www.williams.edu/astronomy/courses

http://www.williams.edu/Astronomy/Course-Pages/412/A412.html

evening, February 1st

introduction

week of February 6

Fundamentals of solar physics, GPnearest/1,2, GPcorona/5.2, L1, Z1, CIG

H-R diagrams, solar telescopes, transits

[ETU6/22.1-22.3&22.6, LE1-2, LE9.1-9.2, P/1, F/1]

DVD: SolarMax

Friday, February 10: visit and colloquium by Leon Golub

week of February 13

Solar photosphere, GPnearest/3.1, L6.1, [F/3, P/3], CIG

list the 10 strongest lines in the photospheric spectrum by name, wavelength, and ion

week of February 20

Solar chromosphere, GPnearest/3.2-3.3, Z8, CIG

[ETU5, 21.2P/4, F/9 chromospheric sections]

week of February 22

Solar interior, neutrino experiments, GPnearest/4, L2, L3, Z2, Z3, LE3

[P/2, F/6, Davis and Cox in CLM, current readings]

Short paper about the status of the neutrino experiment

week of March 5

Solar helioseismology, GPnearest/4.2, L4, Z4, Z5, LE4

[ETU6/22.1, P/2.3, F/7, Harvey article, Web: GONG]

Short paper about GONG and SOHO helioseismology

Read Zirker's Sunquakes

week of March 12

Solar eclipses, GPnearest/5, GPcorona/5

[ETU6/7.3, 22.4]

Describe the paths and natures of the next four total eclipses;

relate the stories of helium and coronium

week of April 2

Solar corona, GPcorona/2,3,7, L6, Z6

[ETU6/21.3, P/5, F/9 coronal sections]

week of April 9

Sunspots and sunspot cycle, GPnearest/2, GPcorona/4, L5, Z7-9, Z13, Brody

[ETU6/23.1, P/6, F/8 sunspot sections, F/11.2-3]

Assess the latest sunspot situation from the Web

"Is the Sunspot Cycle About to Stop?" Sky & Telescope, Sept. 2011, 122, #3, 12-13; see also http://www.skyandtelescope.com/community/skyblog/newsblog/123844859.html

week of April 16, GPnearest/3, GPcorona/9, L7, Z10, Z12

Flares and prominences

[ETU6 23.2-3, P/6 sections, F/10]

Solar wind, coronal mass ejections, GPnearest/8, Z11

[ETU6/23.5, LE/7, P/7, F/11]

week of April 23

Space missions, GPnearest/6, GPcorona/6,8

[ETU6/22.5, LE/9.3-9.4, P/10, F/3, Web]

week of April 30

Solar energy and solar constant [ETU6/23.4&23.6, LE/8, P/8, P/9, F/13, CLW/Part V]
Sun and climate, GPnearest/7, GPcorona/10 [ETU6/23,4], L/8-10, Z/14

week of May 7

Transits of Venus and Mercury silhouetted against the Sun

book by Nick Lomb, Transits of Venus: 1639-2012

events of 2012:

annular eclipse in the western U.S., including the VLA: May 20

transit of Venus: entire U.S. for much of it; all of it from Hawaii

total solar eclipse in Australia: November 14