Planetary sciences

Course goals

Content

A) Lectures and a written test - 30%
There will be about 20 45-minute lectures, starting with the formation of our Solar System towards the evolution of different planets and other bodies in our Solar System. The main goal is to put the Earth in a broader context, comparing processes on Earth with those on other terrestrial planets. The final exam will test your knowledge and insights obtained through all lectures and corresponding literature. The literature will be announced and if possible distributed on BrightSpace well before the class starts.
The final exam is an individual effort.

B) Comparative planetology practical (3-4 people teams) - 20%
In the computer-based practical comparative planetology fieldwork, you will work with NASA Trek and Google Earth Pro image data sets to compare the following rocky bodies: Mercury, Earth, the Moon, Mars, and the asteroids Ceres (dwarf planet) and Vesta. You will study their surfaces for the presence of several surface features and build a systems diagram for each of these bodies. You will make an analysis of the evolution of these bodies based on your findings on which you will write a short report.
The participation at the Comparative planetology practical is mandatory for all students following the course.
 
C) Mission proposal and pitch - 20% + peer review - 5%
In the mission assignment, you will work in a 3-4 person group and  are challenged to formulate your own question in planetary science and exploration that you want to see answered. The groups will be based along bachelor directions. You will formulate your mission in a max. 4-page mission-proposal. You will peer-review each others proposal and receive a grade for this peer-review process. After you submit your proposal, you will orally presentation your mission, as if you were in front of a funding panel. Guidelines for the proposal and pitch will be given during the course. The teams will get 5 minutes to pitch their question, the reason why they are interested in this question, and how they want to address this question (mission / instrument / analysis of existing mission data). Students will be graded by their peers and by the teaching team (teacher and teaching assistants), using an earlier distributed checklist.
The participation in the mission proposal and pitch, peer review is mandatory for all students following the course.

D) Build your own exoplanet (Poster) - 25%
In the exoplanet assignment you will work together with a 3-4 person group on building your own exoplanet, based on the requirements given by the teacher. Combining the lectures and literature study you are challenged to build an exoplanet at a predefined star. You will then present your findings on an infographic at the end of the course. This poster session is the final conclusion of the course.
The participation in the Build your won exoplanet exercise is mandatory for all students following the course. 

E) Meteorite practical - sign off mandatory
You will get a specimen from the Utrecht meteorite collection that you will research in a 2-person group. You will write a ~500 words popular science piece about the meteorite, including references and you will present your findings in a short ad hoc presentation.

Obligations and deadlines:

You are expected to
- Complete of all parts of the course (mandatory)
- Meet all set deadlines
- Inform the coordinator by email before class in case of absence.


Grading
The overall grade of the course consists of two parts: the grade of the written test and the averaged grade of the three group assignments. Table 2 indicates those cases resulting in a supplementary test.

The course can only be successfully completed if:

1. The student actively participates in all parts of the course.
2. The Solar System and meteorite assignments have been completed.
3. The overall averaged grade of the assignments is 5.50 or higher.
4. The written test is passed.
5. The overall non-rounded off course mark is ≥ 5.50.

The final course grade will be satisfactory (pass) or unsatisfactory (fail), expressed in numbers, 5.5 or higher and 5.4 or lower respectively. The final grade will be rounded off in two digits, where 5.49 will be rounded off to 5.4.

If you have fulfilled all course obligations but failed to obtain a final grade 6 or higher, you will get one chance to repair, via a supplementary test (“aanvullende toets”). However, a non-rounded off final grade < 4.00 implies a definite fail, i.e. no right on a repair assignment.
Character and content of the supplementary test will be decided upon in due time. If you pass the supplementary test, a final course grade of 6.00 will be recorded in the student progress administration system.



Course topics:

• Introduction of the Solar System
• Formation of a star
• Composition of a protoplanetary disc
• Orbital dynamics for a stable system
• Formation and early evolution of planets
• Planetary interiors
• Planetary atmospheres
• Planetary surface processes
• Geological and geochemical constraints for the origin of life
• Habitability
• Exoplanets