HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: millnerrl@vtcc1.cc.vt.edu (CALLABLE_TPU)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Gravitational lenses
Keywords: Gravity, lense, Einstein, cross
Date: 17 Nov 92 21:48:00 GMT
Organization: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41


	Hello.  I can't recall off hand where I saw it, but I saw a picture of
an odd stellar object called I believe "The Einstein Cross" that was explained
as four images of a star that were really the same one bent around the star in
front of it.  I apologise for not being able to recall the source of the
refrence and if someone could tell me where to find data, I would be most
appreciative.
	My question about it is:  Why the four images, one at top, bottom, left
and right?  The way I misunderstand it, a gravitational lense behaves similarly
to a spherical lense with a changing index of refraction starting at infinity
in the exact centre and going to zero as 1/(r^2) along the radius.  My
intuition and my raytracing says that it should be a circle or some kind of
ellipse depending on how the image is offset for relatively small offsets.  I
do not understand how it forms the cross pattern.  Any help on this matter
would be greatly appreciated.
	Robert Millner

Budget cuts, no sig file.
Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: hathaway@stsci.edu
Subject: Re: No stars, No nights, No foolin' WHOOPS!
Organization: Space Telescope Science Institute
Distribution: na
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1992 00:59:11 GMT

In article <1992Nov20.184555.1@stsci.edu>, hathaway@stsci.edu writes:

.. everything but my typo deleted ... 

> 'The curfew bit the one one', Davis said.  'And you can quote me on that.'" 
> 
  That of course should be: 
  
  'The curfew bit the big one', Davis said.  'And you can quote me on that.'" 
                      ^^^ 

(And I proof-read this four times.  Just goes to show.  Maybe I needed more 
light. ;^)  

Wm. Hathaway
From: max@west.darkside.com (Erik Max Francis)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: Distance of horizon
Date: 21 Nov 92 03:59:56 GMT
Organization: The Dark Side of the Moon +1 408 245 SPAM

collins@emperor.gatech.edu (Tom Collins) writes:

>                 2    2
> d = sqrt(  (R+h)  - R  )
> 
> This says that the horizon for a six-foot tall person is about
> 3 miles away.

Normally, the distance is either given as a line of sight distance (draw 
a line from the observer's eye to the furthest point on the Earth's 
surface you can see) or as a surface _along the Earth_ (the length of the 
arc of the Earth running from where you are standing to the furthest
point you can see.  Then you have to deal with the central angle, and 
that's what his (and my) equation were all about.

----------
Erik Max Francis   Omnia quia sunt, lumina sunt.  Coming soon:  UNIVERSE _ | _
USmail:  1070 Oakmont Dr. #1 San Jose CA 95117  ICBM:  37 20 N  121 53 W _>|<_
UUCP:  ..!apple!uuwest!max   Usenet:  max@west.darkside.com   464E4F5244   |
Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: campanella@cvg.enet.dec.com
Subject: Computer simulations available?
Keywords: simulations, astronomy, cosmology
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 05:17:50 GMT


I have often seen TV shows (NOVA, Space Age, etc) which show computer
simulations of things like a body hitting the young Earth with the result being
the moon, or galaxies colliding, etc.  Usually these appear to be represented by
a whole bunch of point-masses... I think you know what I mean.

Anyway, I was wondering if any of these simulations were ever made available on
the net somewhere.  Believe, I have only a casual interest, and realize the
amount of computer power needed to generate these simulations.  We have machines
which are often idle, and thought it might be interesting and educational to try
these out.

Any help would be appreciated.

							Michael
From: kohut1@urz.unibas.ch
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Oort-Comet-Cluster. Looking for data !?
Date: 23 Nov 92 13:32:30 MET
Organization: University of Basel, Switzerland

Hy everybody out there !

Can somebody give me the newest data about the Oort comet-cluster ?
I need all informations I can get about these "tiny rocks".
(position, velocity, mass-density and so on)

What I have for the moment : 
distance ... 0.8 lyr
mass ....... 0.1 to 0.01 times the earth-mass
about 100 Mrd. comet-cores

...and that's all.

Any news would be very helpful !

Thanks in advance...

-Peter- 
From: jackz@hpscit.sc.hp.com (Jack Zeiders)
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 18:44:03 GMT
Subject: Re: TO ALL WHO'D HELP THE ONLY ASTRONOMY CLUB IN N.-B., CANADA
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Santa Clara, CA
Newsgroups: sci.astro

In sci.astro, 9210946@cuslm.ca (THERIAULT YANICK M.) writes:

	
> 	I'm posting to this newsgroup because it's in the benefit of our 
> Astronomy club.  The club is named "Astro-club Borealis".  This name is 
> registered and licensed in Quebec (province) and the united states.  The 
> person who started up the club is a science teacher and an adept in 
> astronomy (She has contacts over at Sky and Telescope!  She participated in 
> a visit to observatories in Rusia with an astronomy group of renowned 
> people.  Unfortunately, I can't remerber any names.)


	If she knows so much why are you asking us?

> 	Please send us info on the goings on in the astronomy community.  We'
> re waiting anxiously.

	I assume you are willing to pay my consuling rate? Consider this 
note probono, an attitude check may be in order.

> 	P.S.  Our name cannot be reused for any other club!  It's 
> registered!  Any group not respecting this could see himself in court by 
> trademark infrigement!

	With an attitude like this, you want something for free? Most of
us California astro-amateurs are a bit more low key, interested in sharing 
a hobby and fostering an interest in science, specificaly astronomy in
young people from age 8 to 80, not litigation. But hey, what do we know?

	Jack Zeiders


Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: smustopo@nyx.cs.du.edu (sofjan mustopoh)
Subject: Fujinon FMT-SX 7X50
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix @ U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 92 05:48:54 GMT


  With x'mas coming real soon i have persuade all my family
 to give my present in money so i can buy Fujinon Bino.
 I'm looking it as a long term investment so i won't go for
 ceap model.
   Now for all netter please voice your pro and con about 
 Fujinon FMT-SX 7X50 and what is FMTR-SX and FMTRC-SX
 I really apreciate your posting. 
 And last one. How much better is Fujinon compare to 
 Celestron Ultima.

  Advance thanks for replying.
  Muskie
   Sofjan Mustopoh
   Smustopo@nyx.cs.du.edu
From: kncarp@nicsn1.monsanto.com (Kevin N. Carpenter)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: IDA
Date: 20 Nov 92 15:08:00 GMT
Organization: Monsanto Company
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL3

Whats the story with the International Dark-Sky Association?  I went to
subscribe and am having a heck of a time finding an ad in S&T.  My latest
issue has a notice of a meeting, and several older issues I spot checked
don't have any ad at all.  Are they that low on funds?  Did S&T refuse to
carry their ads?  Are they now independently wealthy and don't need to
advertise? 

Now, I didn't do an exhastive search, but I did check 3 different issues.

--
Kevin Carpenter       Internet:  kncarp@nicsn1.monsanto.com
Monsanto Company      Fidonet:   1:100/215.0 (home)
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.
Opinions expressed are those of the author, not the company he works for. 
From: edb@hpgrla.gr.hp.com (Ed Beshore)
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 15:42:20 GMT
Subject: Re: Prism Diagonals vs. Mirror Diagonals
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Greeley, CO
Newsgroups: sci.astro

In sci.astro, dave@canopus.as.arizona.edu (David A. Harvey) writes:


>All you opticians out there -

>I'm confused.  Reading some of the ads in Orion Mail Order Catalog, I get
>the impression that Coated prism diagonals for telescopes are "better" than
>First Surface diagonals.

 I'm going to go out ona limb here, but I'm guessing that with true binoculars
 you must have two diagonals per "telescope" to bring the views together.  Maintaining
 alignment of the diagonals would be tough, especially with the closed optics.
 Prisms, while more expensive, can be solidly mounted and would require less complicated
 adjustment.

 In most cases, you would probably loose less light with first surface diagonals.

 BTW - Is Ray White still at Steward?  A favorite teacher from 
 undergrad days....

--------------------------------------------------------------
Edward Beshore                     
Hewlett Packard Company            Voice:       (303) 350-4826
700 71st Avenue                    FAX:         (303) 350-4675
Greeley Colorado, 80634            email: edb@hpgrla.gr.hp.com
--------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: sci.astro,sci.space
From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Hubble's mirror
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 01:39:53 GMT
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology

In article <1992Nov15.170247.18454@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU> gsh7w@fermi.clas.Virginia.EDU (Greg Hennessy) writes:
>#This is rapidly becoming a contender for Technological Myth Of The Decade.
>
>Err, correcting Dr. Jefferys on something to do with HST is best done
>very carefully. Dr. Jefferys is the PI on the Fine Guidance Sensors...

To the best of my knowledge, the only statement in my posting which is
not a solidly-established fact -- verifiable by reference to the Allen
panel's report -- is my opinion that P-E management, having ignored two
indications of trouble (actually three, if you count the fact that the
reflective null corrector unexpectedly required extra spacing washers),
would have disregarded the results of other simple tests too, unless
they were absolutely unmistakable (i.e. an end-to-end imaging test).

If I am in error -- certainly possible -- I'd appreciate hearing about
it, preferably with enough detail so I can verify it.
-- 
MS-DOS is the OS/360 of the 1980s.      | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
              -Hal W. Hardenbergh (1985)|  henry@zoo.toronto.edu  utzoo!henry
From: max@west.darkside.com (Erik Max Francis)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: I can't see stars anymore at night with naked eye
Date: 21 Nov 92 03:52:51 GMT
Organization: The Dark Side of the Moon +1 408 245 SPAM

bunner@vms.macc.wisc.edu (Dana A. Bunner) writes:

> That's because there are no more stars.  I haven't seen one since October 26t
> The Supreme Being apparently vaporized all of them and now the sky is 
> continually filled with a thick, swirling nebula mist.  Even the Sun and
> Moon were taken, although by some miracle it does continue to brighten a bit
> each morning and then darken a little in the late afternoon.

Bummer.  Were some Monks doing some massive computer calculations 
somewhere in Tibet?

> My other theory is that Wisconsin was swallowed by "The Nothing" from 
> _The Dark Crystal_.

Er, wasn't that THE NEVERENDING STORY?  I don't remember a "Nothing" from 
THE DARK CRYSTAL.

----------
Erik Max Francis   Omnia quia sunt, lumina sunt.  Coming soon:  UNIVERSE _ | _
USmail:  1070 Oakmont Dr. #1 San Jose CA 95117  ICBM:  37 20 N  121 53 W _>|<_
UUCP:  ..!apple!uuwest!max   Usenet:  max@west.darkside.com   464E4F5244   |
Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: kgrossha@radford.vak12ed.edu (Kurt Grosshans)
Subject: Re: TO ALL WHO'D HELP THE ONLY ASTRONOMY CLUB IN N.-B., CANADA
Organization: Virginia's Public Education Network (Radford)
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 92 15:29:53 GMT

9210946@cuslm.ca  writes:
> 	
> 	I'm posting to this newsgroup because it's in the benefit of our 
> Astronomy club.  The club is named "Astro-club Borealis".  This name is 
> registered and licensed in Quebec (province) and the united states.  The 
> person who started up the club is a science teacher and an adept in 
> astronomy (She has contacts over at Sky and Telescope!  She participated in 
> a visit to observatories in Rusia with an astronomy group of renowned 
> people.  Unfortunately, I can't remerber any names.)
> 
> 	Please send us info on the goings on in the astronomy community.  We'
> re waiting anxiously.
> 
> 
> 	P.S.  Our name cannot be reused for any other club!  It's 
> registered!  Any group not respecting this could see himself in court by 
> trademark infrigement!

This attitude amazes me! How can you start with a plea for
assistance and then end with a threat? 

It's called public relations...check into it!
-- 
Kurt Grosshans
kgrossha@radford.vak12ed.edu

Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: msb@sq.sq.com (Mark Brader)
Subject: Re: supernova
Organization: SoftQuad Inc., Toronto, Canada
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 92 15:48:32 GMT

> > The supernova went off Feb 23 1987, (by the time of the neutrino burst),
> 
> lovely hubris. 1987a exploded some 170,000 years ago.

Lovely hubris yourself. It all depends on your frame of reference...
-- 
Mark Brader, Toronto			"Don't be silly -- send it to Canada"
utzoo!sq!msb, msb@sq.com			     -- British postal worker

This article is in the public domain.
Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: 9210946@cuslm.ca (THERIAULT YANICK M.)
Subject: TO ALL WHO'D HELP THE ONLY ASTRONOMY CLUB IN N.-B., CANADA
Summary: SOLAR SYSTEM
Keywords: INFO
Organization: Centre d'Informatique, Centre universitaire Saint-Louis-Maillet
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 23:29:14 GMT

	
	I'm posting to this newsgroup because it's in the benefit of our 
Astronomy club.  The club is named "Astro-club Borealis".  This name is 
registered and licensed in Quebec (province) and the united states.  The 
person who started up the club is a science teacher and an adept in 
astronomy (She has contacts over at Sky and Telescope!  She participated in 
a visit to observatories in Rusia with an astronomy group of renowned 
people.  Unfortunately, I can't remerber any names.)

	Please send us info on the goings on in the astronomy community.  We'
re waiting anxiously.


	P.S.  Our name cannot be reused for any other club!  It's 
registered!  Any group not respecting this could see himself in court by 
trademark infrigement!
Newsgroups: sci.astro,sci.space
From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Hubble's mirror
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 21:27:04 GMT
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology

In article <1992Nov16.033555.26144@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU> gsh7w@fermi.clas.Virginia.EDU (Greg Hennessy) writes:
>#To the best of my knowledge, the only statement in my posting which is
>#not a solidly-established fact . . .
>
>I was referring to your statment implying that Dr. Jefferys was
>contributing to the "technological myth of the century." Correcting
>Dr. Jefferys on matters of the HST is like correcting Dennis Ritchie
>on matters of C. 

Since I've been known to do the latter, I don't see why I shouldn't do
the former. :-)  Actually, I don't immediately remember having had
occasion to correct Dennis on the net, but I have found bugs in both
his code and his book.
-- 
MS-DOS is the OS/360 of the 1980s.      | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
              -Hal W. Hardenbergh (1985)|  henry@zoo.toronto.edu  utzoo!henry
Xref: sparky sci.astro:12302 sci.physics:19410
From: weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener)
Newsgroups: sci.astro,sci.physics
Subject: Re: Gravity waves (Was: Galilean Electrodynamics)
Date: 22 Nov 92 17:58:17 GMT
Reply-To: weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu (Matthew P Wiener)
Followup-To: sci.astro
Organization: The Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology
In-reply-to: metares@well.sf.ca.us (Tom Van Flandern)

In article <By1KK2.E1B@well.sf.ca.us>, metares@well (Tom Van Flandern) writes:
>[...] The new Taylor and Damour papers make it clear that the decay rate
>cannot be solved for separately from the other parameters.

I thought this was always clear.

>[...] Getting the theoretical rate (if any) correct has been the
>subject of much controversy over the past 20 years.  Einstein himself
>wavered on the question of whether or not GR predicted gravitational
>radiation.  It appears that today's theoreticians are still wavering.

You're missing something very very basic.  The fact that the basic
theoretical prediction and the minimally sophisticated measurement
interpretation agree is strong mutual support.
-- 
-Matthew P Wiener (weemba@sagi.wistar.upenn.edu)
From: j.jahn@abbs.hanse.de (Jost Jahn)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Sunspots at 18.11.1992.
Reply-To: j.jahn@abbs.hanse.de
Date: 18 Nov 92 12:51:00 MET
Distribution: sci
Organization: ABBS AstroMail, D-W 2121 Dahlenburg / Germany
X-Version: ZerUU V6.45c

Sunspots at 18.11.1992., 0 h UT.

No.    Pos.  Cl.  Ar.  Mag. SF  F  M  X
---------------------------------------
7334 10N 90W Axx   30   a
7335 17S 81W Dho  270   b    1
7337 06N 12W Cao   60   b
7340 08S 18E Bxo    0   b    1
7341 16S 37W Dso   60   b    4
7342 07S 06W Cro   40   b
7343 08N 06E Axx    0   a
7344 14S 40E Bxo   10   b
7345 24S 59E Eai  370   b    3
7346 06S 70E Eao  220   b    2


No optical or x-ray flares yesterday observed.


 
--
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From: jack@cs.com (Jack Hudler)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: Distance of horizon
Date: 21 Nov 92 15:51:36 GMT
Organization: Computer Support Corporation,  Dallas,Texas

In article <31074@scicom.AlphaCDC.COM> wats@scicom.AlphaCDC.COM (Bruce Watson) writes:
>In article <1992Nov20.131437.8385@cs.com| jack@cs.com (Jack Hudler) writes:
>|But these equations would give the 'mean' horizion, shouldn't you include
>|refraction to give the 'apparent' horizion?
>
>You're not going to get much refraction in 3 miles of air.

Good point at 3 miles, but what if your on top of a building?
-- 
Jack 		Lone Star Observatory			Dallas,Texas 
Hudler		Internet: jack@cs.com
From: d.bublitz@abbs.hanse.de (Dieter Bublitz)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: TO ALL WHO'D HELP THE ONLY ASTRONOMY
Reply-To: d.bublitz@abbs.hanse.de
Date: 19 Nov 92 22:40:00 MET
Distribution: sci
Organization: ABBS AstroMail, D-W 2121 Dahlenburg / Germany
X-Version: ZerUU V6.45c

From : d.bublitz@abbs.hanse.de (Dieter Bublitz)
Subject : TO ALL WHO'D HELP THE ONLY ASTRONOMY CLU
Organization: just me


In article <9210946.39@cuslm.ca> 9210946@cuslm.ca (THERIAULT YANICK M.)
wrote:
 
 >         I'm posting to this newsgroup because it's in the benefit of our 
 > Astronomy club.  The club is named "Astro-club Borealis".  This name is 

Well, this is a convincing reason to post something.

 > [Stuff deleted]

 >         Please send us info on the goings on in the astronomy community.  We'
 > re waiting anxiously.

How 'bout reading some magazines instead of bothering the net ?

 >         P.S.  Our name cannot be reused for any other club!  It's 
 > registered!  Any group not respecting this could see himself in court by 
 > trademark infrigement!

Wow !
--
Dieter Bublitz, Keltenstrasse 13 , W-8072 Manching, Germany
Tel: [+49] 8459 7754        e-mail: d.bublitz@abbs.hanse.de




!! MsgBase 1.6h

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------------------------- for amateur astronomers ----------------------------
    + 49 5851 7896 / V.21, V.22, V.22bis, V.32, V.42, V.42bis and MNP5
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From: pad@galaxy.nsc.com (Paul Denny x8349)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: Deflecting P/S-T
Date: 17 Nov 92 20:40:49 GMT
Organization: National Semiconductor, Santa Clara

In article <warhil-171192094827@warrenhill.ntu.edu.au>, warhil@post.ntu.edu.au (Warren Hill) writes:
> 
[units correction deleted]
> 
> Then, if this is what was intended, the answer should read 26e6 newtons,
> or, 26 meganewtons (MN) of thrust.  As a comparison, I think that one 727
> engine can deliver about 400 kN of thrust ( leading to the somewhat silly
> conclusion that the earth could be "saved" by 22 Boeing 727s ).  Maybe
> someone could give us a comparison with the thrust generated by the shuttle
> (I don't have these figures at my finger tips).
> 

Interesting how we need all this energy to deflect the comet by an earth diameter
yet non gravitational forces consisting of boiling water, methane and dust
can change the arrival time by two weeks. Does the integrated effect of these
forces really add up to that much differential thrust ?

- Paul
From: chaloux@mandolin.mitre.org (Dave Chaloux)
Subject: P/Swift Tuttle Observation 11/20-21/92
Reply-To: chaloux@mandolin.mitre.org (Dave Chaloux)
Organization: The MITRE Corporation, McLean, Va
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1992 16:29:24 GMT

We have been having absolutely terrible weather around here for Astronomy in
Southern Maryland lately. Friday was no exception. However, the skies cleared
for about 1/2 hour between 6:45 p.m. EST and 7:15 p.m. EST. Before and after it
was thick clouds.

I dragged my 8" SCT out to take a look at the Comet while I had the chance. At
78x with a 26mm Plossl I immediately noticed a tail extending to the NE. I had
suspected one in a previous occasion a week earlier but it had been very dim
and at the limit. This time there was no mistaking it. I switched to 53x using
a 24mm Televue Widefield and a F6.3 Focal Reducer. I was able to trace the tail
almost across the approximately 73' field. I would say that about 1 degree of
tail was actually visible and the rest was imagination.

I switched back to 78x and took a closer look as the view was really superior at
this magnification. Two faint stars were noticed directly in line and under the
tail at 7:10 p.m. The coma itself was a noticebly blue color which has been
mentioned by others. A stellar nucleas is obvious and was roughly centered in
the coma.

At this point, the clouds rolled back in. This comet is beginning to look like
a real beauty. One question that came to mind as I looked at it could not be
answered due to the short amount of time I could watch (5 min). The two stars
that were directly in line with the tail may in fact have been stars or they may
have been larger hunks of material that blew off the comet. I guess now I'll
never know. 


Newsgroups: sci.astro