Frequently asked questions

[ToSeek]

1. How do I report an inappropriate post?

Click on the red-bordered triangle near the top right-hand corner of the post you have a concern about.



That will bring up a separate page with a text field you should fill in to explain your concern. The resulting message will be sent to all the moderators and administrators.

Please do not use this capability for any other purpose, but don't hesitate to use it if you do have a concern. We moderators cannot monitor every post on every thread - your help is not only encouraged but essential in order to maintain the quality of this forum.

(Entered to replace this thread in the sticky list.)

[ToSeek]

2. How do I report inappropriate private messages (PMs)?

Private messages now have a report button just like posts. See above for details.

(Entered to replace this thread in the sticky list.)

[ToSeek]

3. Who are the moderators and administrators of this forum?

Moderators:

• captain swoop
• chrissy
• HenrikOlsen
• hhEb09'1
• Jim
• Josh
• Moose
• PetersCreek
• pzkpfw
• Sticks
• Swift
• Tinaa
• tusenfem

Administrators:

• antoniseb
• ToSeek

Owner/administrators:

• Fraser
• The Bad Astronomer

(Last updated 4 June 2009)

(Originally copied from this post/thread.)

[ToSeek]

4. The forum is slow at certain times. Is there a reason for that?

The forum is backed up starting at 1100 UTC daily (6 am EST, 3 am PST, noon Central European Time). This only takes about ten minutes, but the forum will be slower and more prone to errors during that period.

(Entered to replace this thread in the sticky list.)

[ToSeek]

5. How do I make exponents, superscripts, subscripts, Greek letters, and other special characters in a post?

Superscripts and subscripts are easy. Use the following codes

PHP Code:

[sup]super[/sup]script and [sub]sub[/sub]script


to produce ^superscript and _subscript.

For special characters, you can cut-and-paste from the below:

= ≠

< ≤ ≥ >

+ - ÷ ×

² ³

⅓ ⅔ ⅛ ⅜ ⅝ ⅞ ¼ ½ ¾

√ ∞ ≡ ≈ ∫ ∩

← ↑ → ↓ ↔ ↕ ∙

Α Β Γ Δ Ε Ζ Η Θ Ι Κ Λ Μ Ν Ξ Ο Π Ρ Σ Τ Υ Φ Χ Ψ Ω

α β γ δ ε ζ η θ ι κ λ μ ν ξ ο π ρ ς σ τ υ φ χ ψ ω

∀∁∂∃∄∅∆∇∈∉∊∋∌∍∎∏∐∑−∓∔∕∖∗∘∙

√∛∜∝∞∟∠∡∢∣∤∥∦∧∨∩∪∫∬∭∮∯∰∱∲∳

∴∵∶∷∸∹∺∻∼∽∾∿

≀≁≂≃≄≅≆≇≈≉≊≋≌

≍≎≏≐≑≒≓≔≕≖≗≘≙≚≛≜≝≞≟

≠≡≢≣≤≥≦≧≨≩≪≫≬≭≮≯≰≱≲≳≴≵≶≷≸≹≺≻≼≽≾≿⊀⊁

⊂⊃⊄⊅⊆⊇⊈⊉⊊⊋⊌⊍⊎⊏⊐⊑⊒⊓⊔⊕⊖⊗⊘⊙⊚⊛⊜⊝⊞⊟⊠⊡

⊢⊣⊤⊥⊦⊧⊨⊩⊪⊫⊬⊭⊮⊯⊰⊱⊲⊳⊴⊵⊶⊷⊸⊹⊺⊻⊼⊽⊾⊿

⋀⋁⋂⋃⋄⋅⋆⋇⋈⋉⋊⋋⋌⋍⋎⋏⋐⋑⋒⋓⋔⋕⋖⋗⋘⋙

⋚⋛⋜⋝⋞⋟⋠⋡⋢⋣⋤⋥⋦⋧⋨⋩⋪⋫⋬⋭⋮⋯⋰⋱⋲⋳⋴⋵

For additional advice, see this thread, from which I have shamelessly copied the above.

[ToSeek]

6. What does [mysterious series of capitalized letters] stand for?

AACS - Attitude and Articulation Control Subsystem
AAMOF - as a matter of fact
AAS - American Astronautical Society
ACS - Attitude Control System
AFAIK - as far as I know
AIAA - American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
ALSEP - Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Package
APOD - Astronomy Picture of the Day
AU - astronomical unit
ATM - against the mainstream
BABB - Bad Astronomy Bulletin Board
BAUT - Bad Astronomy/Universe Today
BB - Big Bang (alt BBT - Big Bang Theory)
BH - black hole
BIS - British Interplanetary Society
BTW - by the way
BS - Bart Sibrel
c - speed of light in a vacuum
CEO - close Earth orbit
CERN - European Organization for Nuclear Research
(http://public.web.cern.ch/Public/en/About/Name-en.html)
CETI - Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence
CM - Command Module
CSM - Command/Service Module
CT - Conspiracy Theories/conspiracy theorist
DoD - Department of Defense
EDL - entry, descent, and landing
ESA - European Space Agency
ET - external tank -or- extraterrestrial
ETA - edited to add
ETLA - extended three-letter acronym
EU - electric universe
EUV - extreme ultraviolet (121 nm - 10 nm)
EVA - extravehicular activity
FUV - far ultraviolet (200 nm - 122 nm)
FWIW - for what it's worth
G - universal gravitational constant
g - acceleration due to gravity at the Earth's surface
GEO - Geostationary Orbit
GMT - Greenwich Mean Time
GO - geostationary orbit
GR - General Relativity
GSFC - Goddard Space Flight Center
GSO - geosynchronous orbit
GTR - General Theory of Relativity
GUT - grand unified theory
HB - hoax believer
HEO - highly elliptical orbit
HST - Hubble Space Telescope
ICBM - intercontinental ballistic missile
ID - intelligent design
IIRC - if I remember/recall correctly
IMHO - in my humble opinion
IMO - in my opinion
IR - infrared
ISS - International Space Station
Jet-A - commercial jet fuel (refined kerosene)
JP-1 - jet propellant-1 (refined kerosene)
JPL - Jet Propulsion Laboratory
JSC - Johnson Space Center
KSC - Kennedy Space Center
LEO - low Earth orbit
LH2 - liquid hydrogen
LHC - Large Hadron Collider
LLRE - Lunar Laser Ranging Experiment
LOX - liquid oxygen
LRRR - Lunar Ranging Retro-Reflector
LM - Lunar Module
LRV - Lunar Roving Vehicle
MECO - main engine cut off
MEO - medium Earth orbit
MMU - manned maneuvering unit
MOND - Modified Newtonian Dynamics
MPG - miles per gallon
MSFC - Marshall Space Flight Center
MUFON - Mutual UFO Network
MUV - middle ultraviolet (300 nm - 200 nm)
N2O4 - nitrogen tetroxide
NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NEO - near-Earth object
NORAD - North American Air Defense Command
NSA - National Security Agency
NUV - near ultraviolet (400 nm - 300 nm)
NWO - New World Order
OMS - Orbital Maneuvering System
OP - Original Post (also Original Poster)
OT - off-topic
OTOH - on the other hand
OTS - off-the-shelf
OWLS - one-way light speed
PAN - Pro-Apollo nutter
PAO - Public Affairs Officer
PC - plasma cosmology
PX - Planet X
TEOTWAWKI - the end of the world as we know it
[T]PTB - [the] Powers That Be
Q&A - Questions and Answers
RAF - Royal Air Force
RLV - reusable launch vehicle
RP-1 - rocket propellant-1 (refined kerosene)
SETI - Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
SM - service module
SMAL - Small Media at Large
SOL - speed of light
SR - Special Relativity
SRB - solid rocket booster
SSME - Space Shuttle main engine
STR - Special Theory of Relativity
TLA - three-letter acronym
TOE - theory of everything
TWLS - two-way light speed
UDMH -unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine
UFO - unidentified flying object
USAF - United States Air Force
UT - Universal Time
UV - ultraviolet
UVA - ultraviolet A (400 nm - 315 nm)
UVB - ultraviolet B (315 nm - 280 nm)
UVC - ultraviolet C (280 nm - 100 nm)
WWTSD - what would ToSeek do?

further reference -
http://tla.surly.org/
http://www.braeunig.us/space/glossary.htm
http://www.sti.nasa.gov/acronym/main.html
__________________

(Courtesy of Gillianren)

[Jim]

7. Why does my post not show up immediately?

The BB software has a built-in function designed to discourage spammers. Any posts made by new Members which contain urls (links) - even in quotes of another Member's post - will be held for Moderator action. As Moderators are unpaid volunteers, there is no guarantee that your post will be moderated as quickly as you might like. If you are in a hurry, you can PM one or more Mods (see list above) requesting their attention, or you can make your post without the url.

After a certain number of posts, the software feels you can be trusted and will no longer hold your posts for moderation.

[pzkpfw]

8. How do I embed maths?

Try using one of the free services that exist for translating latex into images.

The LaTeX code is embedded in the URL.

e.g. [img]http://www.codecogs.com/eq.latex?\frac{V_{1}+V_{2}}{\sqrt[]{1+\frac{V_{1}V_{2}}{c^{2}}}}[/img] gives:



Other services can be found at: this place