Last modified: 07 Aug 2025 12:16
This course explores two fundamental areas of physics and use of telescope in astrophysics. In electronics you will go from building simple circuits to designing complex logical architectures, using real components and simulation software. The optics part of the course explores fascinating optical phenomena. The practicals demonstrate the fundamental properties of light. The last part explores how imaging, computer control and data processing work in tandem with a modern telescope system.
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | Second Term | Credit Points | 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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The course combines an introduction to the fundamentals of digital electronics and optical experiments illustrating theory discussed in previous courses. In addition, there is a set of sessions for students to develop understanding and practical skills of astronomical observation with a modern telescope system that integrates both optics and electronics.
The electronics begins at the level of specifying the behaviour of the basic logic gates and the construction on a breadboard of simple circuits from circuit diagrams, covers Boolean algebra and ends with using Karnaugh maps to develop fairly complex circuits from a set of desired behaviours.
The optics covers: interference effects, such as using Newton's rings to determine the radius of curvature of a lens and then the refractive index of water; polarisation, including optical activity and Brewster's angle; the function of lens systems, from finding focal to length to determining the six cardinal points of a telephoto lens.
The telescope practical part of this course will consist of basic training in use of a 10”-aperture computerised Schmidt–Cassegrain telescope and a colour high framerate CMOS astronomical camera for photo and video capture. A linked PC will be used for telescope control, automation and imaging data acquisition and processing. Skills learned will be used to practice simulated observations using the telescope. There will be an away day that will take place during the weekend of a teaching week with clear sky. The objective is to observe the nearest star to Earth – our Sun, to be compared with the real-time imaging data from a NASA solar observatory. Observing the Sun will allow students new to astronomical observation to focus on scientific tasks without the drawback of possible adverse weather.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 25 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 32 | Feedback Weeks | 34 | |
| Feedback |
Written on MyAberdeen (10-20 pages). |
|||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Select data from experimental results outlining one experiment and structuring a coherent lab report on the experiment. |
| Conceptual | Understand | Learn the electronic simulation package provided by course and use it to solve problems. |
| Procedural | Apply | Undertake practical experiments in electronics, working alone. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Written on diary, verbal in class (10 pages). |
|||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Produce a scientific lab diary with detailed analysis of data and results. |
| Procedural | Analyse | Use astronomical software packages to control telescope, acquire observational data, and through integrating multiple processes organise astro-images. |
| Procedural | Apply | Implement practical operation of astronomical telescope, working in groups. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 28,30,32,34,39 | Feedback Weeks | 29,31,33,35,40 | |
| Feedback |
Written on diary, verbal in class (10-20 pages). |
|||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Produce a scientific lab diary with detailed analysis of data and results. |
| Conceptual | Understand | Learn the electronic simulation package provided by course and use it to solve problems. |
| Procedural | Apply | Undertake practical experiments in electronics, working alone. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 39 | Feedback Weeks | 41 | |
| Feedback |
Written on MyAberdeen (10-20 pages). |
|||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Produce a scientific lab diary with detailed analysis of data and results. |
| Procedural | Analyse | Produce a lab report on telescope operation parsing information and analysing data from multiple sources to structure a coherent and focussed report. |
| Procedural | Apply | Implement practical operation of astronomical telescope, working in groups. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Written on MyAberdeen. Practical work takes place on 3 hour trip. Online option available. |
|||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Procedural | Analyse | Use astronomical software packages to control telescope, acquire observational data, and through integrating multiple processes organise astro-images. |
| Procedural | Apply | Implement practical operation of astronomical telescope, working in groups. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 28,30,32,34,39 | Feedback Weeks | 29,31,33,35,40 | |
| Feedback |
Written on diary, verbal in class (10-20 pages). |
|||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Select data from experimental results outlining one experiment and structuring a coherent lab report on the experiment. |
| Conceptual | Analyse | Produce a scientific lab diary with detailed analysis of data and results. |
| Procedural | Apply | Undertake practical experiments in optics, working in pairs. |
| Assessment Type | Formative | Weighting | 0 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 29 | Feedback Weeks | 29 | |
| Feedback |
Written on MyAberdeen (1 page). |
|||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Procedural | Apply | Implement practical operation of astronomical telescope, working in groups. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Resubmission of failed elements (pass marks will be carried forward). |
|||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
|
|
||
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Select data from experimental results outlining one experiment and structuring a coherent lab report on the experiment. |
| Procedural | Apply | Undertake practical experiments in optics, working in pairs. |
| Conceptual | Analyse | Produce a scientific lab diary with detailed analysis of data and results. |
| Procedural | Analyse | Use astronomical software packages to control telescope, acquire observational data, and through integrating multiple processes organise astro-images. |
| Procedural | Analyse | Produce a lab report on telescope operation parsing information and analysing data from multiple sources to structure a coherent and focussed report. |
| Conceptual | Understand | Learn the electronic simulation package provided by course and use it to solve problems. |
| Procedural | Apply | Implement practical operation of astronomical telescope, working in groups. |
| Procedural | Apply | Undertake practical experiments in electronics, working alone. |
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