An exciting new class offered by the USM Physics Department

From Stonehenge to the Prime Meridian - Astronomy in Great Britain

Spring recess 2016: March 25-April 2, 2016

AST 100 Astronomy (3 credits)



Learn astronomy and visit historical astronomical sites in England in
this one-week travel course. Visit Stonehenge and nearby, even larger
Avebury; see the Royal Greenwich Observatory (home of the Prime
Meridian of longitude); the house where William Herschel discovered
the planet Uranus in 1781; the observatory of Normal Lockyer, who
discovered the element helium in the Sun in 1868, a decade before it
was known on Earth!

We will have the historic city of Winchester-- ancient capital of
Wessex (Saxon England) and home to the famous Winchester Cathedral and
the Winchester Science Centre and Planetarium-- as our base. From
there we shall take day trips to London, Bath, and other
astronomically important sites. At each of these places we'll have
tours and lectures about the important astronomical significance of
the work done there.



Faculty

Jerry LaSala is Professor and Chair of Physics and Director of the
Southworth Planetarium at the University of Southern Maine. He holds a
BA in Astronomy and Physics from Yale University, an MS in Physics
from Rutgers, and a PhD in Physics from Dartmouth. He has taught at
USM since 1987; before that he taught at the College of Wooster,
Dartmouth, and Lebanon College. He has traveled extensively in Great
Britain and has been a visiting scientist at Cambridge University,
Oxford University, and the Winchester Science Centre and Planetarium.
He is a member of the American Astronomical Society and the
International Astronomical Union. He also taught summer enrichment
courses for high school students at Phillips Exeter Academy.

Professor Julie Ziffer, Professor of Physics

Application

The application deadline is February 12, 2016 along with a $200
non-refundable deposit.

A complete application includes all of the following:

Signed, completed application form*
$200 non-refundable deposit (applied to the program cost)
Typed 200-word essay
A letter of recommendation from a faculty member or academic advisor
(recommendation cannot come from the faculty member leading the
program)
Official copy of USM academic transcript

Incomplete applications will not be accepted. You will be notified by
e-mail of your application status. If your application is not
accepted, the nonrefundable deposit will be returned. If the program
is canceled for any reason by the USM, all deposits will be returned.

*If you are having trouble downloading the application, please contact
us at (207) 780-4959 or [log in to unmask] and we will send
you one. You may also want to try upgrading to the latest version of
Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Tuition and Fees

The approximate program fee is $2,500. This fee includes
accommodation, roundtrip airfare from Boston, scheduled in-country
travel, site visits, field trips, some meals, and iNext's
comprehensive insurance plan. Three credits of tuition and fees are an
additional cost.

Not included in the program fee is the cost of tuition, fees, books,
academic supplies, lunches and dinners in London, or other personal
expenses. Three credits of tuition is $759 plus $84 for the university
unified fee. All participants on USM travel programs receive the
in-state tuition rate regardless of residency.

The winter session is part of the fall semester and these additional
credits may put you in a higher bracket for other academic fees.
Please visit the Student Financial Services website for complete
information on tuition and fees.

All participants will be automatically registered for a payment plan.
The $200 deposit will go toward the cost of the program and the
remaining balance will be due as follows:

50% of the balance due February TBD
Remaining balance due March TBD