Refer to General Lecture Class Midterm Notes for information which is applicable to all of the midterms. In particular, note that all exams are closed-book, closed-note tests. Although you are encouraged to thoroughly prepare for each exam, and to write out practice versions of the essay exams, you will not be allowed to use any notes while taking the exams.

     These notes give reading assignments for the second and third editions of Fraknoi's "Voyages Through the Universe". If you use another book, you will have to figure out the reading assignments on your own.

      The second midterm will determine two-fifths of your semester grade, unless you replace it with the Makeup Final (in which case, that would determine two-fifths of your grade). The material on the second midterm is covered by Chapters 6 through 13 of Fraknoi's book. You should also refer to the Online Astronomy Text sections on Planets, Satellites (Moons), Asteroids, Comets, and Interplanetary Debris, and The Origin and Evolution of the Solar System. The online material is considered to be just as important for study purposes as the material in the textbook, unless otherwise specified in class. The exam consists of two essay questions, chosen (by me) at random from essay questions 3 through 8, so concentrate on the topics covered by those questions. Detailed breakdowns of each question are available by clicking the numeric links on the essay questions page. These detailed breakdowns are your best guide to what you need to study.
      When learning terms and definitions, be sure to learn them correctly. Learning something incorrectly is worse than not learning it at all. In particular, students often confuse the INTERNAL temperature of the planets, which is part of question 3, with the SURFACE temperature, which is part of question 4.