HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: njzy@vax5.cit.cornell.edu (T. Joseph Lazio, Cornell University)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: Quasars: near versus far
Date: 14 Aug 92 08:24:49 EDT
Distribution: sci
Organization: Cornell University

In article <16c7ihINNrt0@smaug.West.Sun.COM>,
Richard.Mathews@West.Sun.COM (Richard M. Mathews) writes: 
[in response to a question by me]
> 
> Einstein's wanted a field equation of the form
> 	G' = 8*pi*T
> where G' is a measure of curvature of space-time, T is stress-energy,
> and the 8*pi is there by convention.
> 
> Make the following assumptions:
> 
> 	1. like T, G' must be symmetric and rank 2
> 	2. G' must have zero divergence as does T
> 	3. G' must be linear in R
> 	4. G' must be constructed from R and g and nothing else
> 	5. G' must vanish when spacetime is flat
> 
> [...]
> In 1917, Einstein decided that he had to remove at least one of the above
> assumptions to be able to get a field equation which admits a static
> cosmology.  You can't relax #1 on mathematical grounds, and you can't
> get rid of #2 on dynamic grounds (properties inherent in G must force
> local conservation of energy; otherwise, there aren't enough degrees
> of freedom left in G to allow interesting dynamics).  Eliminating #3
> would vastly complicate the theory, so by Occam's razor we won't do
> that unless we have to.  Since Einstein was looking for a geometric
> theory, #4 is required.  All Einstein could do is remove #5.  With this
> removed, G' is no longer a unique function of R and g.  Adding anything
> proportional to g to a valid G' gives another valid G'.  Thus we get the
> cosmological constant, setting
> 	G' = G + lambda*g.

 If I understand your explanation, lambda*g enters much like a gauge 
 transformation.  If so, then the assertion that the cosmological 
 constant is an ad hoc parameter would be incorrect.  Would you 
 agree with this?

-- 
 T. Joseph Lazio                | Why relativity? and Why  
 514 Space Sciences             | turbulence?  I really believe   
 Ithaca, NY  14853              | [God] will have an answer for the
 (607) 255-6420                 | first [question].
 lazio@astrosun.tn.cornell.edu  |   -- W. Heisenberg, on his death bed
ICBM:                           |
 42 deg. 20' 08" N              |              STOP RAPE
 76 deg. 28' 48" W              |
From: jack@cscdec.cs.com (Jack Hudler)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: Palomar Visits?
Date: 18 Aug 92 01:39:00 GMT
Organization: Computer Support Corporation,  Dallas, Texas.

In article <1992Aug15.120040.2849@mlfarm.com> ron@mlfarm.com (Ronald Florence) writes:
>Jeff Stoner writes:
>the glass is to insulate the telescope from the body heat of visitors.

The glass is to keep people out, the body heat of visitors wouldn't be a factor.

>The Oschin (48-inch Schmidt)
     ^^^^^^
It will always be a Schmidt Camera to me. An who the hell is this Oschin guy
anyway, even some of the people who work at Palomar don't know.

-- 
Jack Hudler - Computer Support Corporation - Dallas,Texas - jack@cs.com
Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: leb@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov (Lee E. Brotzman)
Subject: Re: CD-ROM stuff
Organization: Goddard Space Flight Center
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 13:54:32 GMT

ralph.buttigieg@f635.n713.z3.fido.zeta.org.au (Ralph Buttigieg) writes:
>G,day all.
>I know you can get lots of astronomy/space CD-ROMs from the National Space
>Science Data Center. Can anyone tell me what the copyright situation is. I
>would not mind making some of those disks available on my BBS. ta
>Ralph

In general, the U.S. Government can not copyright materials produced with
taxpayer dollars.  I know of no copyrights on any of the CD-ROMs available
through NSSDC.  To be sure you can call them (301-286-6695) and ask, but there
won't be any problem with putting these discs up on your BBS.

--
-- Lee E. Brotzman                    Internet:  leb@hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov
-- Hughes STX                         DECNET:    NDADSA::BROTZMAN
-- National Space Science Data Center BITNET:    ZMLEB@GIBBS
-- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: gerry@bluemoon.rn.com (Gerard M. Foley)
Subject: Re: Hubble viewing
Organization: Blue Moon BBS ((614) 868-998[024])
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 92 08:45:57 EDT

mdv6n@dayhoff.med.Virginia.EDU (Mark D. Van Cleve) writes:

> 
> 
> 
> Thanks for the reminder about the Hubble being viewable. Is there more precis
> information about where and when, what direction it will be seen to move, etc
> thanks mdv6n@virginia.edu
> 

The "keplerian" elements for Hubble are distributed by radio 
at least monthly on packet radio, and may be on short
wave radio on 5bit Baudot and FEC codes on Tuesdays and
Saturdays at 2230UTC on 3.625, 7.095, 14.095, 18.1025, 21.095
and 28.095 MHz (the uncertainty here is that I have not
printed the shortwave bulletins recently.  They include
all the "amateur" satellites and MIR space station.
The latter should be visible).

 This is from
     gerry@bluemoon.rn.com
who doesn't have his (or her) own obnoxious signature yet
From: cecil@physics.unc.edu (Gerald Cecil)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: Meta-model, pubished ?
Date: 21 Aug 92 17:10:02 GMT
Reply-To: cecil@physics.unc.edu
Organization: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

In article IHo@well.sf.ca.us, metares@well.sf.ca.us (Tom Van Flandern) writes:
>     The first publication of the Meta Model will be in book form around the
>end of this year.
I hope too that you're going to publish soon in The Astrophysical Journal, to
maximize the exposure of your model to people who can contribute most
effectively to its development.  You're obviously devoting a lot of effort
to this and you deserve to be heard.
---
Gerald Cecil 919-962-7169  Dept. Physics & Astronomy
U of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3255 USA
-- Intelligence is believing only half of what you read; brilliance is 
   knowing which half. ** Be terse: each line on the Net costs $10 **
From: j.jahn@abbs.hanse.de (Jost Jahn)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Sunspots at 17.08.1992.
Date: 18 Aug 92 19:36:40 GMT
Reply-To: j.jahn@abbs.hanse.de
Distribution: sci
Organization: ABBS AstroMail, D-W 2121 Dahlenburg / Germany
X-Version: ZerUU V6.45c

Sunspots at 17.08.1992., 0 h UT.

No.    Pos.  Cl.  Ar.  Mag. SF  F  M  X
---------------------------------------
7256 15S 39W Cro   20   b
7260 17N 15E Eko  820   bg  10
7261 24S 36W Bxo   10   b    2
7262 17N 43W Dao   50   b    6
7263 16N 33W Bxo   10   b
7264 14N 56E Cso   30   b    1


No optical or x-ray flares yesterday observed.


 
--
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From: metares@well.sf.ca.us (Tom Van Flandern)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: A super-blue branch of super-massive stars?
Date: 22 Aug 92 18:31:50 GMT
Organization: Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link


Earlier, I wrote:

>> Small dwarf galaxies generally don't produce supermassive stars.  The best
>> candidates would be relatively blue galaxies with lots of young O-stars.
>> Apparently M87 is the most prolific producer among "nearby" galaxies.

and fischer@physun.physics.mcmaster.ca (Phil Fischer) replied:

> the LMC has very many O stars and is indeed relatively blue. Secondly, M87
> is not at all blue and has no O stars. Are you sure you have a good
> understanding of the observations?

and gsh7w@fermi.clas.Virginia.EDU (Greg Hennessy) writes:

> But HST and UIT observations show that M87 is not a UV bright object, with
> the exception of the synchrotron jet.

     The field density of quasars around M87 is denser than in most sky areas
sampled, which is why I picked it as an example.  I do not have any new ideas
about specific causes of different morphologies and populations in different
galaxies.  They obviously come in giant and dwarf sizes, some filled with
giant stars and others of low surface brightness.  I presume that whatever
induces a galaxy to have more giant stars in comparison to dwarfs, the same
factors apply to supermassive star production.  I further presume that
whatever factors promote more red giant production than blue, or vice versa,
the same factors apply to red versus blue supermassive star production.
Either of these can become quasars in the Meta Model.

     Greg, the idea that some supermassive stars will be UV bright was
brought up in connection with the discussion of the B-O galaxies.  It is not
a requirement for the progenitors of all, or even most, quasars.

[Phil continues:]
> since everything in your theory comes from first principles, what first
> principles does a lack of supermassive stars in the LMC stem from? This
> sounds like an ad-hoc post-facto addition, i.e. we see quasars in M87
> therefore it produces them, we don't see them in the LMC therefore it does
> not produce them.

     I hope the preceding clarifies that it is indeed an entirely ex post
facto idea.  In answering questions about this or that in connection with the
Meta Model, I am often forced to suggest explanations in areas of astronomy
where I have little expertise, and which are certainly well outside of the
area to which the MM itself has yet been extended by me.  If the model proves
deserving, I hope that qualified astronomers will extend it properly into
these domains, eliminating the need for my meager speculations.  -|Tom|-

-- 
Tom Van Flandern / Washington, DC / metares@well.sf.ca.us
Meta Research was founded to foster research into ideas not otherwise
supported because they conflict with mainstream theories in Astronomy.
Newsgroups: sci.astro,rec.radio.amateur.misc,rec.radio.shortwave
From: oler@rho.uleth.ca (Cary Oler)
Subject: Daily Solar Geophysical Data Broadcast for 14 August
Organization: University of Lethbridge
Date: 15 Aug 92 19:50:39 GMT

!!BEGIN!! (1.0) S.T.D. Solar Geophysical Data Broadcast for DAY 227, 08/14/92
10.7 FLUX=128.6  90-AVG=125        SSN=134      BKI=2223 3431  BAI=012
BGND-XRAY=B3.7     FLU1=4.5E+05  FLU10=1.0E+04  PKI=3223 4422  PAI=013
  BOU-DEV=019,018,019,024,029,048,021,008   DEV-AVG=023 NT     SWF=00:000
 XRAY-MAX= C3.5   @ 0005UT    XRAY-MIN= B3.3   @ 1823UT   XRAY-AVG= B5.0
NEUTN-MAX= +003%  @ 2305UT   NEUTN-MIN= -001%  @ 1745UT  NEUTN-AVG= +0.9%
  PCA-MAX= +0.1DB @ 1920UT     PCA-MIN= -0.1DB @ 2320UT    PCA-AVG= -0.0DB
BOUTF-MAX=55265NT @ 0020UT   BOUTF-MIN=55214NT @ 1629UT  BOUTF-AVG=55248NT
GOES7-MAX=P:+095NT@ 1716UT   GOES7-MIN=N:+000NT@ 0745UT  G7-AVG=+071,+040,+006
GOES6-MAX=P:+095NT@ 1742UT   GOES6-MIN=E:-005NT@ 0835UT  G6-AVG=+082,+008,+031
 FLUXFCST=STD:125,120,115;SESC:125,120,115 BAI/PAI-FCST=005,010,010/010,010,015
    KFCST=3332 2222 3332 2222  27DAY-AP=005,004   27DAY-KP=1211 1221 1101 1221
 WARNINGS=*SWF
   ALERTS=
!!END-DATA!!
Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: rbunge@access.digex.com (Robert Bunge)
Subject: Re: Cleaning Eyepieces
Organization: Express Access Online Communications Service, Greenbelt, Maryland USA
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 02:39:15 GMT

A quick note for this thread:  always be careful when dealing with
liquids around your eyepieces.  A Q-tip soaked in "pick your favorite
cleaner" can easily apply too much liquid to the surface of the lens
resulting in excess liquid seeping into the inside of the eyepiece.
This will make your day NOT.

BTW, I suspect that I'm not alone (well, maybe in the manner that I'll
admitt it!) that I've been known to use a shot of hot air (breath) and
my T-shirt.  But, what the hell, they are only brandons anyway.

Bob Bunge
rbunge@access.digex.com

Coatings? Hell, I don't need them sinking coatings, I can still
see the Ursa Minor drawf galaxy!


Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: sheaffer@netcom.com (Robert Sheaffer)
Subject: Re: M33 naked-eye object.
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 92 18:54:02 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services (408 241-9760 guest)

I have been out under extremely clear skies in Arizona, in which the
zodiacal light could be traced entirely across the ecliptic, and the
brightening of the anti-solar point (I forget the German word) was
clearly visible. Nonetheless, M33 was *not* visible, in spite of being
very high in the sky.

Of course, M31 was quite easily seen, nearby. Perhaps some naked eye
observers have confused the two.

-- 
  
        Robert Sheaffer - Scepticus Maximus - sheaffer@netcom.com
  
 Past Chairman, The Bay Area Skeptics - for whom I speak only when authorized!

       "Beware when the great God lets loose a thinker on this planet.
        Then all things are at risk. It is as when a conflagration has
        broken out in a great city, and no man knows what is safe, or
        where it will end."
                               - Emerson: Essay, "Circles"
From: foltz@as.arizona.edu (Craig B. Foltz)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: 3K radiation
Date: 12 Aug 92 14:07:27 GMT
Reply-To: foltz@as.arizona.edu
Organization: MMT Observatory, Univ.of Arizona

In article 8193@vax.oxford.ac.uk, clements@vax.oxford.ac.uk () writes:
>In article <1992Aug11.081041@axion.bt.co.uk>, apengell@axion.bt.co.uk (Alan Pengelly) writes:
>> 
>> 
>> I have a question about the 3K background radiation, and that is
>> given that we can see `back' a considerable distance (last I heard
>> was that astronomers can look back about 10 billion years), does
>> any signal from what was the background radiation at the time
>> reach us, and if so should it be, and is it, hotter? Or is it swamped
>> out by noise etc? Any info would be greatly appreciated since this has
>> been bugging me for sometime, and I haven't found anything in any
>> text books I've seen (any refs?).
>> 
>
>Good question. Various techniques have been (and are being) developed to
>explore the temperature of the CBR at distant locations. At present these are
>based on the excitation of the CN molecule, and other similar species. These
>techniques have so far only been applied within our galaxy, and perhaps on a
>few external galaxies. You have to find very dark clouds to do this in, since
>the molecules must have the CBR as their only heater ie. no starlight etc must
>get at them. It is thus difficult to do in distant objects as you have to find
>the dark clouds. If such obserevations were done, they should find that the CBR
>temperature goes as T(z) = 2.7 * (1+z).
>
>Such observations, while hard, would be a good test of the big bang model.
>There is a real possibility that they can be done soon. At the moment though,
>things along these lines are too model dependent, or troubled by observational
>difficulties outlined above.
>
>This is all off the top of my head, so I may be confused or  out of date on
>some aspects.

I must note that this measurement can (and has) also be carried out by
observations of fine- structure lines of neutral carbon and
singly-ionized carbon.  In fact, we used the lack of fine-structure  C
I absorption in the z=1.776 system toward the QSO MC 1331+170 to set
upper limits on the CMB temperature at that epoch (see ``An Upper Limit on
the Microwave Background Temperature at z = 1.776,'' D. M. Meyer, J. H.
Black, F. H. Chaffee, Jr., C. B.  Foltz, and D. G. York, Astrophys. J. Letters, 
308, L37 1986).  Limits derived from the ionized carbon absorption have also
been presented: ``Molecules at Early Epochs III. The Lyman alpha Disk
System Toward 1331+170,'' F.~H. Chaffee, Jr., J.~H. Black, and C.~B.
Foltz, Astrophys. J., 335, 584, 1988.  The problem of exitation of the fine-
structure energy levels is complex.

As far as the pressure at decoupling, see Weinberg's "The First Three Minutes" or
Silk's "The Big Bang" for simple treatments.

---
Craig Foltz                               cfoltz@as.arizona.edu
Multiple Mirror Telescope Observatory     Tel   (602) 621-1269
Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721        Fax   (602) 670-5740
From: jarleb@athena.uio.no (Jarle Brinchmann)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Buy CD-rom ?, where ?
Keywords: CD-rom, buying
Date: 23 Aug 92 10:43:03 GMT
Reply-To: jarleb@athena.uio.no (Jarle Brinchmann)
Organization: University of Oslo, Norway


Hello, I'd like to know if it is possible to buy CD-rom's with diverse
astronomical pictures. 

If so, could anyone care to mail me any info, adresses and prices they've got.


					Jarle.
Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: hoffman@src.honeywell.com (Mary Jo Hoffman)
Subject: Spaceborne Star Cameras
Organization: Honeywell Systems & Research Center
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 21:23:19 GMT


Hello -

I am looking for any information on Spaceborne CCD Cameras.
I am especially interested in radiation testing 
(either facilities or results) for the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) 
radiation environment.

Anyone know of any CCD cameras that have flown in LEO or
been tested for space radiation hardness?

Please email responses directly to me at: hoffman@src.honeywell.com

Thanks in Advance, Mary Jo 


Mary Jo Hoffman 
Senior Research Scientist		  >  Honeywell SRC, MN65-2500
email: hoffman@src.honeywell.com          >  3660 Technology Drive
Tel: (612)782-7187   FAX: (612)782-7438   >  Minneapolis, MN 55418
Newsgroups: sci.geology.meteorology,sci.astro
From: ron@mlfarm.com (Ronald Florence)
Subject: weather maps
Followup-To: poster
Organization: Maple Lawn Farm, Stonington, CT
Distribution: sci
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 21:57:34 GMT

We used to get weather maps from an Accu-Weather account.  We've now
lost access to that account, and I'm wondering if there is a site with
up-to-date maps available via anonymous uucp or ftp.  Any graphics
format is fine.  Thanks.
-- 

				Ronald Florence
				ron@mlfarm.com
Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: p257shu@fs1.mpifr-bonn.mpg.de (Susanne Huettemeister)
Subject: 31 Perseids in 2 hrs - was *that* the predicted meteor storm?
Keywords: Perseids
Organization: Max-Planck-Institut f"ur Radioastronomie
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1992 11:09:56 GMT

Daniel Fischer asked me to post this Perseid report:

Despite the nearly full moon, the limiting magnitude was quite good
(4.2 - 4.4 mag toward UMi) for 4 hrs (22:20 - 2:20 UTC) in the night
Aug 11/12 at my observing location in Germany (7.1 deg East, 50.7 deg
North). In a total time of 1h50m, 31 Perseids, at least a third with
negative magnitudes, were seen, plus 8 sporadics. The number of Perseids
per quarter hour fluctuated w/o trend between 1 and 5. A third of the
field of view was obstructed all the time, so a vague guess for the
Zenithal Hourly rate is 200 - is that the "Perseid Storm" that was
predicted?
From: arthurj@equinox.unr.edu (Art Johnson)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: Clave Paris Eyepieces?
Date: 19 Aug 92 23:04:08 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: University of Nevada - Reno

In article <1992Aug13.155131.21047@btree.uucp> eskin@btree.uucp (Michael Eskin) writes:
>I recently acquired a set of eyepieces labeled "Clave Paris". I've never
>heard of this brand. They are at least 5 years old. Does anyone know
>anything about this brand? The image quality looks good...
>
>Just curious...
>
Etablissements S. R. Clave of Paris is an optical firm with a fairly 
long and honorable history. They are still in business, to the best of my
knowledge; about two years ago I had my telescope eyepieces stolen and was
able to obtain new Claves through S&S Optica in Denver...they ain't cheap,
however :-)
Although the firm may make other designs, the basic Clave eyepiece is a
four- or five-element Plossl. They feature a 3 mm one, and other focal
lengths 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 15 (I think), 20 and 25 for sure...and perhaps
longer as well. 
I bought my first set in 1966 directly from Clave, and the new set performs
every bit as well. I would not be without them!
Hope this is helpful.
From: sichase@csa3.lbl.gov (SCOTT I CHASE)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: the moon
Date: 20 Aug 92 21:24:50 GMT
Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory - Berkeley, CA, USA
Distribution: na
Reply-To: sichase@csa3.lbl.gov
NNTP-Posting-Host: 128.3.254.198
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.3-4   

In article <16rfo0INNi4n@smaug.West.Sun.COM>, Richard.Mathews@West.Sun.COM (Richard M. Mathews) writes...
> 
>The tidal force of the moon stretches the earth into an oblong shape.  The
>rotation of the earth carries those bulges to the east faster than the
>earth can take on a new shape.  The oblong earth thus points a bit to
>the east of the moon.  The bulge closest to the moon has the strongest
>pull, so it provides a slight eastward pull on the moon.  As the moon
>orbits west-to-east, this accelerates the moon and pulls it into a higher
>orbit.  The opposite force of the moon pulling on that bulge towards the
>west slows down the earth's rotation by a corresponding amount.

So what would happen if the Earth happened to rotate in the other direction?  
Your argument seems to suggest that the moon would deccelerate, move closer
to the earth and violate conservation of angular momentum.

-Scott

--------------------
Scott I. Chase			"The question seems to be of such a character
SICHASE@CSA2.LBL.GOV		that if I should come to life after my death
				and some mathematician were to tell me that it
				had been definitely settled, I think I would
				immediately drop dead again."      - Vandiver
From: jcj@tellabs.com (JCJ)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: Evaluation of Filters for Urban Areas?
Date: 19 Aug 92 13:43:18 GMT
Organization: Huh?

Dave Chaloux writes:
>George F. McQuary asks:
>
>>I keep seeing these ads proclaiming "Suddenly, there it was --The Veil 
>>Nebula!"... Are the results from filters really that dramatic in urban 
>>areas? 

>... results of using a filter can be dramatic. The operative words are 
>"can be". I live under relatively good skies ...

>Orion Deep Sky Filter. ... with my Celestron 8" SCT the results
>were frankly disappointing. ... biggest help was with faint Planetary 
>nebulae ... Even there the help was marginal.

I live in the western suburbs of Chicago and my skies are basically crap
(limiting mag about 4).  Using a Meade broadband on my C-8 the improvement
is marginal - the Eagle is sort of there with the filter, definitely not 
there without the filter.  Galaxies are more easily found but again, the 
improvement isn't fantastic.  My Lumicon UHC shows a marked improvement 
in planetaries such as the Ring, but being narrow band, it doesn't help 
with galaxies and globulars.
  
I recently took my scope to Upper Michigan just to see what it
could do under dark skies.  The Meade was still marginal, but the UHC
made a big difference.  I *could* see the Veil (that baby's big!) well
with the UHC, not nearly as well without.  The Owl was much more easily 
seen with the UHC than without.  (I should note that the Veil was almost
at upper transit while the Owl was relatively low at that time.)

>I guess my real advice would be this. Don't buy unless you can return them.

I agree.  I'm better off with my broadband than without, but I don't know 
if I'd invest that much in one if I had to do it all over again.  As I'm
sure a number of people will point out, the best thing you can do is
get a telescope that's portable enough to take to a dark sky site.
Newsgroups: sci.astro