A study was conducted at Queensborough Community College to determine if observational, laboratory, and educational activities at an astronomical observatory housing a 12-inch Cassegrain telescope enhanced the attitudes of students enrolled in Physics 110 (The Principles of Astronomy and Science). Two groups of students were involved in the study:…

This booklet describes the results of NASA's Viking spacecraft on Mars. It is intended to be useful for the teacher of basic courses in earth science, space science, astronomy, physics, or geology, but is also of interest to the well-informed layman. Topics include why we should study Mars, how the Viking spacecraft works, the winds of Mars, the…

The annual Survey of Enrollments and Degrees includes 820 degree-granting physics and astronomy departments, 31 of which grant both physics and astronomy degrees. Data are presented on the following areas: physics degrees awarded by academic year, 1968-78; number of institutions by highest physics degree offered, 1974-79; physics enrollments and…

The characteristics of graduate physics and astronomy students are examined in this survey and their employment opportunities after graduate school are described. (The physics students have been surveyed annually for over 15 years, but this is only the second year that astronomy students have been included.) Highlights of this report are: (1) a…

The so called "seven liberal arts" (grammar, logic, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music) basis of some colleges is criticized in this speech. It is noted that the Greeks had no knowledge of the seven liberal arts, which were also unknown to Romans during their era of domination. The liberal arts did not become seven until the…

The problem investigated in this study was to determine if any relationship existed between the methods of instruction used in an astronomy institute for secondary school teachers for the instruction of a certain set of concepts and the instructional preferences of the teachers concerning those concepts. Inquiry and verification methods of…

Presented is one of a series of publications of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) facts about the exploration of Mars. The Viking mission to Mars, consisting of two unmanned NASA spacecraft launched in August and September, 1975, is described. A description of the spacecraft and their paths is given. A diagram identifying the…

This report includes statistical data concerning the approximately 2,000 physicists and astronomers holding post-doctoral positions in 1973. The data cover the following areas: (1) demographic and background characteristics - sex, place of birth and citizenship, and years from degree; (2) employment characteristics - type of employer, salaries,…

This paper describes the development of a self-instructional multi-media course in astronomy-space sciences for non-technical NASA personnel. The course consists of a variety of programed materials including slides, films, film-loops, filmstrips video-tapes and audio-tapes, on concepts of time, space, and matter in our solar system and galaxy.…

Designed as a basic workbook using the inquiry process or as a supplementary text in the classroom, this 129 page booklet is divided into five units: Moving in on the Earth From Space, The Earth's Great Bodies of Water, Composition of the Solid Earth, The Earth's Crust is Constantly Changing, and Studying the Earth's History. The exercises are…

This document is a general presentation of the problems involved in obtaining student evaluation of university teaching, and of the types of decisions that must be made by those setting up the evaluation process. The presentation is illustrated by a description of the questionnaires and data processing methods employed in PATS (The Physics and…

This book is a teacher's guide to activities in the areas of space studies and is designed to help teachers with minimal background identify the most profitable topics in space studies as well as the links between these and other subjects. The activities suggested have been chosen for pupils between the ages of five and sixteen. Activities are…

This booklet is part of an American Astronomical Society curriculum project designed to provide teaching materials to teachers of secondary school chemistry, physics, and earth science. A Basic Topics section discusses atomic structure, emphasizing states of matter at high temperature and spectroscopic analysis of light from the stars. A section…

Provides the outline of an introductory college-level physics course which combines astronomy, astrophysics, relativity and communications with a study of civilizations and the conditions necessary for life. Student comments and an informal evaluation of the course are included. (CP)