HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: snyder@ronin.lerc.nasa.gov (David B. Snyder)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: CD-ROM stuff
Date: 21 Aug 92 16:09:25 GMT
Organization: NASA Lewis Reserch Center	#include <std_disclaimer.h>

In article <leb.714146072@Hypatia> leb@Hypatia.gsfc.nasa.gov (Lee E. Brotzman) writes:
>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

The NGC 2000.0 data base in 'Selected Astronomical Catalogs, Vol 1
is copyrighted by Sky Publishing Corp.  But I know of no other exceptions.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
David B. Snyder
email: snyder@ronin.lerc.nasa.gov 
* * *  What are Inorganic Chemists made of?  * * *
Newsgroups: sci.astro,rec.radio.amateur.misc,rec.radio.shortwave
From: oler@rho.uleth.ca (Cary Oler)
Subject: ALERT: Minor Geomagnetic Storm Alert
Organization: University of Lethbridge
Date: 23 Aug 92 09:42:10 GMT

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

                        MINOR GEOMAGNETIC STORM ALERT

                         ISSUED: 09:30 UT, 23 AUGUST

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


ATTENTION:

     Geomagnetic activity surpassed the minor storm threshold at 06:00 UT.
Major to severe geomagnetic storming has been observed over the high and
middle latitude regions associated with this activity.  A Forbush decrease
has also been observed.  Geomagnetic storming is continuing in progress,
although over the last couple of hours, conditions have stabilized somewhat.

     Periods of additional minor to major storming are expected before this
disturbance wanes later this UT day.  The source of this activity has not
been clearly determined at this time, although the recent long-duration minor
M-class flares from Region 7260 are candidates.

     In the longer term, unsettled to active conditions are expected with
possible periods of minor storm activity over the higher latitude regions for
the next 72 hours.


**  End of Alert  **
Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: dierick@brsux0.bro.dec.com (Dierick Dominique)
Subject: Re: Clave Paris Eyepieces?
Reply-To: dierick@ketje.enet.dec.com
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation, Brussels
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 08:39:01 GMT


In article <1992Aug13.155131.21047@btree.uucp>, eskin@btree.uucp (Michael Eskin) writes:
>Newsgroups: sci.astro
>From: eskin@btree.uucp (Michael Eskin)
>Subject: Clave Paris Eyepieces?
>
>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...
>
>-- 
>
>Michael Eskin                                   Voice: (619) 535-3476
>Brooktree Corporation                            UUCP: ...!ucsd!btree!eskin
>9950 Barnes Canyon Rd                             CIS: 76376,541
>

These eyepieces are the best for planetary studies. Very unfortunately
Mr. Clave of Paris died a few years ago, and with him the Clave society.
Wish I had a set of those ...


Dominique
Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: dierick@brsux0.bro.dec.com (Dierick Dominique)
Subject: Re: Film Hypering
Reply-To: dierick@ketje.enet.dec.com
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation, Brussels
Distribution: USA
Date: Tue, 18 Aug 1992 07:23:34 GMT


In article <1992Aug14.124825.18211@nntp.uoregon.edu>, davecole@cie.uoregon.edu (Dave Cole) writes:
>Newsgroups: sci.astro
>From: davecole@cie.uoregon.edu (Dave Cole)
>Subject: Re: Film Hypering
>
>Dominique,
>  Thanks for the info, I hyper 2415 in 92%N, 8%H2, at 50 C, 3 PSIG, for 90
>hours.  This runs the base fog density to something around .6.  I am putting
>a list of the various films and hyper information together.  This project
>has been ongoing for the last few years.  Once I finish, I will post here.
> 
>  How does the HG-400 look?  Any color shift?  Also do you see any problems
>by leaving it in the cassette?  I have stayed away from hypering film while
>it is in the cassette due to worry about uneven hypering.
> 
>-Dave
> 
>
>
>

I use 12 exposure rolls for HG 400. I have no problems with uneven
hypering. The process is very simple, no troubles unwinding and 
rewinding the film in the dark.


Dominique
Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: rsb@mcc.com (Richard S. Brice)
Subject: Re: the moon
Summary: how does moon know?
Organization: MCC, Austin, TX
Date: Mon, 17 Aug 1992 14:41:10 GMT

In article <Bt3EsB.6q2@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu>, turner@bigbang.astro.indiana.edu (George Wm Turner) writes:
> 
> anyways, this friction robs the earth of rotational energy and slows
> the earth's spin; (the length of an earth day lengthens by about 
> 0.002 second per century.) but the total angular momentum of the 
> earth-moon system must be conserved causing the moon to move farther
> out.  to put it another way, since there is less angular momentum in a
> slower spinning earth at the center, a way to get more angular
> momentum is to move the mass of the moon farther away thus keeping
> the total amount of angular momentum constant.  (this theory of tidal

How does the moon know that it's supposed to move further away from the
earth just because the earth is slowing down?

R. Brice
MCC Corp
From: sichase@csa2.lbl.gov (SCOTT I CHASE)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: Fossil Paradox (was: Structure of Time)
Date: 12 Aug 92 22:51:51 GMT
Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory - Berkeley, CA, USA
Distribution: na
Reply-To: sichase@csa2.lbl.gov
NNTP-Posting-Host: 128.3.254.197
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.3-4   

In article <1992Aug12.194413.25539@pony.Ingres.COM>, gmcquary@Ingres.COM (George F. McQuary) writes...
> 
>Well, that's assuming that such gain would be of use to people in the future.
> 
>What good is the confederate currency of the south now that the government
>that backed it no longer stands? As for barter, who would travel back
>to the 1970's to steal an Apple II for it's great (for it's day)
>computing power?
> 
>One could certainly take, say, a modern car for noveltys sake, but then
>there are the problems of the supporting technology network no longer
>being present --gas refineriess, highway systems to drive them on, etc.
>As useless as a crank telephone from 1920 is with our current touchtone network.
> 
>Finally, there is the fantasy of going back to the past to be the one-eyed king
>in the kingdom of the blind. But most people today would have difficulty
>living in the classist, racist societies of the past. Add the plague, the
>fact that everyone was infected with lice, ticks and worms, and that the food
>was horrible --in this light, it is probably very egotistical of us to assume
>that our decendants with have even the slightest passing interest in us
>after our comparable backwardness to them, and that whatever interest that
>persisted would be quenched quickly at first exposure to the harsh reality.

I bet that quite a few historians would be willing to make the trip for
a while.  It might even become a requirement for a PhD in history!   

And think of the tourism possibilities.  People in the developed nations 
today are willing to get inoculations and journey off to far away places - 
why not people in the future?

Bottom line - I just can't believe that if it becomes easy to do, that 
future scientists, etc. will not journey into the past.  From the fact 
that nobody seems to have done so, I conclude that either it is not
easy, or that society advances way beyond anything easily imaginable
so that my assumptions are faulty.  Given the rather directionless march
of history, it is hard to accept the second alternative.  Technological 
change is much easier than social change.

-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
Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: at649@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Steve Fishman)
Subject: Aurora - Northeast Ohio
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, (USA)
Date: Sun, 23 Aug 92 13:20:37 GMT


According to M. Boschat, his weather computers indicated that 
aurora was sighted as far south as 43 degrees latitude.  My 
following observations were taken from 41.52 degrees north and
81 degress west. 

All times are U.T. on August 23.

02:20-02:50  Auroral oval appeared 10-20 degrees over the northern
             horizon and extended from northwest to northeast
             about evenly split on either side of the meridian.  No
             other activity, such as rays or curtains were observed.

03:25-03:55  Several periods of rays, curtains and moderatly intense
             shimmering observed.  Most intense period was from 
             03:35-03:45.  Appeared greyish-white which backlit
             a partly cloudy (cirrus) sky.  Several rays extended
             to about 40 degrees above the northern horizon.  
             Azimuth coverage was similar to the earlier
             observations.

04:30-05:00  Auroral oval brightened and appeared several degrees
             higher than prior periods.  Some ray structure and 
             shimmering, but most activity was limited to the 
             oval brightening.  Cast shadows.  Most of the time,
             including the earlier observations, the contrast was
             low because if high humidity, some light pollution and
             increasing cloud cover.

One other observation (audibly) was of the WWV time signal.  During 
the first 2 episodes, the 5 and 10 MegaHertz signals came in very 
clear.  During the 3rd episode, the signals dropped off, then were
full of static after 05:00 U.T.   I expected the signals to be
lousy during the aurora, not after the show was over.  Is it 
possible that aurora under the visible threshhold can affect radio
propagation stronger than when it is visible?  Comments, please.

-- 
Steve Fishman -- I Would Rather See Starlight Than Streetlights
Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: fischer@physun.physics.mcmaster.ca (Phil Fischer)
Subject: Re: Meta-model, pubished ?
Organization: Dept. of Physics & Astronomy, McMaster University
Distribution: na
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 1992 19:35:25 GMT

In article <25667@dog.ee.lbl.gov> sichase@csa3.lbl.gov writes:
>
>Are you just going to skip the peer-review process all together?  Or will
>there be some kind of accompanying paper which appears in a journal?
>
>-Scott
>

Do you really believe that all the drivel we have been seeing is going to
come out in a publishable form? I mean look how much Tom's views have
evolved in the past month alone; it is clear that he is using this newsgroup
as a sounding board (I am NOT condeming this) and that there is very little
sound science in this so-called META-MODEL. Besides anybody who spends that
much time reading and writing usenet couldn't possibly have time to write a
book. At most I can see something coming by way of a vanity press.

Phil
From: dant@techbook.com (Dan Tilque)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: Heavy Boots
Date: 14 Aug 92 12:55:49 GMT
Article-I.D.: techbook.1992Aug14.125549.2509
Organization: Pseudopolis Yard

tomrice@netcom.com (Tom R. Rice) writes:
>I love it!  I work in a thin-film sputtering lab where we have 
>monster vacuum chambers.  Visiting layfolk are continually asking
>why the stuff in the tank doesn't float around inside since there's
>a vacuum in there.....

I trust you tell them that it's held down with suction cups...

---
Dan Tilque    --     dant@techbook.com
From: ao@elixir.e.kth.se (Anders Ohlsson)
Subject: Re: Times for sundown (and a couple of extra questions...)
Followup-To: sci.astro
Organization: Royal Institute of Technology, NADA
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 1992 10:44:48 GMT

In article <CPLS13-180892134855@145.1.92.160> CPLS13@email.mot.com (Steven_Cohn) writes:
>Does anybody know where i can find a program/algorithm to calculate
>when sunrise and sundown is given latitude and longitude? (sorry if this is
>an FAQ - I have never browsed this group before).  I would appreciate if
>you could either post it here, or email it to me, as I don't have ftp
>access.

	An excellent book is "Astronomical Algorithms" by Jean Meeus,
	1991. ISBN 0-943396-35-2. Published by Willman-Bell, Inc.

	I have implemented the algorithms in the book and they give
	accurate results down to the minute if not better.

	I could post the source code when it's finished and polished
	(in a few weeks) if there's sufficient interrest or I could
	e-mail it to those who are interrested. BTW, it's implemented
	in Turbo Pascal 5.0.


	And now for my questions:

	1. The algorithms in Meeus' book don't seem to work at extreme
	   northern/southern points for certain days. I'm thinking of
	   those days when the Sun rises in May and never sets until
	   July. For these instants I sometimes get a bogus sunset or
	   sunrise, when there actually isn't any. Am I doing some-
	   thing wrong? BTW, Astronomy Lab 1.08 also gives bogus
	   results for these points (not the same though)...

	2. The algorithms for Earth in perihelion an aphelion in
	   chapter 37 of Meeus' book gives a mean error of 3 hours.
	   Where can I find algorithms that are better? I don't
	   know French, so I cannot read Meeus' references...

	3. Can the VSOP87 theory or later be found in written form
	   in any articles or books around? I don't need accuracy
	   of 0.001 seconds, 1-30 seconds is enough...


	I'm planning to add Sun/Moon rises/sets, equinoxes &
	solstices, perihelion & aphelion, perigee & apogee and other
	stuff to my calendar program YACPU. Version 1.1 is available
	via ftp at simtel20.army.mil as PD1:<MSDOS.LASER>YACPU11.ZIP
	for those who are interrested. Version 1.1 "only" prints the
	phases of the moon.

	YACPU prints six-monthly, monthly and weekly calendars on
	an HP LaserJet III.

					Many thanks in advance,

						Anders Ohlsson


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Anders Ohlsson       | "Life? The universe?? Everything???", Murphy asked |
| ao@elixir.lne.kth.se | "Subject to change without notice", GOD replied    |
| ao@infovox.se        |                                                    |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: pbrown@uwovax.uwo.ca
Subject: PERSEID STORM
Organization: University of Western Ont, London
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 1992 23:55:03 GMT

PERSEID STORM IN EASTERN EUROPE...

Data from Hungarian meteor observers and several radio amateurs in the USA
and Finland have revealed the strong possiblity that the expected strong 
return of the Perseids in 1992 *did* take place. The observations in question
suggest 19-20 UT on Aug 11/12 as the time the outburst occurred. This is 
several hours earlier than predicted since the predicition was based on
the assumption that the activity which took place over Japan in 1991 would
recur again at the same position in the Earth's orbit, namely at 138.86 
(1950.0). As was pointed out by Marsden if the the shower recurred at 
precisely the node of P/Swift-Tuttle the storm would occur several
hours before the 22-23 UT Aug 11/12 shortly after 19 UT, as seems to have
happened. This is **very** strong evidence to suggest that P/Swift-Tuttle is
very nearby and searches for the comet should certainly go into high gear.
This outburst occurred at 138.74 (1950.0) and if it recurs again within
a few tenths of degrees of this position then we can expect a nice meteor
shower in 1993 on Aug 12 at about 1-2 UT. This means North America might
catch some of the activity early in the evening and the moon will be only
4 days from new!! 
Since many details are still missing it is *imperative* that observers either
radio or visual who have data in the interval 18-20 UT report it as soon as
possible so a complete picture of what happened can be constructed.
Further details can be found on IAUC 5586.

*****************************************************************************
Peter Brown   peter@canlon.physics.uwo.ca
North American Section - International Meteor Organization (IMO)
*****************************************************************************
From: pyron@skndiv.dseg.ti.com (Dillon Pyron)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: Location of the Sun
Keywords: sun location algorithm wanted
Date: 13 Aug 92 15:23:07 GMT
Reply-To: pyron@skndiv.dseg.ti.com
Organization: TI/DSEG VAX Support


In article <387@wavefront.wti.com>, jra@wti.com (Jim Atkinson) writes:
>
>I am looking for an algorithm for the location of the Sun.  (I know,
>it's right up there :-)).
The sun is mounted on a shell which revolves around the Earth, which, as we all
know, is the center of the universe  :-)  sorry, tooooo tempting.
>  I am doing some computer graphics simulation
>type work and want to be able to simulate sunlight given a location on
>the surface of the earth and a time/date.  If someone has such an
>algorithm on-line that they can send me or a pointer to a book that
>contains one I would really appreaciate the help.  Thanks.
I can't give you any direct info, but you might check on some books on
Celestial Navigation.  Since the premise is that, knowing the Sun angle (or
moon, or stars) and the time (Z), you can determine your location.  I suspect
that, knowing your location and the time (Z), you can determine the Sun angle.
The formulae are somewhat complex, but you only need to write the code once. 
Of course, to get the best effect, you will need reduction tables and the
Nautical Almanac, but there are celestial computers the size of calculators
(SHARP) that carry Almanacs and the tables.

Now, did this really have anything to do with space?

Oh yeah, I use my weekly sightings to confirm that my house has moved and that
my GPS is still amazingly accurate.  And I haven't launched any nuclear
warheads.  :-) 
>-- 
>========================================================================
>Jim Atkinson		Wavefront Technologies, Inc.
>jra@wti.com		What, me?  A company spokesperson?  Get real!
>=================== Life is not a spectator sport! =====================
>
--
Dillon Pyron                      | The opinions expressed are those of the
TI/DSEG Lewisville VAX Support    | sender unless otherwise stated.
(214)462-3556 (when I'm here)     |
(214)492-4656 (when I'm home)     | Lawyers are like nuclear warheads, every-
pyron@skndiv.dseg.ti.com          | body has some, and when you use them, they 
                                    f*ck everything up.
                                                  Danny DeVito, _OPM_
Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: Bruce.Scott@bbs.oit.unc.edu (Bruce Scott)
Subject: Re: Recombination Temperature Question
Organization: Extended Bulletin Board Service
Distribution: sci
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 16:20:12 GMT

Niel Brandt (niel@jomby.caltech.edu) writes:

>I would like to see or get a reference as to how the T=3000 K at
>recombination is worked out... I assume this is a fairly complicated
>plasma physics computation...(which might depend on the geometry of
>spacetime - although I guess by z=1500 everything was pretty flat)...
>Also, does the presence of helium have a significant effect - how about
>nonbaryonic dark matter?

Other constituents do have effects, but since these are all formed
from the nucleosynthesis in calculable ways, one need only start with
nucleons, leptons, and photons. The free parameter is the photon to
baryon ratio. As Joe Lazio pointed out, during the recombination era
the physics are described by Saha equations (that's right, zero-d).
All particle units are assumed free ("unit" means free electrons,
protons, etc, as well as re-combined atoms -- no molecules yet). I
don't recall how flat space was at z=1500; I suggest reading W
Rindler, Essential Relativity (1977), for the construction of the
Robertson-Walker metric, and R Wagoner and D Goldsmith, Cosmic
Horizons (1983), for the backward extrapolation through which one does
these calculations. For dark matter, everything is speculative until
its properties are known.

Gruss,
Dr Bruce Scott                             The deadliest bullshit is
Max-Planck-Institut fuer Plasmaphysik       odorless and transparent
bds at spl6n1.aug.ipp-garching.mpg.de                 -- W Gibson

--
   The opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the University of
     North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Campus Office for Information
        Technology, or the Experimental Bulletin Board Service.
           internet:  bbs.oit.unc.edu or 152.2.22.80
From: andromed@cs.dal.ca (Mike Boschat)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Saturn Observation Aug.20/21
Date: 21 Aug 92 11:41:26 GMT
Organization: Math, Stats & CS, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada


 Set up my telescope last night and took a look at Saturn. The image was very
steady for more than 20 seconds with very slight ripples occuring. As to the
features seen;

                       AUGUST 20/21  0200-0230 UT
                       ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 NTB: it was dark and thicker than I saw it weeks ago, at 150x the image was clean
      and sharp the belt looked a light brownish color and at 228x ( pushing the
      power a bit ) I thought I saw a smaller darker area on the west part of the
      belt on the north section of it, but am not sure.

 SHADOWS: using 150x I could easily see the shadow of the globe on the rings and
          a thin shadow of the rings on the globe below the NTB.

 RINGS: at 150x power the Ring A and Cassini Division seen with no problem.
        though these are the usual features seen of the rings.

         ---------------------------------------------------
 
 TELESCOPE: 8 cm refractor, f/10, 90cm focal length. 108x to 228x, no filters
             used. star diagonal used.

 LIM.MAG.: faintest star to naked eye 5.5

 LOCATION: Halifax, Nova Scotia, CANADA    N 44 degrees  W 63 degrees
             58 meter above sea level.
  
 


                                                 Clear skies

                                                  Mike Boschat 
 ------------------------------------------------------------
| "Our problems are man-made,      |    JOHN F. KENNEDY      |
|   therefore they can be solved   |                         |
|    by man."                      |  ASTRONOMY OBSERVATORY  |
|                                  |                         |
|     JOHN F. KENNEDY              |                         |
 ------------------------------------------------------------                                     
Newsgroups: sci.astro