HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: pbrown@uwovax.uwo.ca
Subject: NORAD AND METEOROIDS
Organization: University of Western Ont, London
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 1993 01:24:26 GMT

Here is an open question I hope someone can help me with. After several
months of trying to pursue this from "normal" channels I have become
quite frustrated.
On Oct 9, 1992 at 2349 UTC, a bright meteor was seen over the Eastern
USA. The remains of the body hit a parked car in Peekskill, N.Y. The
event created a great deal of publicity and many of you have likely 
heard about the event.
Our University group has been following up the positional data gleaned
from videotape recordings made on the night of the event. These are quite
helpful and have answered many outstanding questions in fireball dynamics.
Already, this event has become one of the most documented (if not THE most
documented) fireball/meteorite events. 
In an effort to complete the data "loop" and gather all avaliable 
information about the event we have tried contacting NORAD and seeing
what radar data might be avaliable on the event. Basically we have found out
that they detected the object, but little else. That radar data when
coupled with the videotapes (some 27 in all) AND the recovered meteorite
could add immensely to our general understanding of reentry problems,
fireball dynamics etc. In many ways the information about the event could
be useful from NORAD's standpoint, once all the analysis is done.
Now, we have tried to get the data or at least someone to tell us directly
that we can't have it without any luck. What options might I have? Is there
anyone out there who might have a contact that could help us with this
problem?
Any suggestions would be appreciated, as the data currently stands to be
lost altogether on a most unique event, unless someone intervenes.
As a side question, would anyone know where DMSP data can be obtained
from?
Please send email replies to the address below.
Thank You
email:Pbrown@hydra.uwo.ca
**********************************************************************

Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: hbh@athena.mit.edu (Heidi Hammel)
Subject: Re: Tycho Apocrypha
Keywords: Tycho, Brahe, nose
Organization: Massachvsetts Institvte of Technology
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 1993 23:43:08 GMT

buehler@sybil.mit.edu (Royce Buehler) writes:
>A historical question: Did Tycho Brahe sport a prosthetic
>nose?  If so, how did he come by it? If not, how did the
>story (reported for example by Will and Ariel Durant) gain currency?

It is frequently reported that at the age of twenty, Brahe fought a
duel, during which the tip of his nose was lost, and that he wore
a tin (or gold and tin) tip from then on.  Berry's "A Short History
of Astronomy" (Dover Publications, 1961) devotes some 16 pages to
Brahe's life and does not mention the duel or prothestic, but the
word "violent" in connection with Tycho's disposition appears several
times and he seemed like an all-around snooty guy: "... as he combined
the irritability of a genius with the haughtiness of a medieval
nobleman, continual quarrels were the result."  So there could very
well be some truth to the rumors ....    

heidi
--
    Heidi B. Hammel   (hbh@astron.mit.edu)   MIT 54-416   EAPS Dept.
From: sbs@weyl.bu.edu (Stephen Selipsky)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: "Modeling" the Expanding Universe?
Date: 28 Jan 93 21:26:54 GMT
Reply-To: sbs@weyl.bu.edu
Organization: Boston University Physics Department


In article <C1KnCo.5rH@well.sf.ca.us>,
 metares@well.sf.ca.us (Tom Van Flandern) writes:
 ...
|>     Distant objects do not move through space at all, much less slow due
|>to the gravity of other objects.  Since the universe is supposed to be
|>homegeneous and isotropic on the large scale as seen by every observer, in
|>what direction could a "slowing" possibly act?
 ...

sbs:
   The "slowing" acts in the direction connecting each observed moving
object to the observer watching it.  You can use Newtonian intuition;
every pair of points defines center and surface of a sphere (or two),
and Birkhoff's theorem eliminates dynamical effects of matter outside
the sphere, so the matter on the surface of the sphere is slowed by the
attraction of matter inside the sphere.  This viewpoint is symmetrical
between which point is the center and which is on the surface, so either
way separation velocities decrease.

|>
|>and sbs@weyl.bu.edu (Stephen Selipsky) writes:
|>
|>> nothing weird and nonlinear happens; the Solar system just gets crushed
|>> as all that external matter crashes in.  "The fall doesn't kill you, it's
|>> when you hit the bottom".
|>
|>     If all of space is uniformly contracting when the matter density is
|>uniform, and the only exception is a spot of nearly infinite matter
|>density, the stress-energy is surely higher there than elsewhere.  Why
|>would this operate to *nullify* an ongoing general contraction?  The sign
|>is wrong.
|>
|>     The extra space is supposed to be continuously created out of the big
|>bang.  Why does the new space that tries to appear in, e.g., the solar
|>system get suppressed so that it never appears at all, or appears somewhere
|>else?  -|Tom|-

sbs:
As you say, space has *much more curvature* near the local extra mass
than it does in the rest of the universe.  (Gravitational deceleration
of an object leaving the Sun is indeed much greater than the Hubble
deceleration.)  And that's the point; the curvature of local space is
dominated by the amount of local collapsed matter, which is pretty much
*constant*, so the metric nearby is also *constant*.  No expansion or
contraction.  In the rest of the universe, density is *changing* due to
the contraction or expansion, which changes the metric, equivalent to
more expansion/contraction.  This is why the density determines the
Hubble parameter ("velocity"), not only the "acceleration" q, a point
that sometimes confuse people.
   When the rest of the universe (*) gets so dense that its changing
density is significant relative to the density of the Solar system
(or local supercluster), *then* you'll see the local metric start to
change with time!  Not otherwise; GR is a local theory.

     Regards,  -- stephen.

(*)The boundary condition for the local Schwarzchild metric.
From: wood@kepler.pss.fit.edu (Matt A. Wood)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: N-Body code wanted for student use
Date: 21 Jan 93 21:37:46 GMT
Organization: Physics and Space Sciences, Florida Institute of Technology
Originator: wood@kepler.pss.fit.edu

I'm looking for a self-contained N-Body code for use in an undergraduate
senior lab -- does anybody know of such a beast?  I know of the one
in the back of Binney and Tremaine, and may use that, however there's
no setup routines in that one, and I'd rather not have to write them
if possible.  The lab will be an exercise in investigating the bar 
instability and velocity curves and the stabilizing effect of a 
dark-matter halo.

Thank you very much for your help.

-- 
Matt A. Wood                            Physics and Space Sciences     
wood@phy.fit.edu                        Florida Institute of Technology
(407) 768-8000 (x7207)                  150 West University Boulevard  
(407) 984-8461 (FAX)                    Melbourne, FL  32901-6988
From: newberry@aquarius.as.arizona.edu (Mike Newberry)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: research grade vs. commercial grade
Date: 22 Jan 93 20:35:59 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

In article <93022.035547LABBEY@GITVM1.BITNET> LABBEY@GITVM1.BITNET writes:
>One wonders what kind of "research" is done with an 8" telescope?
>
>Besides, astronomers don't do "research".  They observe.  "Research"
>implies the ability to change the conditions of the experiment.
>

This statement is patently false.  The author should know better.

Mike Newberry
Steward Observatory
Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: gawne@stsci.edu
Subject: Re: HST sites
Organization: Space Telescope Science Institute
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 13:29:03 GMT

Michael Y Ko asked:
 
>>Can anyone tell me what the function is of the Space Telescope Institute?

and Dr. James Neff replied: 
> Many of us have been pondering that question for years.  It's main function 
> seems to be spending lots of money.

Thanks Jim.  The same may be said of any educational or research facility.
People living in glass houses and all that stuff applies.

STScI is the science data analysis center for all HST science data.  Engineering
telemetry goes to Goddard and science data comes here.  We also have lots of
people here who work with Guest Observers on all stages of their proposals
(Science Planning Branch, User Support Branch, etc...) and a lot of ongoing
effort in software development.  

STScI is a NASA owned facility located on the campus of Johns Hopkins University
in Baltimore.  It is managed by AURA.  Isn't Penn State an AURA member?

-Bill Gawne,  Space Telescope Science Institute
From: det@sw.stratus.com (David Toland)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: THE DIVINE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE
Date: 26 Jan 1993 13:34:43 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer Inc.
Distribution: world
Reply-To: somebody@somehost.edu
NNTP-Posting-Host: phlan.sw.stratus.com

In article <1993Jan25.173130.3296@cnsvax.uwec.edu>, mcelwre@cnsvax.uwec.edu writes:
> Although the following article is on the subject of religious studies, it
> illustrates some important facts about the Universe:
                             ^^^^^?

He's BAAAAaaaack (and wouldn't know a fact if it bit him on the butt)!

>                                            Robert E. McElwaine
>                                            2nd Initiate in Eckankar

Ah, well at least he's not claiming to be a scientist this time.
Flame away, Bobby, I'll give your responses all the attention they
deserve (and I've been *far* too generous already).

-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
All opinions are MINE MINE MINE, and not necessarily anyone else's.
det@phlan.sw.stratus.com   |  "Laddie, you'll be needin' something to wash
                           |  that doon with."
Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: buyan@aero.org
Subject: Moonrise/set Computer Program
Organization: The Aerospace Corporation
Distribution: sci.astro
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 21:22:27 GMT

Does anyone know of a computer program for a PC-clone written in FORTRAN or 
Basic for computing moonreise and moonset as a function of date, latitude 
and longitude?
From: gr@st-andrews.ac.uk (Gavin Ramsay)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: UK- Sky at Night music
Date: 23 Jan 93 11:48:35 GMT
Organization: St. Andrews University, Scotland.

In article <1993Jan22.151129.9038@flint.comlab.ox.ac.uk> sharon@comlab.ox.ac.uk (Sharon Curtis) writes:
>In article whatever apryan@vax1.tcd.ie writes:
>>It's "At the Castle Gates" by Sebalius.
>Actually it's by Sibelius.
>
>Sharon

Also, its from his suite Pelleas et Melisande
gav
Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: dbenn@leven.appcomp.utas.edu.au (David Benn)
Subject: Re: Planetary Ephemeris Routines?
Organization: University of Tasmania at Launceston
Date: Sat, 23 Jan 93 07:04:57 GMT

In article <1993Jan21.190232.1729@ryn.mro4.dec.com>, randolph@est.enet.dec.com (Tom Randolph) writes:
>
>
>In article <3190@tymix.Tymnet.COM>, kopfj@bert.Tymnet.COM (John Kopf, X6305) writes...
>> [9 LINES OF QUOTED TEXT DELETED]
>
>This would quickly expand to occupy megabytes, which I imagine is why no one
>ever posts it here. There's really no way to give it proper treatment without a
>whole book's worth of formulae... hence the book references. "Astronomical
>Algorithms" by Meeus is excellent.
>
>BTW, bravo on the BASIC flame! Anyone using BASIC for serious number crunching
>is probably crippling themself... I'd LOVE to see formulae in algebra in the
>mags.
>-Tom R.   randolph@est.enet.dec.com

I think it's only fair to point out that if a modern BASIC at the lowest
level is simply using the operating system's floating-point library
routines, the same ones in fact that a C compiler might use, then your
claim is unfounded. I know of at least one instance where this is true: in
an BASIC compiler I am developing for the Amiga. 

As for all the usual objections to BASIC, most are no longer true with the
advent of modern structured BASICs. I'm quite happy to code in C or Pascal
or.... But I do get tired of constant jibes at BASIC. It has it's place. 

And PLEASE folks, it's not my intention to start a language war. Just
making a point.

Regards...

David Benn 


Newsgroups: sci.astro,rec.radio.shortwave
From: oler@rho.uleth.ca (Cary Oler)
Subject: Daily Solar Geophysical Data Broadcast for 24 January
Organization: University of Lethbridge
Date: 25 Jan 93 09:07:49 GMT

!!BEGIN!! (1.0) S.T.D. Solar Geophysical Data Broadcast for DAY 024, 01/24/93
10.7 FLUX=105    90-AVG=139        SSN=077      BKI=1124 2221  BAI=008
BGND-XRAY=B1.2     FLU1=2.9E+05  FLU10=9.1E+03  PKI=1224 2222  PAI=009
  BOU-DEV=005,009,012,050,013,018,019,008   DEV-AVG=016 NT     SWF=00:000
 XRAY-MAX= B4.0   @ 0518UT    XRAY-MIN= B1.1   @ 1359UT   XRAY-AVG= B1.3
NEUTN-MAX= +003%  @ 1850UT   NEUTN-MIN= -002%  @ 1715UT  NEUTN-AVG= +0.4%
  PCA-MAX= +0.0DB @ 2355UT     PCA-MIN= -0.4DB @ 0750UT    PCA-AVG= -0.0DB
BOUTF-MAX=55418NT @ 2332UT   BOUTF-MIN=55381NT @ 1903UT  BOUTF-AVG=55407NT
GOES7-MAX=P:+118NT@ 2031UT   GOES7-MIN=N:-008NT@ 0919UT  G7-AVG=+075,+026,+009
GOES6-MAX=P:+138NT@ 1832UT   GOES6-MIN=E:-010NT@ 1903UT  G6-AVG=+094,+002,+038
 FLUXFCST=STD:105,105,105;SESC:105,105,105 BAI/PAI-FCST=010,015,020/013,020,025
    KFCST=0002 3000 1111 3222  27DAY-AP=005,029   27DAY-KP=0011 0123 2032 5555
 WARNINGS=
   ALERTS=
!!END-DATA!!
From: bweiner@ruhets.rutgers.edu (Benjamin Weiner)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: "Modeling" the Expanding Universe? (was Re: That Great Pulsar Timing Flame War)
Date: 28 Jan 93 20:37:44 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

metares@well.sf.ca.us (Tom Van Flandern) writes:

>     Well, I agree up to a point.  But we mustn't throw reason out the
>window.  If solutions do not give reasonable physical behavior, then
>something is wrong.

Tom, you haven't workd out the solutions, and you're using intuition
to determine what is "reasonable physical behavior" (nothing wrong with
that, we all do to some extent), so don't be too sure.  The something
that is wrong might be your assumptions.

>     ...
>     Now as I understand it, the Einstein's Equation is supposed to have
>solutions that will allow the nearly infinite matter density locality to
>halt a general expansion and remain flat.  But the condition of local
>spacetime depends only on the matter distribution in the universe, not on
>its motion.  Therefore we can make the same statement if the universe is in
>a state of general contraction: a nearly infinite matter density locality
>must halt the general contraction and remain flat!  I submit that goes
>beyond counter-intuitive into the unimaginable.

Not flat, not flat, not flat, but Schwarzschild ...  I know that the
curvature of the Schwarzschild solar-system spacetime is small at, say,
the earth's radius, but it's immeasurably larger than the curvature of
a homogeneous universe at a reasonable present-day state.  So you 
shouldn't quite call it flat.  After all, the whole issue is: Is it 
appropriate to use Newtonian gravity for the solar system, galaxy, 
gravitationally bound systms in general?  Any gravitationally bound
system is by its nature not in completely flat spacetime.

OK, onward.  Where I disagree with your submission is the statement
that the high matter density "halts" the general contraction.  It
doesn't, it just overpowers it, by virtue of its dominating curvature
(see above paragraph).  I think what you're trying to say is that in the
expanding universe, the local gravity counteracts the expansion, creating
a bound system, so in the contracting universe, what does the local 
gravity counteract?  The way I phrased that sentence should help show that
this is a non-issue.  A gravitationally bound system in a contracting
universe simply remains gravitationally bound, and can be treated with
Newtonian gravity.  (Or post-Newtonian approx. in the solar system, if 
you feel like splitting hairs.)

Eventually, when the universe contracts down to a size comparable to the
gravitationally bound ragion, funny things will clearly happen; but by
then the assumptions made about a small dense region in a generally 
homogeneous universe have long since become invalid.
Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: phfrom@nyx.uni-konstanz.de (Hartmut Frommert)
Subject: Re: "Modeling" the Expanding Universe?
Organization: Dept. of Physics, University of Constance
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 14:24:04 GMT

bscott@lyman.pppl.gov (Bruce Scott) writes:

> [..] It is important to remind oneself of this
>when interpretin GR, which is a classical field theory even though
>it is nonlinear.

Just for record: There is (as you know) of course also a lot of work on
(different) quantum interpretations of GR though no general agreement.
-
 Hartmut Frommert                 <phfrom@nyx.uni-konstanz.de>
 Dept of Physics, Univ of Constance, P.O.Box 55 60, D-W-7750 Konstanz, Germany
                                           -- Eat whale killers, not whales --
From: gtc@rahul.net (Greg Chalfin)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: Vacuum Question
Date: 27 Jan 93 19:22:06 GMT
Organization: a2i network

In article <8481@tekig7.PEN.TEK.COM> bs@tekig7.PEN.TEK.COM (Robert L Swarts) writes:
>Arthur Clarke wrote a short science fiction story dealing with the effects of vacuum on the human body that appeared to be quite informed. It is in one of his anthologies from the 1950s dealing with early orbital and lunar colonization.
>Unfortunately, I don't remember the title.
>
>bs

The title "Take A Deep Breath" comes to mind.  (And I think it was in a
collection called "The Other Side of the Sky".)


-- 
Greg Chalfin <gtc@rahul.net>
From: pcl@ox.ac.uk (Paul C Leyland)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: Cleaning mirrors
Date: 28 Jan 93 10:11:14 GMT
Organization: Oxford University Computing Services, 13 Banbury Rd Oxford OX2
	6NN
In-reply-to: pcl@ox.ac.uk's message of 27 Jan 93 13:10:47


In article <PCL.93Jan27131047@rhodium.ox.ac.uk> pcl@ox.ac.uk (Paul C Leyland) writes:
   In article <21187@acorn.co.uk> rking@acorn.co.uk (Richard King) writes:
      Folks,

      What are the recommended methods for cleaning mirrors ?
      My 6" has a layer of dust which I can't shift with an aerosol
      air blower so I'm wondering what else I can do.

   Here's what I do.

... pages of washing instructions deleted.

I know it's bad form to follow-up your own articles, but I forgot to
add: shouldn't this be in the FAQ?

Paul

--
Paul Leyland <pcl@oxford.ac.uk>          | Hanging on in quiet desperation is
Oxford University Computing Service      |     the English way.
13 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 6NN, UK     | The time is come, the song is over.
Tel: +44-865-273200  Fax: +44-865-273275 | Thought I'd something more to say.
Finger pcl@black.ox.ac.uk for PGP key    |
From: bs@tekig7.PEN.TEK.COM (Robert L Swarts)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: Dobsonians ?
Date: 28 Jan 93 15:48:00 GMT
Organization: Tektronix, Inc., Beaverton,  OR.

Many years ago I owned one of their early 10.1" 'scopes.
I found it reasonably portable, very easy to use and keep
adjusted, and most suitable for the casual observing that
I prefer. It gave satisfactory optical performance on both
planetary and deep-space objects. I still regard it as a
good bargain, and would buy a second one if in the market
for a light bucket.

bs
From: dkb@cs.purdue.edu (David Keith Bainbridge)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Request for info on 35mm astrophotography cameras
Date: 23 Jan 1993 15:03:35 -0500
Organization: Purdue University
Distribution: usa
NNTP-Posting-Host: data.cs.purdue.edu
Keywords: astrophotography camera

I would like to purchase a 35mm camera for astrophotograhy.  I am unaware
of any models ideal for this photography for under $300 and would appreciate
any assistance in this endeavor.  Please reply via e-mail and I will summarize
to the net.  Thankyou.

---
Dave Bainbridge
dkb@cs.purdue.edu
Purdue University
From: palmer@cco.caltech.edu (David M. Palmer)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: "Modeling" the Expanding Universe?
Date: 25 Jan 1993 06:37:25 GMT
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
NNTP-Posting-Host: alumni.caltech.edu

bweiner@ruhets.rutgers.edu (Benjamin Weiner) writes:

>One ought to keep in mind that the phrase "big bang" was made up as
>a derisive comment by Fred Hoyle; in his famous BBC Radio lectures, I 
>believe (the book is "The Nature of the Universe").

And the term has fallen out of favor recently, being replaced by
the phrase "The Horrendous Space Kablooie" (Watterson, 1991) which 
has the pedagogical advantage of makeing it quite clear that it is
space which is expanding.

-- 
		David Palmer		 palmer@alumni.caltech.edu
Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: L629159@LMSC5.IS.LMSC.LOCKHEED.COM
Subject: Re: Refurbishing Observatory...SURPRISE !!
Organization: Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc.
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 93 06:41:10 PST

From: Jeff.Cook@FtCollinsCO.NCR.COM (Jeff Cook)

With all the excitement this has caused, you might want to take pictures
and keep good notes on what transpires during your project.  There seems
to be a lot of interest in what you're doing--perhaps a magazine like
Sky & Telescope would be interested in doing an article on it.  Give
them a call and let them know what you're up to.

Jeff Cook                                  Jeff.Cook@FtCollinsCO.NCR.com

  And, of course, by all means, keep us all, er, posted.  There will
be a lot of interest in the condition and refurbishment of this
telescope.

Al Moore
Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: court@newton.physics.mun.ca (J. Lewis)
Subject: Pronunciation of "Jansky"
Organization: Memorial University of Nfld, St. John's, NF
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 21:26:05 GMT


A quick question:  how should "Jansky" (man and unit) be pronounced?
The name sounds middle-European-ish to me, suggesting "yanski", but
Karl Jansky was American, suggesting "dganski".
From: FuzzyM@cup.portal.com (Paul J Mortfield)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: WANTED: 6" f/4 Mirror
Date: Wed, 20 Jan 93 22:31:20 PST
Organization: The Portal System (TM)

I'm looking for a 6" f/4 mirror of adequate quality to finish off
a small portable scope.

Paul Mortfield
Cupertino, CA
From: lip@s1.gov (Loren I. Petrich)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: "Modeling" the Expanding Universe? (was Re: That Great Pulsar Timing Flame War)
Date: 22 Jan 93 22:11:04 GMT
Organization: LLNL

In article <C18vB2.6sD@well.sf.ca.us> metares@well.sf.ca.us (Tom Van Flandern) writes:
...  If you hypothesize that local matter density can cause local
>spacetime to stop participating in the universal expansion, then local
>matter density would cause local space to contract rapidly and violently
>into a black hole (because it is 20 orders of magnitude stronger than
>universal matter density).  It is clearly not possible to halt expansion
>without starting a contraction.

	Sheesh. Haven't you ever heard of angular momentum or internal
pressure? Both forces can stop collapse, as is readily apparent in the
Solar System. The Earth does not fall into the Sun, and the Moon does
not fall onto the Earth, all because of their angular momentum. And
all three bodies keep their shape from their internal pressure.
Timescales? Use estimate (G*(rho))^(-1/2). Earth, Moon, and Sun
collapsing upon themselves? About an hour or so. The Moon falling onto
the Earth? About a month. The Earth falling into the Sun? About a
year. But none of those things have happened.

>     There is a nice discussion of Einstein's Equation and its application
>to the big bang in Wald's "Space, Time, and Gravity" (2nd ed., p. 48).  I
>do not see how any of this answers my question:  why does large-scale space
>with low matter density expand and later contract, while small-scale space
>with high matter density does neither?  -|Tom|-

	That's because the former case is _very_ close to homogeneous,
and the latter case is _not_, allowing angular momentum and internal
pressure to be significant.
-- 
/Loren Petrich, the Master Blaster
/lip@s1.gov
Newsgroups: sci.astro