Bad Astronomy and Universe Today Forum http://www.bautforum.com/ en Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:47:46 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.bautforum.com/images/misc/rss.jpg Bad Astronomy and Universe Today Forum http://www.bautforum.com/ Suns apparent size- my maths are wrong http://www.bautforum.com/space-astronomy-questions-answers/96968-suns-apparent-size-my-maths-wrong.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:44:46 GMT Hi,

I am preparing a demo of solar system layout but my maths seems suspect.....

I have some planet images printed on card that I will be placing in correct to scale distances in a 10 metre room. The problem is my maths must be wrong. When I then say 'now these pictures of planets are actually massively blown up so that you can see them here. If the solar system was as small as this room, then the planets would be microscopic and we couldn't see them.'

That's what my maths says... even the sun comes out as being 1/100 of a millimetre at that scale. But if that were true then why can we see a visible disk on Jupiter through even low power binoculars?

I know I am wrong... just not sure how often or where... :) ]]> Space/Astronomy Questions and Answers WalrusLike http://www.bautforum.com/space-astronomy-questions-answers/96968-suns-apparent-size-my-maths-wrong.html Video of Utah Fireball http://www.bautforum.com/universe-today-story-comments/96967-video-utah-fireball.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:30:05 GMT Early Nov. 18th, eyewitnesses reported an explosion in the atmosphere above Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and Idaho in the western United States. Some said the fireball "turned night into day" and produced shock waves that shook the ground when it exploded just after midnight Mountain Standard Time. Infrasound recordings of the blast suggest a small asteroid [...]

More... ]]> Universe Today Story Comments Fraser http://www.bautforum.com/universe-today-story-comments/96967-video-utah-fireball.html A former in-law murdered. http://www.bautforum.com/off-topic-babbling/96966-former-law-murdered.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:07:28 GMT Last week my former stepniece was murdered by her estranged husband. :cry: Teresa was 30. He was apprehended at the site. Their 8-month-old baby boy is now living with grandparents.

My sister was married to Teresa's dad for 6 years. During that time I lived here (1200 miles away), but did meet Teresa in 1997. She'd just graduated high school, was a beautiful young woman with dark blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Teresa went on to join the National Guard and served 3 tours of duty in Iraq; was honorably discharged. She later enrolled in college and graduated with a Bachelors.

It's awful knowing she's now in that cemetery. All that life and potential, violently taken away. :( According to friends she'd been elated to be pregnant and a mommy. It's all especially bothering me today.

I'm glad I got to meet her at least once. That day she showed me her beautiful blue senior prom dress (matched her eyes), and we chatted a bit. ]]> Off-Topic Babbling Buttercup http://www.bautforum.com/off-topic-babbling/96966-former-law-murdered.html Very Serious Question About Isaac Newton... http://www.bautforum.com/off-topic-babbling/96963-very-serious-question-about-isaac-newton.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:32:51 GMT I can't seem to find a definitive answer to this question. I have seen the answer as "Definitely yes," "Definitely no," and "Definitely maybe."

The question is this:
Did Isaac Newton invent the cat flap?*

I first came across this notion while reading Douglas Adams' Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, in which Dirk Gently stated that Newton's greatest achievement wasn't his work on gravity, but his invention of the cat flap. He reasoned that since gravity is always there, someone would have worked it out eventually, but to be able to visualize a door within a door was a mark of true genius. Having never heard this "fact" before, I simply assumed that Adams had made this bit up to be funny. However, I have recently come across other references to this "fact," which led me to search and see if it is true, but there seems to be some debate about it in the sources I have checked.

Does anyone have any trusted references that can shed light on this question?


*Or doggie door, if you prefer. ]]> Off-Topic Babbling weatherc http://www.bautforum.com/off-topic-babbling/96963-very-serious-question-about-isaac-newton.html Cassini/IBEX Data Changes View of Heliosphere Shape http://www.bautforum.com/universe-today-story-comments/96961-cassini-ibex-data-changes-view-heliosphere-shape.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:30:03 GMT Though the Cassini mission has focused intently on scientific exploration of Saturn and it's moons, data taken by the spacecraft has significantly changed the way astronomers think about the shape of our Solar System. As the Sun and planets travel through space, the bubble in which they reside has been thought to resemble a comet, [...]

More... ]]> Universe Today Story Comments Fraser http://www.bautforum.com/universe-today-story-comments/96961-cassini-ibex-data-changes-view-heliosphere-shape.html What If Earth Had Rings? http://www.bautforum.com/universe-today-story-comments/96957-what-if-earth-had-rings.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:40:03 GMT While we're on the subject of Saturn…. I came across this video, and it poses — and answers — the interesting question, what would Earth look like if it had rings like Saturn? This animation was done by Roy Prol, and it shows not only how the rings would look from space, but also [...]

More... ]]> Universe Today Story Comments Fraser http://www.bautforum.com/universe-today-story-comments/96957-what-if-earth-had-rings.html Europa Annularly Transits Ganymede - Nov 23 http://www.bautforum.com/astronomical-observing-equipment-accessories/96954-europa-annularly-transits-ganymede-nov-23-a.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:06:10 GMT I predict that Jupiter’s Galilean satellite Europa will appear in annular transit across Ganymede during the evening of 2009 NOV 23. This event will be visible from western North America, but not in the east where Jupiter will already have set. I’ve created two diagrams. The first is a view from above Jupiter’s north pole, and the second is a view from Earth. They can be seen by clicking: http://www.curtrenz.com/astronomical . Below is my timetable. Europa Annularly Transits Ganymede 2009 NOV 23 PST (UT-8) 20:39:30 PST Partial Transit Begins 20:41:50 PST Annular Transit Begins 20:42:37 PST Minimum Separation between Satellite Centers 20:43:25 PST Annular Transit Ends 20:45:46 PST Partial Transit Ends Photos, descriptions and timings of this event would be welcome additions to this thread. I predict that Jupiter’s Galilean satellite Europa will appear in annular transit across Ganymede during the evening of 2009 NOV 23. This event will be visible from western North America, but not in the east where Jupiter will already have set. I’ve created two diagrams. The first is a view from above Jupiter’s north pole, and the second is a view from Earth. They can be seen by clicking: http://www.curtrenz.com/astronomical . Below is my timetable.

Europa Annularly Transits Ganymede
2009 NOV 23 PST (UT-8)

20:39:30 PST Partial Transit Begins
20:41:50 PST Annular Transit Begins
20:42:37 PST Minimum Separation between Satellite Centers
20:43:25 PST Annular Transit Ends
20:45:46 PST Partial Transit Ends

Photos, descriptions and timings of this event would be welcome additions to this thread. ]]> Astronomical Observing, Equipment and Accessories Centaur http://www.bautforum.com/astronomical-observing-equipment-accessories/96954-europa-annularly-transits-ganymede-nov-23-a.html More Cassini Eye Candy: Infrared Saturn, Peek-a-boo Moons http://www.bautforum.com/universe-today-story-comments/96953-more-cassini-eye-candy-infrared-saturn-peek-boo-moons.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:00:06 GMT The "wow" factor from the Cassini mission never quits. Here's the latest image, released just today of Saturn, viewed in near-infrared. This image was taken with Cassini's wide-angle camera on Oct. 23, 2009 using a spectral filter sensitive to wavelengths of near-infrared light, centered at 890 nanometers. The view was acquired at a [...]

More... ]]> Universe Today Story Comments Fraser http://www.bautforum.com/universe-today-story-comments/96953-more-cassini-eye-candy-infrared-saturn-peek-boo-moons.html Going to be a daddy again! http://www.bautforum.com/off-topic-babbling/96952-going-daddy-again.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:32:45 GMT A little boy this time. :D

We'll be signing the formal acceptance paperwork next week. Estimated travel time is 3-6 months, so it'll be spring before we go get him. Still, feeling very excited right now!

Also a little nervous. He'll be four years old (or nearly so) by the time we bring him home. That's going to be just a little different than our last, who was just over a year. ]]> Off-Topic Babbling SeanF http://www.bautforum.com/off-topic-babbling/96952-going-daddy-again.html Want to be a Martian? http://www.bautforum.com/universe-today-story-comments/96951-want-martian.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:10:06 GMT If you've ever dreamed of exploring Mars, but are worried about all that pesky radiation exposure and being cramped in a capsule for the two-year flight – or about never coming back – then your dream may be realized with NASA's "Be a Martian" web site. In the spirit of other citizen scientist collaborations such [...]

More... ]]> Universe Today Story Comments Fraser http://www.bautforum.com/universe-today-story-comments/96951-want-martian.html <![CDATA[Weekend SkyWatcher's Forecast – November 20 -22, 2009]]> http://www.bautforum.com/universe-today-story-comments/96950-weekend-skywatchers-forecast-november-20-22-2009-a.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:10:06 GMT Greetings, fellow SkyWatchers! Yep. The Moon is back, but this weekend can still present some great opportunities for enjoying astronomy. If you're up early or out late? Well, hey… The Leonid meteor shower is still producing activity! Why not take a few minutes to learn about a great variable [...]

More... ]]> Universe Today Story Comments Fraser http://www.bautforum.com/universe-today-story-comments/96950-weekend-skywatchers-forecast-november-20-22-2009-a.html Dinner for Centaurus A http://www.bautforum.com/astronomy/96949-dinner-centaurus.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:43:01 GMT Just came across this image and article on the ESO site today. ESO - Dinner for Centaurus A (http://www.eso.org/gallery/v/ESOPIA/Galaxies/phot-44a-09-fullres.tif.html) ESO - Watching a Cannibal Galaxy Dine (http://www.eso.org/public/outreach/press-rel/pr-2009/pr-44-09.html) Eric Just came across this image and article on the ESO site today.

ESO - Dinner for Centaurus A

ESO - Watching a Cannibal Galaxy Dine

Eric ]]> Astronomy EricFD http://www.bautforum.com/astronomy/96949-dinner-centaurus.html Could a sun shield of sufficient size be built to slow the melting of the polar cap? http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96947-could-sun-shield-sufficient-size-built-slow-melting-polar-cap.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:02:20 GMT Could a sun shield of sufficient size be built to slow/stop the melting of the polar cap? Could a sun shield of sufficient size be built to slow/stop the melting of the polar cap? ]]> Science and Technology http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96947-could-sun-shield-sufficient-size-built-slow-melting-polar-cap.html Motherhood and Science http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96946-motherhood-science.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:34:58 GMT From Newsweek

Quote:
Is Motherhood Keeping Good Scientists Down? How To Fix Research's "Mommy Gap"
]]> Science and Technology Argos http://www.bautforum.com/science-technology/96946-motherhood-science.html Moving planets around. (Gravity) http://www.bautforum.com/space-astronomy-questions-answers/96945-moving-planets-around-gravity.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:05:09 GMT I've been told that if say Venus was moved to an orbit around the sun similar to Earth, that the orbits of the planets would be unstable due to effects of gravity. (Say as far away from the Earth as it could be though.)

If this is true, is there information out there that can help me understand this better?

Thanks. ]]> Space/Astronomy Questions and Answers Beer w/Straw http://www.bautforum.com/space-astronomy-questions-answers/96945-moving-planets-around-gravity.html