HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
Organization: Johannes Kepler University Linz - Computing Center
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 13:47:33 CET
From: <K3032E0@ALIJKU11.BITNET>
Newsgroups: sci.astro,alt.sci.planetary
Subject: Killer-meteorite ?

An Austrian newspaper says that "a meteorite fell on a house in POREC,
Croatia, killing two old brothers living there".
Can anyone confirm this?

*Huch|* These space-rocks become agressive| Fisrt, killing cars in New York,
then killing people in Croatia....

Greetings
  Herbert
Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: moroney@world.std.com (Michael Moroney)
Subject: Re: Accretion Question
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 00:32:03 GMT

max@west.darkside.com (Erik Max Francis) writes:

>Second, I wouldn't think that such an event was terribly likely -- that 
>is, a _big_ object falling into the inner solar system.

It would have to be likely if the inner planets were formed by the accretion
of Mars-, Moon- and Ceres-sized things...

>  (I think there 
>was a proposal a while ago that Venus came from outsystem, disrupted 
>planets, changed axial tilts, etc., and settled into orbit, which would 
>explain its strange rotational period.  I don't know how much credit this 
>idea was given, though.)

I've seen this proposal.  It has more holes in it than swiss cheese.

-Mike
Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: snyder@plasma.lerc.nasa.gov (David B. Snyder)
Subject: Mounts for TV Genesis?
Summary: Suggestions?
Organization: NASA LeRC           #include <std_disclaimer.h>
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 22:29:58 GMT

I've been thinking of buying a TeleVue Genesis (for quite some
time and probably a while longer), and am trying to decide 
on a reasonable mount to get with it.  I think I have three
reasonable options: (1) TeleVue Equatorial (expensive)  
(2)  Super Polaris (slightly less expensive) and 
(3)  TeleVue Gibraltor (sp?) (least expensive, alt-azimuth) 

Initially I'd expect to use it for observing (alt-azimuth would
be OK), but eventually
I will want to use the system for photography, so in a year's
time I probably need an equatorial and have to inve$t in some
clock drives.

Questions:
Is the Gibraltor strictly an alt-azumuth mount? or can it ea$ily 
be converted to equatorial?

Is there a significant difference between the Super Polaris and the
TeleVue Equatorial?  Stability? Third-party add-on$ ?

Comments?  Advice? Flames?

david b. snyder                    |  The Persistant Planetology Speculation:
email: snyder@plasma.lerc.nasa.gov |  Where there's a rill there's a ray.
From: wats@scicom.AlphaCDC.COM (Bruce Watson)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: Frosty the telescope
Date: 21 Jan 93 17:55:36 GMT
Organization: Alpha Science Computer Network, Denver, Co.

In article <1jgr7eINN11f@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu| clv2@po.CWRU.Edu (Clayton L. Van Doren) writes:
|
|my dealer.  I brought it in and gently warmed and dried it
|with a hair dryer, with the scope pointing up and the visual
|off (to let the cold air inside the scope out.  I warmed and
|dried all of the optics the same way.  Is this a safe method?
|Does anyone have any other suggestions?  
|
I would have brought the telescope inside and let it warm to a temp
above freezing slowly -- the same with dew.


-- 
Bruce Watson (wats@scicom) Bulletin 629-49 Item 6700 Extract 75,131
From: HUSFELD@usmv01.usm.uni-muenchen.de (Husfeld, Dirk)
Subject: Re: Planetary Ephemeris Routines?
Organization: University Observatory Munich, FRG 
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 21:00:19 GMT
X-News-Reader: VMS NEWS 1.20

In <1993Jan22.182648.7390@zia.aoc.nrao.edu> cflatter@nrao.edu writes:

>>   <some cited lines about numerical precision deleted>
> Unfortunately his discussion of numerical precision is very outdated.  Almost
> anything you are likely to have on your desk these days will maintain much
> better precision than Meeus would lead you to believe (most machines will
> only lose one bit of precision in subtraction no matter how close the numbers
> being subtracted for example).
> 
> 	Chris Flatters
> 	cflatter@nrao.edu
>
Hmmm.  If you subtract two numbers that differ by only the last bit in their
binary representation, then your result only has one bit of precision.
So I think your above words were not very carefully chosen.  Could you
elaborate on what you mean?

Regards,
Dirk Husfeld

Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics     Tel.:(FRG) 89  92 20 94 40
Scheinerstrasse 1                           Fax :(FRG) 89  92 20 94 27
8000 Munich 80, FRG
Email: husfeld@astronomie.physik.uni-muenchen.dbp.de     (X.400)
 or    husfeld@usm.uni-muenchen.de                       (Internet)
 
Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: hathaway@stsci.edu
Subject: Re: Phone numbers for ST-Sci.
Organization: Space Telescope Science Institute
Distribution: na
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 19:46:11 GMT

In article <1993Jan21.081904.3208@cnsvax.uwec.edu>, elliottb@cnsvax.uwec.edu writes:
> Voice phone number for STsci is 3013384700
> fax number for same is 3013384767
> 
No No No No No  -  Maryland split its area codes over a year ago.  
Baltimore is now in 410, not 301.  I've gotten calls for everything 
from Physician's offices to Insurance companies to Sears parts dept here 
since the change. 
The rest of those numbers should be ok. 

Wm Hathaway - StScI SPSS SOGS
From: bweiner@ruhets.rutgers.edu (Benjamin Weiner)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: Dark matter
Date: 28 Jan 93 22:36:33 GMT
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.

buell@phyast.nhn.uoknor.edu (Jim Buell) writes:

>I got this from a colloquium speaker at my department. Those
>people who try to explain the structure of the Universe 
>believe that you need both two types of dark matter to
>get both superclusters and a Universe with omega=1.

Lately various popular models (eg CDM) have been coming under pressure -
but in all honesty, if you ask two theorists, you'll get three opinions,
so take everything everybody says with a grain of salt.  We don't really
know enough to rule many of the models in or out (plus, using two kinds
of dark matter doubles the number of free parameters!  You can fit models
where the universe is a giant slab of stale tofu with enough free 
parameters, IMHO).
From: careyb@cygnus.jsc.nasa.gov (Brian Carey 283-4181)
Subject: Celestron telescope forsale
Keywords: telescope forsale
Organization: MDSSC
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 18:04:03 GMT

For sale Celestron Super Polaris C6 Telescope
Information of this Newtonian reflector telescope is:

        Diameter:                       150 mm
        Focal Length:                   750mm
        Near Focus
           with eyepiece:               8'
           with camera:                 6'
        Highest Useful Power:           360x
        Resolution (arc seconds):       0.76
        Light Gathering Power:          459
        Limiting Visual Power:          13.4
        f/ratio:                        f/5.0
        Weight
           Optical Tube:                10.5 lb.
           With Tripod:                 38 lb.

The telescope comes with tripod, Equatorial Mount with polar axis
finderscope, eye piece, top mounted spotting scope, and tripod center
tray with container.

All of the above for $550.00 OBO

If interested email or call Brian C. Carey
phone (713) 488 - 6432 (home).



Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: zellner@stsci.edu
Subject: Re: Asteroidal Satellites
Organization: Space Telescope Science Institute
Distribution: na
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 13:22:56 GMT

In article <C1CH8C.JwE@well.sf.ca.us>, metares@well.sf.ca.us 
(Tom Van Flandern) writes:

 > 
 >      The observations suggest that > 70% of all numbered asteroids are
 > binary (either contact binaries, or with current orbiting satellites).  But
 > the only observations that have sampled many asteroids yet are occultations
 > and radar ranging.  Radar often shows complex or bifurcated images, leaving
 > the interpretation ambiguous.  Results from occultations of stars are clear
 > and unambiguous, in my judgment as a long-time analyst of occultation data.

I have made my share of high-quality photoelectric observations of asteroid
occultations, and been directly involved with programs that made lots more.
I have never seen the slightest evidence of duplicity.  I have been within a
few meters of the same chord where someone reported a secondary event, and 
there wasn't a damn thing there.

Indeed, there could be lots of asteroidal satellites that go undetected, since
the amount of near-asteroid space that is actually probed by occultation
observations is quite small.  But that is NOT remotely the same thing as
saying that > 70% of all numbered asteroids are binary.  Lack of evidence is
not evidence of a lack; but neither is it evidence of an abundance!

 >      I think history will judge this as another case of denying good
 > observations that tend to disprove a popular theory.

Baloney.  There isn't any "popular theory" against binary asteroids.  To the
contrary, people like Alan Harris have worked out their dynamics and made
lists of candidate objects.  We would be DELIGHTED to find some, and I have 
a Space Telescope program to do just that.  But so far they seem extraordi-
narily hard to find. 

On a related matter:

 >> How well could Ostro's group detect or rule out satellites of Toutatis
 >> using their radars?

One of Ostro's group would have to comment on that, but remember they could 
only search a limited amount of bandwidth and delay space.  I can add that
the Space Telescope observations of Toutatis rule out any sizable satellites
within several hundred kilometers.  We will try to be more specific when we
publish those results.

Ben

Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: schumach@convex.com (Richard A. Schumacher)
Subject: Re: "Modeling" the Expanding Universe? (was Re: That Great Pulsar Timing Flame War)
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 1993 02:08:35 GMT
Organization: Engineering, CONVEX Computer Corp., Richardson, Tx., USA
X-Disclaimer: This message was written by a user at CONVEX Computer
              Corp. The opinions expressed are those of the user and
              not necessarily those of CONVEX.

In <C15vrI.6yp@well.sf.ca.us> metares@well.sf.ca.us (Tom Van Flandern) writes:

>     So I then pointed out that the solar system has about 20 orders of
>magnitude higher matter density than the universe.  If much weaker matter
>densities will cause space in the universe to eventually contract, why
>doesn't it cause space in the solar system to contract now?  This does seem
>like an inconsistency to me.

Good golly, is it really necessary to state this? The angular momentum
of the solar system keeps it from collapsing! Without it, the solar
system would collapse in a few years. Same argument for superclusters,
etc. The universe, OTOH, appears to have negligible net angular momentum,
but also has much lower average density.



R.
Xref: sparky sci.astro:14356 sci.space:19729 comp.infosystems.wais:842
From: wingo%cspara.decnet@Fedex.Msfc.Nasa.Gov
Newsgroups: sci.astro,sci.space,comp.infosystems.wais
Subject: Re: Hewlett Packard conin space
Date: 23 Jan 1993 20:42 CST
Organization: University of Houston
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: judy.uh.edu
Keywords: bogus
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    

In article <1993Jan23.021653.19082@aio.jsc.nasa.gov>, kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov writes...
>>In article <1993Jan21.184138.22352@aio.jsc.nasa.gov>, I, 
>  kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov, wrote:
> 

>-- Ken Jenks, NASA/JSC/GM2, Space Shuttle Program Office
>      kjenks@gothamcity.jsc.nasa.gov  (713) 483-4368
> 
>     "We at NASA develop cutting-edge technology for our aeronautics and
>      space programs.  We view technology transfer as a way of life.  
>      It's one of our top priorities." -- Daniel S. Goldin, NASA Administrator
> 
>Yeah, right.

I think you should check the regulations on this. Anything developed by the
government or under government contract IS in the public domain. All I have 
to know is the contract number and make a request, especially if I am at
a University. We here at UAH get tons and tons of software, hardware and
other goodies from NASA with no problem. We also have done this with folks
at JPL. Me thinks that you have not really tried to solve this problem or
have stopped when someone told you that you could not. Give me the 
contract or program number and we can request the information.

Disclamer

This is only open to NON profit organizations such as universities and such.
Also it is limited to US citizens. Kinda have to support the home folks first.

Dennis, University of Alabama in Huntsville

******************************************************************************

For Each and Every Bureaucratic Action, There is an Equal and Opposite
Creative Solution.

Dennis's fifteenth law of getting the job done.

******************************************************************************

:-)


Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: ghasting@vdoe386.vak12ed.edu (George Hastings)
Subject: Re: THE DIVINE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE
Organization: Virginia's Public Education Network (Richmond)
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 93 21:52:39 GMT

Alec Habig (ahabig@bigbang.astro.indiana.edu ) writes:
> 
> kill file time....

Better yet, everybody that reads this send it back as an Email
reply, whole text appended, and a note at the bottom asking
that this kind of post be kept off this newsgroup!


---
From: rbunge@access.digex.com (Robert Bunge)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: Making a long fl mirror- how difficult?
Date: 24 Jan 1993 17:38:56 -0500
Organization: Express Access Online Communications Service, Greenbelt, Maryland USA
NNTP-Posting-Host: access.digex.com

In article <1993Jan19.210716.10715@cs.wayne.edu> mje@pookie.pass.wayne.edu writes:
>All the texts I've read on mirror making suggest starting with an f/8 mirror. I'd
>like to make a 6" or 8" mirror of significantly longer focal length- say, f/15
>or even longer. Configured as a herschelian with no obstruction this should make
>an absolutely smashing planetary scope at a small fraction of the cost of a
>refractor of equal size. 
>
>My question is, how difficulty is it to make an f/15 or f/20 mirror? I know that
>you needn't parabolize once you've gone beyond f/10 or f/12, but there must be
>some difficulties in making a curve that shallow. What techniques are used? I'm
>guessing you'd use a very short stroke in grinding, but beyond that I have no 
>idea.

I've seen one and heard of others making 4.25-inch f/15-20 single mirror 
Herschelen type systems.  The 4-inch that I saw give very nice planetary 
images but the seeing wasn't that great the night I used it.

The way I understand it, the problems of making such a mirror is that it is
easy to miss the desired radius of curvature by a good sized fraction -- in
other words, you tend to missed the desired focal length by several inchs.

Be prepared to send a least a little time grinding the mirror surface of the
blank flat by flipping mirror and tool on top.  This requirement will depend
on how flat and free of defects the blank is.  Some have pretty high ridges
that are removed in the course of grinding in a deeper curve.  The other
thing is start rough grinding with 120 grit.  

Some years ago (1981?) S&T ran an article by Richard Berry describing the
construction of a classic single lens long focus refractor.  Also, in 
one of the classic Amateur Telescope Making books, Dall has an article about
making a very long focus refractor objective.  I believe both of these articles
deal a bit with this topic.

>
>Another thought: As an f/20 6" scope would be 10 feet long, would it be possible
>to fold the light path via an off-axis flat secondary? Would an f/20 be tolerant
>of the misalignment?
>
>   --mike

IMHO, the size of these monsters are the biggest problem.  They are very
hard to mount.  A guy showed up at Astrofest in 1988 with a 6-inch f/24
herschelian on a _hugh_ cross axis mount.  Even then, the mount was
somewhat shaky.  But, I noticed that most people declined to make the
20 foot climb up the step ladder even through the views of Mars were
outstanding.

Bob Bunge
rbunge@access.digex.com
>


Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: alex@csn.org (ALEX MATTHEWS)
Subject: Re: "Modeling" the Expanding Universe?
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 21:22:57 GMT

I'd forgotten about the HSK.  Thanks for reminding me!

I think it's time to contemplate the collisionlessness of space.
Sure, it's created continuously within the solar system but THE
DAMN STUFF JUST SLIPS OUT WITHOUT A TRACE.  Aeons ago we tried giving
the universe a barium swallow to see where the space goes, but we lost
funding early on, and the signal is barely strong enough now for
even differential microwave radiometers to detect.  

Then we tried to isolate space by removing all the obstructing
matter from it.  The preparations went flawlessly but we couldn't 
find our way back to the lab the next morning to take data, and 
that experiment was abandoned.  We plan to repeat the experiment,
this time being sure to leave a trail of test particles so we
can find our way back.  Do you think this will degrade the results?

And thanks to those of you who wrote in, pointing out our errors
in using just a local piece of the universe.  We are now well-educated
in the concept of "fair sample of the universe" and would like
to know where we can rent such a beast at reasonable cost.  Don't
worry about storage--we have the space.

-- 
- Alex Matthews  (new address: alexm.csn.org)

  "A typical Grand Prix race.  High noon.  Tension mounts.  Throttles clench."
                        Patricia Zonker, _Murdercycles_
From: mpound@astro.umd.edu (Marc Pound)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: Dark matter
Date: 26 Jan 93 15:06:47 GMT
Article-I.D.: umd5.18154
Organization: U. of Maryland @ College Park, Astronomy

In article <phfrom.441@nyx.uni-konstanz.de> phfrom@nyx.uni-konstanz.de (Hartmut Frommert) writes:
>ethanb@ptolemy.astro.washington.edu (Ethan Bradford) writes:
>
>>The only recent news w.r.t. dark matter that I know of was the
>>conclusion that there was a lot more dark matter than previously
>>thought in a small (3 galaxy) cluster.  If the cluster is typical, the
>>universe is definitely closed.  The evidence for the dark matter is
>>still indirect; in this case it is necessary to confine the hot gas in
>>the cluster.
>
>Could someone post a reference ?
>-
> 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 --

The paper was presented at the 1/93 AAS meeting. It is abtract
15.14 in BAAS, vol 24, no 4, 1992.  Authors are Mulchaey, Davis,
Mushotzky, & Burstein. It was extensively covered in the popular
press, see the latest issue of Science News, or the 1/4/92 NY Times.

John Mulchaey & Dave Davis are grad students at the University of
Maryland. Here it is from the horse's mouth (mulchaey@stsci.edu): 

>Marc,
>
>It will be in the Feb 10th issue of ApJ Letters. Preprints
>should be going out today.
>
>Cheers,
>
>John

Marc Pound
Astronomy, U. Maryland
mpound@astro.umd.edu
From: Frederick.A.Ringwald@dartmouth.edu (Frederick A. Ringwald)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Na D in the ISM
Date: 28 Jan 93 02:36:47 GMT
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
X-Posted-From: InterNews1.0b3@newshost.dartmouth.edu

If one detects interstellar Na D lines in a hot star's spectrum, how
exactly does one find the column density of Na D? No, it's not in
Osterbrock's book - at least, I couldn't find it, and it's only very
briefly mentioned in Spitzer's book. Please e-mail me literature
references, and I'll post a summary in a week or so,

Fred Ringwald
Department of Physics & Astronomy
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH 03755-3528
Newsgroups: sci.astro
From: schumach@convex.com (Richard A. Schumacher)
Subject: Re: Toutatis Captured by Radar Images
Organization: CONVEX Computer Corporation, Richardson, Tx., USA
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1993 20:17:25 GMT
X-Disclaimer: This message was written by a user at CONVEX Computer
              Corp. The opinions expressed are those of the user and
              not necessarily those of CONVEX.

TVF is not talking vaguely about collisions for disrupting the
parent body. He has quite clearly explained that he means "explode",
not collide. Only the one body is involved. Does anyone have the 
slightest idea how to get a planet to explode?
From: nolan@lpl.arizona.edu (Mike Nolan)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: Tycho Biography (was Re: Tycho Apocrypha)
Date: 26 Jan 93 07:32:57 GMT
Organization: Lunar & Planetary Laboratory, Tucson AZ.

In article <AWOOTTEN.93Jan21151259@slacktide.cv.nrao.edu> awootten@slacktide.cv.nrao.edu (Al Wootten) writes:
>I once spent the better part of two
>days in Copenhagen trying to figure out how to get to Hven without success.
>I learned one should leave from Sweden.  Thoren mentions plans to reconstruct
>Uraniborg...anyone know anything more on that subject?

  I've delayed responding, assuming that someone closer to the source
might...  We went to Hven (vein or vain for at least American English
speakers) last August.  We left from K/obenhavn on what looked like a
regular trip, though we were a group so I don't really know.  The
departure dock was near the boat for Poland, if that helps any.

  Apparently Tycho was not too well thought of :) and after he left for
France the remnants of Uranienborg (sp?) were pretty much eliminated by
the local populace.  Recently, they've decided that he was worth a
statue, and have begun reconstruction.  His observatory has been dug
up, so you can see the foundations upon which his instruments sat, and
the ex-bolt-holes that held them before he ripped them out for the
move.  The "castle" is gone.  There's now a brick outline of where it
used to be that's been put in place, though there's some uncertainty in
the exact shape and size.  Now they're rebuilding the garden adjacent.
There's not a lot of money for the project, I don't think the
planet-groupie audience is that large.  A far cry from when he had ~10%
of the national budget.  Oh, and there's a statue.  Have your picture
taken in front of it.  You'll get a lot of people wondering what on Earth
you're doing and who that strange person is.

  In any event the island was on the idyllic side.  Partly because it
was sunny that day, having rained the entire week before.  Rent a
bicycle and do the tour.

  I hope this synopsis is at least mostly right.  I realize this 
"travelogue" doesn't really belong here, except for the word "Tycho".

Mike Nolan nolan@{lpl.arizona.edu,arizona.bitnet,looney.span}
Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson AZ 85721 USA
Phone (602) 621 2344; Fax (602) 621 4933
From: 1k1mgm@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu (Christopher Gunn)
Newsgroups: sci.astro
Subject: Re: research grade vs. commercial grade
Date: 21 Jan 93 11:39:39 CST
Distribution: na
Organization: University of Kansas Academic Computing Services

In article <93021.030722LABBEY@GITVM1.BITNET>, <LABBEY@GITVM1.BITNET> writes:
> "Research grade" means that his telescope is just like any other.  There are
> no grades in telescope quality.  No such system exists.  Quality varies
> from specimen to specimen.

I've got packed away somewhere an older (2,3 yrs.) Meade catalog that
I remember only hazily, but weren't the 826 and some xxyy scopes in
the 10-12" range (where xx=size) old-style "Cave"-style Newtonians
with rotating tubes, heavy/heavier mounts, etc?  I seem to remember
that their weights and costs were a lot more than their Sonotube
"Deep Space" Newtonians.  Wasn't "research grade" Meade advertising
blurb-ese for "not made of cardboard?" (Not being snobby here--I've
got a cardboard Coulter.)

I have no information about their optics, but I think they had
longer and more forgiving focal lengths....

Christopher Gunn	Molecular Graphics and Modeling Lab
SPAN--KUPHSX::GUNN	Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Malott Hall
913-864-4428 or -4495	University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS  66045
Newsgroups: sci.astro