HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: fcrary@ucsu.Colorado.EDU (Frank Crary)
Subject: Re: Is NASA really planning to Terraform Mars?
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1992 18:04:54 GMT

In article <2aaa5764wnr070@ark.abg.sub.org> ralf@ark.abg.sub.org (Ralf Stephan) writes:
>barry@chezmoto.ai.mit.edu (Barry Kort) writes:

>>         A fairly large team <at NASA>, is planning the terraforming
>>         of Mars, which involves destroying the planet as we know it.
>>         Mars will be raised 20 degrees C.  And with minimal study of
>>         that planet it becomes clear what chain of events will occur.
>>         After this chain Mars will be 'polluted' with earth-based
>>         micro-organisms and rugged plant life.

There is no such team working on the subject. There is at least one
scientist at NASA, who has written a few papers on the theoretical 
possibility (and one on the ethical issues involved. The phrasing of
the question seems to take strong opposition on moral grounds. I, personally,
don't understand why.)

>As there seems noone to respond, I have a question:  How would they do it?
>The old idea:  Packing all the CFCs in the now unused strategic missiles
>and sending them to Mars?  What time will it need?  What chemistry is involved?

The exact process isn't an issue: Before we could do anything like this, 
we'd have to leard a lot more about global climate change. 1000 years,
however, is a absolute minimum time: The internal energy of the current
martian atmosphere can be calculated, as can the energy of the desired
atmosphere. Assuming solar energy as the power source for the change,
and at 100% efficiency, it would take roughly 1000 years...

                                                        Frank Crary
                                                        CU Boulder
From: roberts@phoenix.ocf.llnl.gov (Don Roberts)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: PUTTING VENUS IN AN ORBIT SIMILAR TO THE ORBIT OF THE EARTH
Keywords: Altering, VENUS, Orbit
Date: 15 Sep 92 20:29:59 GMT
Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

In article <schlegel.716576737@cwis>
schlegel@cwis.unomaha.edu (Mark Schlegel) writes:

[re: space colonization--ed.]

>Wouldn't it be more sensible in the long run to curb unlimited growth
>in population, moving to other planets just puts off the date of
>overpopulation and increases the scale of the problem and increases the
>rate of use of limited resources.

Wrong-o. See the recent (and ongoing) discussion in sci.space (subjects:
population, overpopulation, terraforming Mars [go figure]) of the problems
with the overpopulation-is-the-primary-problem thesis.  The discussion is
beginning to degenerate a bit, but it's worth a look.

>Mark

	-- Don
--
 Dr. Donald W. Roberts
   University of California                                      Physicist
   Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory         Recreational Bodybuilder
   dwr@llnl.gov                                           Renaissance Dude
Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: knapp@spot.Colorado.EDU (David Knapp)
Subject: Re: Is NASA really planning to Terraform Mars?
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1992 20:59:38 GMT

In article <2aaa5764wnr070@ark.abg.sub.org> ralf@ark.abg.sub.org (Ralf Stephan) writes:
>barry@chezmoto.ai.mit.edu (Barry Kort) writes:
>> A colleague of mine, who claims to be knowledgeable in such matters
>> tells me:
>> 
>>         A fairly large team <at NASA>, is planning the terraforming
>>         of Mars, which involves destroying the planet as we know it.
>>         Mars will be raised 20 degrees C.  And with minimal study of
>>         that planet it becomes clear what chain of events will occur.
>>         After this chain Mars will be 'polluted' with earth-based
>>         micro-organisms and rugged plant life.
>> 
>> Can anyone confirm, deny, or refute the above, or otherwise
>> elaborate on NASA's plans with respect to Mars?
>
>As there seems noone to respond, I have a question:  How would they do it?
>The old idea:  Packing all the CFCs in the now unused strategic missiles
>and sending them to Mars?  What time will it need?  What chemistry is involved?
>
>Thanks!  --ralf



There was an issue of Life magazine devoted to that exact issue.  Since Life
has tended more towards a tabloid, it has less than scientific discussions
of the procedures, but it has some interesting commentary.  If you read 
it, notice the price tag on the project. It was Life, May 1991 issue.

I've heard, independantly several methods for generating at atmosphere (step
one in any terraforming process).  Green house gases, which involves releasing
polar CO2 deposits using anything from space based mirrors (my favorite :-/
to nuclear detonations.   Another would be selectively kicking up the right
dust to allow for greenhouse effects, although I have no idea how that 
would be done since particulates in the atmosphere seem to have been proven
to cause nuclear-winter phenomenon.

Any plan I have read involves work over the better part of a century to beyond
a century.

In short, the whole things looks highly unreasonable at *least*. This 
doesn't even begin to address the ethical issue of doing such a thing.

-- 
David Knapp                                      University of Colorado, Boulder
Perpetual Student                                   knapp@spot.colorado.edu
Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: mtyler@netcom.com (Mike Tyler)
Subject: Telescope for sale. Asking less.
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 92 01:05:25 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
Summary: Telescope for sale. Asking Less.

I posted my Meade 8" schmidt-cassegrain scope with extras
for sale a few posts back.
 
 I'm willing to accept significantly less than the $1000-$1100 I was hoping for. PG&E just came buy and took part of this month's rent money. I hate it when
that happens.
-Mike
mtyler@netcom.com
From: pvtmakela@hylkn1.Helsinki.FI (M{kel{ Veikko)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Email contact addresses of interest groups
Date: 11 Sep 92 13:22:53 GMT
Organization: University of Helsinki


                        EMAIL CONTACT ADDRESSES
                           OF INTEREST GROUPS
                          IN AMATEUR ASTRONOMY

    I am collecting email contact addresses of  different kind of
    observing and interest groups in amateur astronomy field, eg.
    sections  of  astronomical associations.  NOTE!  I don't need
    addresses of individual  amateurs  or  their  interests,  but
    email addresses of group  and section leaders,  those contact
    persons or persons,  who are organizing some  kind  of  group
    work or.  There  is only few  exceptions.   I  have  included
    some  persons,  who are  distributing  important  information
    for  interest group or organizing somehow the world wide work
    in their field.

    There  are many different kind of topic in amateur astronomy,
    eg.

      ARTIFICAL SATELLITES        MAGAZINE EDITORS
      ASTROMETRY                  METEORS
      ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY            MINOR PLANETS
      ASTROPHYSICS                MOON
      ATMOSPHERIC PHENOMENA       OCCULTATIONS
      AURORAE                     PHOTOMETRY
      CLUB ACTIVITIES             PLANETS
      COMETS                      SPACE RESEARCH/TECHNOLOGY
      COMPUTING                   SUN
      DEEP SKY                    TELESCOPE MAKING
      EDUCATION                   VARIABLE STARS
      ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION    WEATHER
      FOREIGN CONTACTS            YOUTH ACTIVITIES
      JOVIAN MOON PHENOMENA
      LIBRARIANS

    And many others. I need following data:

     1) person name
     2) interest group classification
     3) group, club or association name and country
     4) Internet email address.

    Eg. this way:
    
    --ATMOSPHERIC PHENOMENA-----------------------------------------
    Veikko Makela       Ursa, FINLAND    Veikko.Makela@Helsinki.FI
    ----------------------------------------------------------------

    The list  is  available via  anonymous-FTP  as  nic.funet.fi:
    /pub/astro/general/contact.lis  or by email from me.
                              

                              Veikko Makela
                              -----------------------------------
                              Ursa Astronomical Association
                              Laivanvarustankatu 9 C 54
                              SF-00140 HELSINKI
                              FINLAND
                              -----------------------------------
                              Internet: Veikko.Makela@Helsinki.FI
                              FidoNet:  Veikko Makela @ 2:220/861
                              -----------------------------------
   



   ---
   My other e-communication projects:
   * Astro-FTP list
   * European astronomy and space-related bulletin boards
   * E-mail catalogue of Finnish amateur astronomers
Newsgroups: sci.astro.hubble
From: phfrom@nyx.uni-konstanz.de (Hartmut Frommert)
Subject: Stellar density in M32 core
Originator: uk1@spacsun.rice.edu
Organization: Dept. of Physics, University of Constance
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 04:02:56 GMT

Hi all,

former FOC system engeneer Hans Kroeger <KROEGERdornier.de> notified me that
from the investigation of a HST exposure of M32's core it can be concluded
that approx 400 million stars are concentrated in a 1000 ly region, approx 
100 million times as much as in solar neighborhood.

 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 --

Newsgroups: sci.astro.hubble
From: inr@eccles.caltech.edu (I. Neill Reid)
Subject: re: no. of stars in M87
Originator: uk1@spacsun.rice.edu
Organization: California Institute of Technology
Date: Sat, 5 Sep 1992 17:15:11 GMT

>From: Rune.Johansen@nta.no (Rune Henning Johansen FBA)

>In an article translated from English to Norwegian it was mentioned
>that Hubble took some pictures of the galaxy M87. According to the
>article this galaxy consists of two "billoner" stars. Since a
>Norwegian "billion" is thousand times greater than an English
>"billion" I wonder if there might be a translation error. So my
>question is simply: How many stars is there in M87?

> - Rune

 10**9 is an American billion - I certainly always thought of a
billion as a million million until I started working in astronomy.
But about 10**12 sounds right since big ellipticals can have masses of
more than 10**12 solar masses, and since your average star (that's 
averaging everything) is about 0.5 M(sun) there's the billion.

 Neill Reid - inr@accles.caltech.edu


Xref: sparky sci.astro:9556 sci.geo.meteorology:3041 rec.radio.amateur.misc:15163 rec.radio.shortwave:6787
From: oler@rho.uleth.ca (Cary Oler)
Newsgroups: sci.astro,sci.geo.meteorology,rec.radio.amateur.misc,rec.radio.shortwave
Subject: AURORA WARNING:  Middle Latitude Auroral Activity Warning
Date: 9 Sep 92 03:37:33 GMT
Organization: University of Lethbridge


                /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

                   MIDDLE LATITUDE AURORAL ACTIVITY WARNING

                        ISSUED: 02:30 UT, 09 SEPTEMBER

                /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\


    HIGH RISK PERIOD: 09 - 10 September (UT days)
MODERATE RISK PERIOD: 09 - 11 September

POTENTIAL MAGNITUDE OF MIDDLE LATITUDE AURORAL ACTIVITY:  MODERATE

POTENTIAL EQUATORWARD POSITION OF AURORAL OVAL:  >47 North Latitude

POTENTIAL LUNAR INTERFERENCE:  MODERATE - HIGH

OVERALL OPPORTUNITY FOR OBSERVATIONS FROM MIDDLE LATITUDES:  FAIR

AURORAL ACTIVITY _MAY_ BE OBSERVED APPROXIMATELY NORTH OF A LINE FROM...

        WASHINGTON STATE TO NORTHERN WYOMING TO NORTHERN NEBRASKA TO IOWA TO
        NORTHERN ILLINOIS TO INDIANA TO OHIO TO PENNSYLVANIA TO NEW JERSEY
        AND/OR PARTS OF DELAWARE.


SYNOPSIS...

     An interplanetary disturbance launched by recent major solar flare
     activity arrived at 01:39 UTC on 09 September.  This disturbance could
     produce periods of moderate to high levels of auroral activity over the
     northerly middle and high latitude regions.  Activity could become
     strong enough to be observed over favorable dark sky sites throughout
     much of the northern tier of the U.S. states.  There is a slight chance
     the disturbance could become strong enough to be observed from lower
     latitudes, although this remains to be seen.

     Levels of auroral activity are presently fairly dormant, but are
     expected to become more strongly enhanced over the next three to eight
     hours when the main phase of the disturbance begins (after 04:00 UT on
     09 September).

     The 80 percent illuminated moon will drown out some of the visible
     activity and will remain a factor throughout the night hours.  As a
     result, conditions will not be ideal for observing activity.

     This warning will remain active until 19:00 UT on 11 September when it
     will either be updated or allowed to expire.


**  End of Warning  **
Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: davecole@cie.uoregon.edu.uoregon.edu (Dave Cole)
Subject: Re: When is the annular eclipse over Kansas?
Organization: University of Oregon Network Services
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Distribution: usa
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 92 02:28:20 GMT

Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: enzo@research.canon.oz.au (Enzo Liguori)
Subject: SUSI (Sydney University Stellar Interferometer)
Organization: Canon Information Systems Research Australia
Date: Tue, 8 Sep 1992 21:38:57 GMT

Sometimes ago I heard about this very large interferometer (I think 640 m
baseline) aimed to directly measure the diameter of nearby stars. It should be
operative by now.
I'd appreciate any information about it, such as first results, possibility to
extend the baseline in the other direction for imaging, location etc. etc.
Thanks in advance.

      Enzo

Enzo Liguori - Canon Information Systems Research Australia
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Wanted: CCD photometric reduction software
From: phys229@cantua.canterbury.ac.nz (Mr. A.D. McGregor)
Date: 8 Sep 92 14:12:34 +1200
Distribution: world
Organization: University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.

We have been attempting to do filter photometry with an SBIG ST4 CCD,
but have found the stumbling block to getting good results is,
at the moment, that SBIG's software is not up to the standard of
the camera. So, we need some better SW. Unix, PC or Mac preferred 
(in that order), but we'd like source so non-commercial is best.
I've heard of IRAS, but it's much too big, DAOPHOT but I can't find it,
DOPHOT same, and FIGARO doesn't seem to do the job.

Does anybody know where I could get such software?
I'd like a pointer to DAOPHOT or the PHOS system from SAO,
but any suggestion at all would be nice.

Andrew McGregor
Newsgroups: sci.astro,rec.radio.amateur.misc,rec.radio.shortwave
From: oler@rho.uleth.ca (Cary Oler)
Subject: Daily Solar Geophysical Data Broadcast for 15 September
Organization: University of Lethbridge
Date: 16 Sep 92 04:24:52 GMT

!!BEGIN!! (1.0) S.T.D. Solar Geophysical Data Broadcast for DAY 259, 09/15/92
10.7 FLUX=120.2  90-AVG=124        SSN=098      BKI=2333 2211  BAI=009
BGND-XRAY=B3.8     FLU1=7.6E+05  FLU10=1.4E+04  PKI=3333 2221  PAI=010
  BOU-DEV=017,028,037,023,010,017,008,008   DEV-AVG=018 NT     SWF=00:000
 XRAY-MAX= C2.6   @ 0201UT    XRAY-MIN= B3.3   @ 0041UT   XRAY-AVG= B5.8
NEUTN-MAX= +005%  @ 2030UT   NEUTN-MIN= -001%  @ 1500UT  NEUTN-AVG= +0.7%
  PCA-MAX= +0.2DB @ 1300UT     PCA-MIN= +0.0DB @ 2350UT    PCA-AVG= +0.1DB
BOUTF-MAX=55433NT @ 0043UT   BOUTF-MIN=55430NT @ 0033UT  BOUTF-AVG=55431NT
GOES7-MAX=P:+095NT@ 0007UT   GOES7-MIN=N:+004NT@ 0042UT  G7-AVG=+091,+031,+006
GOES6-MAX=P:+113NT@ 0001UT   GOES6-MIN=E:+001NT@ 0043UT  G6-AVG=+108,+002,+031
 FLUXFCST=STD:115,110,110;SESC:115,110,105 BAI/PAI-FCST=010,010,010/010,010,010
    KFCST=2134 3111 2124 3221  27DAY-AP=006,024   27DAY-KP=1121 2223 3645 3222
 WARNINGS=
   ALERTS=
!!END-DATA!!
Xref: sparky sci.astro:9523 sci.geo.meteorology:3026 rec.radio.amateur.misc:15089 rec.radio.shortwave:6759
From: mju@mudos.ann-arbor.mi.us (Marc Unangst)
Newsgroups: sci.astro,sci.geo.meteorology,rec.radio.amateur.misc,rec.radio.shortwave
Subject: Re: Watching Aurora/TV
Date: 7 Sep 92 18:13:26 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: The Programmer's Pit Stop, Ann Arbor MI

In article <1992Sep4.134225.11052@eagle.lerc.nasa.gov> snyder@ronin.lerc.nasa.gov (David B. Snyder) writes:
>Question for you in southern Ontario:  Where is Channel 31 broadcast from?
>as well as Channel 9 and 38 and 40?  I'm getting the impression CBC is not
>good about telling where the broadcasts originate.  

As another poster already responded, Channel 9 is broadcast from
Windsor.  Channel 31 is not in Canada at all; it originates in Ann
Arbor, Michigan -- about 40-50 miles east of Detroit.  I don't know
where 38 and 40 come from.

-- 
Marc Unangst                | Real men don't use Windows.  Real men use X. 
mju@mudos.ann-arbor.mi.us   | Only a real man would use a GUI where the
                            | shift keys after "Alt" are "Super" and "Hyper."
Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: pbrown@uwovax.uwo.ca
Subject: re:bolide
Organization: University of Western Ont, London
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 16:58:10 GMT

According to several of the previous reports a bolide (exploding
fireball) was seen around 9 p.m. EDT in the Northern USA. 
I must say I was quite surprised to read these notes since at 9:04 p.m.
EDT last night, Sunday, Sept 13 while walking home I saw a bolide I
would estimate was in the -8 to -12 or brighter range to the West
with a path through Bootes. This is from London, Ontario. The bolide
was very slow moving and left a very visible train. Fragmentation was
definitely visible and I would estimate the total duration to be 3-5 
seconds. Unfortunately the object moved under some trees at an altitude of
perhaps 20 degrees above the horizon so I cannot say what the terminal 
altitude was or whether there was a terminal burst. Depending on the
nature of reports from Eastern Michagan I would say that the possiblity
of this being a meteorite dropping fireball is quite real. I would be 
interested to learn of any reports of sonic boom-like sounds in the
area around Lake Superior at 9 p.m. EDT last night. I should also mention
that this was the brightest fireball I have ever had the occasion to
witness; the previous runnerup was a -10 sporadic in 1985.

***************************************************************************
Peter Brown
North American Section - International Meteor Organization
From: mcdonald@aries.scs.uiuc.edu (J. D. McDonald)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: Telescope question
Date: 4 Sep 92 21:39:30 GMT
Organization: UIUC SCS

In article <1992Sep4.192617.5222@nsisrv.gsfc.nasa.gov> dsc@gemini.tmc.edu (Doug S. Caprette Bldg. 28 W191 x3892) writes:

>In article <1992Sep4.020352.9459@newsgate.sps.mot.com> mcollins@wdc.sps.mot.com (Michael Collins) writes:
>>
>>  In the case of short f.r. Newtonians, the situation is much worse,
>>for three reasons.  First, coma increases roughly with the inverse
>>square of focal ratio.  At f/6, it's not too bad across a moderately
>>wide field, but by f/4 it's really becoming a factor.  Conversely,
>>it's negligible for most observing at f/8, and essentially gone past
>>there.  With fast primaries you get a rapidly converging light cone.

>Begging you pardon, but coma is not unique to the Newtonian is it? 

Nope.... but....

> If I have
>an 8" f/4 refractor, SCT, Maksutov, etc, I should expect some coma as well, 
>shouldn't I?

refractor: NO!!! there are plenty of degrees of freedom to rid it of
third order coma. No self-respecting refractor will have third
order coma. That is why the expensive apochromatic refractors make
such stupendous semi-wide-wirld photos.

SCT: well uh.... There are enough degrees of freedom to rid it of coma,
but the commercial ones don't .... they put the corrector too close in for
that, where it makes it possible to mount the secondary easily on them.

Maksutov: I forget about this for Questar-type ones with an aluminized
spot on the corrector. In general, yes, they can be rid of coma. In fact, 
there is one form of Maksutov that has **only** zonal spherical and 
spherochromatism, being totally free of astigmatism, distortion and coma. 
The field, of course, is seriously curved. 


Doug McDonald
Xref: sparky sci.astro:9599 rec.radio.amateur.misc:15292 rec.radio.shortwave:6832
From: martin@space.ualberta.ca (Martin Connors)
Subject: Re: watching the earths magnetic field
Reply-To: martin@space.ualberta.ca (Martin Connors)
Organization: University Of Alberta, Edmonton Canada
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1992 21:31:19 GMT

In article <laff4mINNlha@news.bbn.com> koolish@BBN.COM (Richard M.  
Koolish) writes:
> 
> Is anybody out in net land monitoring the earths magnetic field for
> signs of solar activity.

Literally hundreds of stations throughout the world do this. Much of the  
data is available from the National Space Science Data Center and you can  
find out how to get it by consulting the sci.astro FAQ posting.

> I have an electronic compass with a computer
> interface and would like to know if I can detect solar activity with it
> and what the nature of the signal would be.

Depending on the sensitivity of your setup you may be able to detect the  
changes in the Earth's field. The compass deviation would typically vary  
by up to a few minutes of arc at your latitude during an auroral substorm  
which would typically be located well north of you. If you can detect  
changes in direction of that order and record them then you would look  
(likely in the few hours around midnight) for the deviation going positive  
by a few minutes, then negative by about the same amount maybe an hour  
later. These would be the signs of field-aligned currents passing overhead  
to feed the auroral ionospheric current system further north. If you see  
more than a few minutes deviation it might be worth looking outside! This  
is a rather indirect way to measure solar activity per se but certainly  
the current systems you would detect are more commonly active during solar  
disturbances.

Martin Connors - Space Research - University of Alberta
Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: DPierce@world.std.com (Richard d Pierce)
Subject: Re: More Noise from the Novice
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1992 11:25:08 GMT

In article <1992Sep6.000622.14274@athena.cs.uga.edu> mcovingt@athena.cs.uga.edu (Michael A. Covington) writes:
>We've just had a flame war about this very thing.  The old saw "3-inch
>refractor equals 6-inch reflector" goes back to the days when mirrors
>were coated with silver (not very reflective compared to aluminum) 

From John String, et al, "Procedures in Experimental Physics," Prentice Hall,
New York 1949 Ed., shows that the reflectivity of silver from 4100 angstroms
to the near infrared is superior to aluminum. From his graph on page 375
(fig. 30), the average reflectivity of silver is between 95% and 97%, whereas
aluminum shows an average of between 85% and about 89%. Aluminum has a
definite advantage, though, in the near ultraviolet.

Strong, however, recommends using aluminum, "In the visible spectrum the use
of aluminum instead of silver is recommended. Although new silver has a better
reflectivity in the visible spectrum than aluminum, it soon tarnishes."

.
-- 
|                Dick Pierce                |
|    Loudspeaker and Software Consulting    |
| 17 Sartelle Street   Pepperell, MA  01463 |
|       (508) 433-9183 (Voice and FAX)      |
Newsgroups: sci.astro