Reviews of professor Kenneth Moats

Rating: 5.0/5, difficulty: 2.0/5
Really great prof!

Rating: 5.0/5, difficulty: 3.0/5
It's only after you have taken his two astronomy courses that you realise the volumes of material that you have learned. He is one of the best professors that I have had at Carleton. He has a day job, and so is busy. You can tell that he has spent a lot of time TA'ing etc. Watch his lectures, read slides, do assignments.

Rating: 5.0/5, difficulty: 3.0/5
Awesome astronomy prof! Don't let the physics category scare you. He explains all the concepts thoroughly, assignments are a little difficult at the beginning but if you are not sure about something, email him and ask, he is very helpful. Very well structured and clear lectures. Tests and exams are multiple choice with formula sheets provided.

Rating: 5.0/5, difficulty: 2.0/5
Great prof! I have no science background whatsoever and managed to do very well in this class. Clear explanations of concepts. Helpful and always accessible. Clear and fair grading/ assignments/ tests. Textbook is not mandatory since he covers a lot during his lectures. The updates/ emails he sends about recent astronomical events are a fun bonus!

Rating: 5.0/5, difficulty: 2.0/5
Amazing prof, had him for both PHYS1901 and PHYS1902. While his lectures were a little on the boring side and I tended to skip quite a few of them, it was clear that he had a great passion for astronomy and that he really cared about his students. Marking scheme for assignments was very generous and midterms/exams were relatively easy.

Rating: 5.0/5, difficulty: 2.0/5
I loved taking PHYS1901 with him, because it was obvious he was passionate about astronomy. I skipped quite a few lectures towards the end because I felt I learned enough with only the textbook but saw that I could definitely have done better if I had gone too all the classes, even though they tended to be boring.

Rating: 5.0/5, difficulty: 1.0/5
Really great prof, his lecture slides are quite thorough. Engaging assignments as well. Midterms and exams are pretty easy- he even provides you with older midterms/exams to help you study for them. Only two observatory sessions are required to pass this course (also fun!). Easy to pass if you study the lecture notes and do the assigments on time.

Rating: 5.0/5, difficulty: 2.0/5
Lectures are solid, and the material was explained well. Course structure was very fair, including a 5% independent study where if you attend observatory sessions or make observations at home you receive full marks. With Covid-19, the prof was generous in making this credit, as well as the 40% final exam, optional. Would recommend.

Rating: 4.0/5, difficulty: 1.0/5
Moats is a relatively new teacher, who teaches the astronomy courses. If you have any background or interest in astronomy, you will find this course very easy as long as you try. I did not need the textbook, but you could rent an older version from the library for free. Very nice and calm teacher. Always posts lecture notes online