you need simply to sign up on some other night (if a night is cancelled, I will hold a make-up night one week later). To get credit, you need to show up on time, participate in the lab, and turn in the appropriate lab worksheet to be graded and returned to you later. Dress warmly!
11th week
As outlined in the lab syllabus and lab announcement, the week of Monday November 30 will be an "11th week" of lab, an extra week added on to the usual 10-week lab schedule. During that week, you will be able to make up a previously missed lab by doing a new lab assignment out of the lab manual. All sections will do the same lab during that week.
Lake Mineral Wells Star Party
The 13th Annual North Texas Skywatch Star Party will occur on Saturday, October 17, with the main program starting at about 7:00 PM (observations will begin at dusk, around 7:30pm), and it will last as long as observers want to stay up. The intent is to give the residents of the North Texas area a nearby meeting place and dark sky location to get together. Included as part of the star party's daytime activities are informational booths on local college and university astronomical programs, planetariums, and local astronomy clubs. There will be informal talks on various topics. The only cost is the normal State Park admission (a few dollars per person), and if you bring me your receipt, I will reimburse you at the Park (I cannot reimburse you for gas money, though, so carpooling is strongly encouraged). You will be able to camp out for the night if you want. Contact Lake Mineral Wells State Park about camping fees and reservations, (940) 328-1171.
Lake Mineral Wells Park is about 40 miles west of Fort Worth, off of HWY 180. If you follow either I-20 or I-30 west from Fort Worth (I-30 merges into I-20 heading westbound before you will need to take any exits), you will take the Highway 180 exit off of I-20 to Weatherford (the Highway 180 exit is about 10 miles west of Loop 820). Pass through Weatherford along Highway 180 and proceed about 15 more miles. The Lake Mineral Wells State Park turnoff is on the right hand (North) side of the road (State Road 71), about 1.5 miles past the turnoff for State Road 113. If you pass the city limits of Mineral Wells, you have gone too far west by about 100 yards. For more information about the park and maps, see http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/park/lakemine/lakemine.htm
Expected attendance is 500 or more if the weather is good. Most are the curious who want to learn a little about astronomy and look through telescopes. However, many North Texas amateur astronomers will attend and there are usually several dozen telescopes set up for viewing. The event will be advertised in Astronomy, Sky and Telescope, and will be promoted in local newspapers.
Any student who wishes to attend this event and complete a simple homework assignment and attend a sky tour of the constellations at the event at about 800pm (*) will receive credit for two labs attended with a grade of 100. PLEASE BE AWARE, however, that this is a significant time investment; it will take about an hour to get there (if you try to arrive much later than 6:00, plan on another 15-30 minutes waiting in line to get into the State Park), and you must arrive before 8:00pm (*) to find me, attend the sky tour and receive your assignment, so the total time investment is AT LEAST 3-4 hours, including travel).
To receive credit, you must find me (Dr. Doug Ingram - I will wear a name tag for those who haven't met me) at the TCU table (I will be in an area with a few other booths set up in a big football-field-sized parking lot), tell me your name, your section number/time/TA and complete a short homework assignment to return to me (in person or in my mailbox in SWR 308) the next time you attend class. I intend to leave the event after the 800pm (*) sky tour (when it is dark enough to see more than a few stars), so if you are late, then I cannot verify your attendance and you will not receive credit for the lab. Plan on sunset being at about 7:00pm. In the event of bad weather, the lab opportunity will still be available (but worth only one lab credit since there will be no sky tour). There will be no telescopic observations, but there will still be talks and presentations starting at about 5:00pm that you can attend while there (but it will probably be a lot less fun, so I don't recommend you go unless you are just nuts about telescopes and amateur astronomy).
You must sign and turn in a student assumption of risk form (get one from a TA or Dr. Ingram) if you plan to go to the Star Party for lab credit. Turn in this release form to your TA. You do not need to sign up on a list to attend the Star Party.
(*) - There is a TCU home football game scheduled from 3pm-6pm. If the game ends later than 6pm, I will set the deadline for arrival and the constellation tour to be exactly 2 hours from the end of the game.