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Course Description
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Course Name
Observational Astronomy
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Host University
National University of Ireland, Galway
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Location
Galway, Ireland
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Area of Study
Astronomy, Physics
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Language Level
Taught In English
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Prerequisites
Admission to this course is subject to the agreement of the Head of the Discipline offering the course and will depend on the applicant's academic background in the relevant subject area.
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Course Level Recommendations
Lower
ISA offers course level recommendations in an effort to facilitate the determination of course levels by credential evaluators.We advice each institution to have their own credentials evaluator make the final decision regrading course levels.
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ECTS Credits
5 -
Recommended U.S. Semester Credits2
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Recommended U.S. Quarter Units3
Hours & Credits
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Overview
24 lectures practicals:
- 12 lectures practicals (field trip) in the "Observational Astronomy" half of the module
- 12 lectures in the "Astronomy & The History of Ideas - a Paradigmatic Approach" half of the module, which is taught by Prof. Markus Woerner (Philosophy Dept.).
- The field trip is to a professional observatory abroad, normally Loiano Observatory in Italy.Texts (reference)
TBA
Syllabus
Preparatory work enabling practical observing.Telescope Systems & Imaging
Telescope optical principles
Factors in imaging performance - PSF, MTF, spot size, image circleOptical aberrations
Reflecting, refracting and hybrid telescope designs
Detectors
Observable domains & evolution of optical detectors
Photon statistics
Quantum efficiency
Design and detailed usage of CCDsTypes of noise & noise reduction principles
Stellar Photometry
Magnitude system
Distance modulus & absolute magnitudes
Photometric systems
Colour indices & CMDs
Interstellar reddening & extinctionAtmospheric effects - sky background, extinction
Spectroscopy
Types of spectrograph & dispersion elements
FOSC spectrographs - Loiano BFOSC
Spectral range, dispersion, and resolution
Sky subtractionSome characteristic lines and features
Time-series observations
Variable Stars
Practical Observing
Predicting object visibility
A night on the telescope: planning and conducting observations
CalibrationsOverview of image/data processing
Course Disclaimer
Courses and course hours of instruction are subject to change.
Credits earned vary according to the policies of the students' home institutions. According to ISA policy and possible visa requirements, students must maintain full-time enrollment status, as determined by their home institutions, for the duration of the program.
ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) credits are converted to semester credits/quarter units differently among U.S. universities. Students should confirm the conversion scale used at their home university when determining credit transfer.
Please reference fall and spring course lists as not all courses are taught during both semesters.
Please note that some courses with locals have recommended prerequisite courses. It is the student's responsibility to consult any recommended prerequisites prior to enrolling in their course.