PLEASE NOTE:
*
CCNet DIGEST, 11 February 1999
------------------------------
(1) HERE WE GO AGAIN: JPL'S MISLEADING VERSION OF THE PLUTO
DEBATE
Ron Baalke <BAALKE@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov>
(2) A BRIEF SPACEGUARD UK UPDATE AS AT 10 FEB 99
Jonathan TATE <fr77@dial.pipex.com>
(3) AMATEUR/PROFESSIONAL MINOR PLANET WORKSHOP
Richard A Kowalski <bitnik@bitnik.com>
(4) ONLINE SETI JOURNAL
<owner-seti@lists.sni.net>
(5) EUROPE'S PREMIER ASTRONOMY SHOW OPENS IN LONDON ON FRIDAY
Steven Young <syoung@astronow.cix.co.uk>
==================
(1) HERE WE GO AGAIN: JPL'S MISLEADING VERSION OF THE PLUTO
DEBATE
From Ron Baalke <BAALKE@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov>
MEDIA RELATIONS OFFICE
JET PROPULSION LABORATORY
CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
PASADENA, CALIF. 91109. TELEPHONE (818) 354-5011
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov
Contact: Jane Platt (818) 354-0880
PLUTO TO BECOME MOST DISTANT PLANET
What's the significance of February 11, 1999 for Pluto?
On February 11, Pluto will move farther from the Sun than
Neptune,
regaining its status as the most distant planet in the solar
system.
JPL astronomers calculate that it will take place at 2:08 am
Pacific
Time. Pluto will maintain its title of "most distant
planet" for the
next 228 years. Neptune has been the farthest planet for the past
20
years (since February 7, 1979).
Why is Pluto sometimes the farthest planet from the Sun, and
other
times the second-farthest planet from the Sun?
Unlike the other planets in our solar system, Pluto has a highly
elliptical orbit, completing its journey around the Sun every 248
years. Thus, Pluto's distance from the Sun varies. Most of the
time,
Pluto is the farthest planet from the Sun, but for a short time
during
its orbit, Pluto is closer to the Sun than Neptune.
Any chance Pluto and Neptune will collide when their orbits cross
on
Feb. 11?
No chance at all. Pluto goes around the Sun twice for every three
times
Neptune orbits the Sun. Because of this fact, Pluto and Neptune's
positions relative to each other repeat every 497 years. They
will
never be close to each other when Pluto is crossing the same
distance
from the Sun as Neptune is, and therefore, a collision can't
happen.
The high inclination of Pluto's orbit relative to the other
planets
also contributes to keeping them apart.
Why is there controversy about Pluto?
In some ways, Pluto is different. It's much smaller than the four
inner
planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars) and it doesn't fit in
with the
four gas giant outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and
Neptune).
Pluto's diameter is 1, 430 miles, making it less than half the
size of
any other planet, and only two-thirds as big as Earth's Moon.
Pluto's
orbit is much more tilted and elliptical than the other planets.
Some
scientists believe Pluto should not be called a planet at all
(sic).
They feel it should be put in the same category as Kuiper Disk
objects,
icy worlds smaller than Pluto that lie in the "same
neighborhood" as
Pluto and Neptune, and even beyond. These objects may be leftover
debris from our solar system's early formation. But Pluto is
spherical
and it does orbit the Sun. Although this controversy has come up
on
occasion, Pluto is still classified as a planet.
What else do we know about Pluto?
Pluto was discovered on February 18, 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh, who
studied photographic plates taken of the night sky through a
Lowell
Observatory telescope. Pluto's moon Charon was first found in
1978.
Pluto is made from a mixture of rocky and icy material, and it
appears
to have seasonal changes, but we don't know much else about it.
Does NASA plan further studies of Pluto?
Observations from ground and orbiting telescopes will continue to
glean
some information from 4.5 billion kilometers' distance (about 2.8
billion miles). Detailed study requires a close-up look. A
mission
called Pluto-Kuiper Express, managed by JPL, would fly past Pluto
and
its moon Charon, and study Kuiper Disk objects. The mission would
launch in 2004, and would take about ten years to reach its
destination.
=======================
(2) A BRIEF SPACEGUARD UK UPDATE AS AT 10 FEB 99
From Jonathan TATE <fr77@dial.pipex.com>
Dear All,
Well, it’s been some time since you heard from Spaceguard
UK. Yes, we're
still going strond, so here goes with a brief update of how
things are
progressing.
As a member of the Board of Directors of the Spaceguard
Foundation I
will be working hard to ensure that this becomes a great
opportunity to
spread the Spaceguard message worldwide.
I am hoping/expecting to give a presentation to the new
Parliamentary
All Party Astronomy & Space Environment Group in the near
future. This
is a new political group that has been set up in Westminster by
Lord
Tanlaw, with backing of around 45 politicians including Tam
Dalyell of
Labour and David Atkinson of the Tories. I am hoping that
this might
be a good “intro” to some influential individuals.
The generous donation from Sir Arthur C. Clarke will be used to
purchase a digital projector, so that the regular presentations
that I
give to clubs and organisations around the country will no longer
depend on my increasingly uncertain ability to borrow equipment
from
work.
I have recently made contact with the Jordanian Astronomical
Society
(JAS) and the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences
(AUASS). I
think that there is a fine opportunity here to generate
significant
interest, on behalf of both the Foundation and Spaceguard UK, in
the
Arab world.
As a student of the Open University I find it slightly ironic
that I am
about to participate in the filming of an OU television
programme! I
gather that a number of you have already met Michael Peet, the
producer. What is he like?
I have already mentioned (in Impact) Bill Napier’s cracking
novel
“Nemesis”. Do find it – it’s well worth
it! On a more modest note, I
have a chapter in Patrick Moore’s 1999 Astronomy
Handbook. It’s short
enough to read in Smiths! I am also hoping to have the afterword
in
Austin Atkinson’s new book (title unknown, but published by
Virgin). I
intend to write more articles for popular magazines to spread the
word
(and boost the coffers a bit).
On a personal note, I will soon be actively seeking employment
outside
the services (anybody know anyone who wants to employ a rather
good
guided missile instructor?!). This has nothing to do with
Spaceguard
(except that the day job interferes with Spaceguard matters), but
with
the deteriorating quality of life and career prospects in the
Army.
Actually, my Spaceguard activities have not helped the situation
with
my employers, but I assure you that Spaceguard UK will not feel
any ill
effects. Anyway, after 25 years as a soldier, I suppose it’s
time to
grow up!
If there are any points that you feel need amplification, or if
you
have any comments or ideas on the way forward, please do let me
know.
I really don't want to run a "one-man-band"!
All the best
Jay Tate
=============
(3) AMATEUR/PROFESSIONAL MINOR PLANET WORKSHOP
From Richard A Kowalski <bitnik@bitnik.com>
To aid the advancement of the field of minor planet research and
the
collaberation between amateur and professional, there will be a
workshop for the active minor planet researcher. This workshop
will be
held on April 23rd and 24th, 1999 at Lowell Observatory in
Flagstaff,
Arizona, USA. A reception will held on the evening of April 22
and a
dinner will be held on Friday, April 23rd.
The intent of this meeting is to provide an outlet for discussion
and
collaboration between the amateur and professional communities.
It is
hoped that this workshop will strengthen the ties between these
related
groups and result in better understanding of this field of
research.
The first day will be devoted mainly to questions of astrometry,
including: the scope of the follow-up problem, follow-up
strategies,
astrometry techniques, and how best to organize the amateur
efforts,
plus a review of on-line resources available to amateurs, and how
amateurs can obtain grants. The second day will cover questions
of
photometry and photometric techniques.
You can find out more about the workshop as well as registering
for it
by visiting it's homepage at:
http://www.bitnik.com/mp/mpapw99.html
SCHEDULED SPEAKERS
Robert Millis, Lowell Observatory
Ted Bowell, Lowell Observatory
Dennis Di Cicco, Sky & Telescope
Paul Comba, Prescott Observatory
John Rogers, Camrillo Observatory
Roy Tucker, Goodricke-Pigott Observatory
Brian Marsden, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
Richard Kowalski, Quail Hollow Observatory
Alan Harris, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Arne Henden, US Naval Observatory
Charles Wetterer and Slavko Majcen, US Air Force Academy
Walter Worman, Moorhead State University
Kenneth Zeigler, Destiny School, Globe, AZ
Brian Warner, Palmer Divide Observatory
Lawrence Garrett, A.L.P.O.
Brian Skiff, Lowell Observatory
CALL FOR CONTRIBUTED PAPERS
There is a call out for Contributed papers as well as Poster
presentations. If you will be attending, please consider
contributing
to the workshop as well. The request for Contributed papers and
Poster
presentations can be read at:
http://www.bitnik.com/mp/mpw99/contributed.htm
REGISTRATION
Registration for the workshop is now being accepted. The fee is
$35
(U.S.) and will increase to $45 on March 15th. This fee will
cover the
reception to be held on Thursday evening, April 22, four coffee
breaks
during the workshop, a registration kit, and the
proceedings of the
workshop. The fee does not include two optional buffet style
lunches at
$10 each, or the optional Friday dinner at $25.
Registration fees may be paid in the following manner. Personal
and
Cashiers Check's should be made payable to "Lowell
Observatory"
and mailed to:
"Minor Planet Workshop"
Lowell Observatory
1400 W. Mars Hill Rd.
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Visa, Mastercard and American Express cards will also be
accepted, but
a hard copy of the amount, card number and signature *must* be
mailed
or FAXed to Lowell Observatory. A registration form can be
found at
the bottom of this announcement as well as at:
http://www.bitnik.com/mp/mpw99/Register_form.html
More information and a registration form are available at:
http://www.bitnik.com/mp/mpw99.html
============
(4) ONLINE SETI JOURNAL
From <owner-seti@lists.sni.net>
forwarded by Larry Klaes <lklaes@BBN.COM>
I am excited to report that the SETI JOURNAL(tm) -- a peer
reviewed
journal on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence -- will
begin
publication in the Fall of 1999. This is an electronic journal,
with no
subscription charges, sponsored by SETINOW. The journal will be
posted
on the web as a URL in http format.
A formal announcement is scheduled in May of 1999.
I have been asked--and have accepted -- the role of editor; and
have
done so only if this position does not preclude my own
peer-reviewed
submissions.
I am grateful to my colleagues at SETINOW for making the
resources
available for this journal, and the brave decision to publish it
freely
on the web, so that many people in many disciplines will have
access to
it.
http://www.fractenna.com/
==================
(5) EUROPE'S PREMIER ASTRONOMY SHOW OPENS IN LONDON ON FRIDAY
From Steven Young <syoung@astronow.cix.co.uk>
Get some tips on how to view this summer's solar eclipse. Hear a
top
NASA scientist talk about making the Red Planet more like Earth.
Browse the latest astronomy wares.
European AstroFest '99 opens in London on Friday, February 12, at
Kensington Town Hall and continues on Saturday. The annual
conference, now in its seventh year, is a popular gathering for
armchair astronomers, students, professionals and anyone with an
interest in astronomy and space.
This year's conference speakers include NASA's foremost eclipse
expert Fred Espenak, who has been studying and chasing solar
eclipses
around the world for more than two decades.
"European AstroFest is the best place to learn how to
experience the
first solar eclipse in 75 years visible from mainland
Britain," said
Pam Spence, editor of Astronomy Now magazine, which sponsors the
conference. "This will be the last solar eclipse of the
millennium
and people in Britain will be able to see it. It's an incredible
opportunity to learn more about this once-in-a-lifetime
event."
Also featured is NASA scientist Chris McKay, who has just
returned
from an expedition in the Antarctic as part of his ongoing
research
on Mars-like environments. McKay will talk about the prospects
for
finding life on Mars and also discuss proposals to revive the
long-dead planet and make it suitable for human habitation.
More than 40 stands will display the latest telescopes, computer
software, books and other tools and tips for star-gazers
throughout
the two-day show. A planetarium will offer visitors a tour of the
night sky and on Saturday there will be a chance to see a model
of
Britain's proposed Mars probe.
The European AstroFest '99 exhibition will be open from 9am to
6pm
Friday and Saturday, with two conference sessions scheduled each
day.
Information about the conference and exhibition is available on
the
Internet at http://www.astronomynow.com/astrofest
Contact: Steven Young
Tel: (01732) 367542
e-mail: syoung@astronow.cix.co.uk
Note to editors: The European AstroFest '99 conference and
exhibition
is open to the press. Please call 01732 367542 to obtain
accreditation. Kensington Town Hall is located in Hornton Street,
London W8 7NX. Nearest Underground High Street Kensington
(District
and Circle Lines).
EUROPEAN ASTROFEST '99 LECTURE SYNOPSES (SELECTION)
* The Leonids: results and forecasts
Following the perihelion of the meteor stream parent, Comet
55P/Tempel-Tuttle, early last year, November's Leonids were
awaited
with much interest. A meteor storm to rival those seen in history
was
considered an outside possibility for the night of November
17-18,
1998. In the event, the Leonids took us all by surprise,
providing a
broad interval of very high rates and many bright meteors - but
no
storm! - several hours ahead of expectations. Observers in the UK
saw
the best of the display, and the talk will cover some results
from the
ongoing The high activity of November 16-17 last year does not,
meanwhile, preclude the occurrence of a stronger display around
the
peak of the 1999 Leonids. Indeed, there are good reasons - as
will be
discussed - to hope that very substantial Leonid rates will occur
this year.
* Terraforming Mars
Human exploration of Mars will probably begin with a small base
manned
by a temporary crew, a necessary first start. But exploration of
the
entire planet will require a continued presence on the Martian
surface
and the development of a self sustaining community in which
humans can
live and work for very long periods of time. This could lead to
efforts
to recreate a habitable climate on Mars, returning it to the
life-bearing state it may have enjoyed early in its history. Our
studies of Mars are still in a preliminary state but everything
we have
learned suggests that it may be possible to restore Mars to a
habitable
climate. Terraforming Mars would involve a combination of
technology
and biology. Its ultimate goal would be the creation of a
self-sustaining biosphere on Mars.
* The amateur revolution
The lecture will cover the many advances in technology available
to the
modern amateur astronomer. The first part will demonstrate the
direct
comparison between prices of computers available today and those
of
computers from a decade ago as well as demonstrating the huge
leap in
technology. The lecture will be split into several sections
covering
the following: CCDs - acquisition of images, image processing,
tricolour and RGB techniques, as well as briefly explaining the
new
adaptive optics equipment available to amateurs; Software -
covering
some of the popular packages available to amateur astronomers;
Film
scanning and digital manipulation techniques - improving astro
photographs; Video/computer editing - the merger of video and
computer
processing techniques; The Internet - uses of the Internet by
amateur
astronomers.
* Astronomers' lives and astronomers' wives
The English astronomical community in the last century was
largely made
up of 'Grand Amateurs' and a handful of professionals. But what
we
often forget is that this was an amazingly open community in
which
wives, sisters and daughters were often involved. It was a highly
social world, where in addition to the RAS, astronomers came
together
at dinner parties, country house parties, and the British
Association
jamboree meetings, where ladies were an accepted part of the
company.
Victorian scientific wives and other female relatives were
probably the
most informed in Europe and when one reads the diaries of Lady
Airy,
Lady Herschel, Mrs Sarah Callis, Mary, Countess of Rosse, Mary
Ward
and, of course, Mrs Caroline Hershel, one realises how remarkably
informed about science these and many other ladies were. And
following
the founding of the Liverpool Astron. Society (1881) and the BAA
(1890)
women received their first full membership of astronomical
societies.
One finds a very different and much more scientifically aware
view of
Victorian womanhood than the more orthodox histories lead us to
believe.
----------------------------------------
THE CAMBRIDGE-CONFERENCE NETWORK (CCNet)
----------------------------------------
The CCNet is a scholarly electronic network. To subscribe, please
contact the moderator Benny J Peiser at <b.j.peiser@livjm.ac.uk>.
Information circulated on this network is for scholarly and
educational
use only. The attached information may not be copied or
reproduced for
any other purposes without prior permission of the copyright
holders.
The electronic archive of the CCNet can be found at
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/cccmenu.html
*
CCNet LETTERS, 11 February 1999
-------------------------------
(1) THE HISTORICAL PRECEDENTS FOR 10 000
Mark Kidger <mrk@ll.iac.es>
(2) AND THE OSCAR FOR BEST LEADING ASTEROID GOES TO......
Scott Manley <spm@star.arm.ac.uk>
===============
(1) THE HISTORICAL PRECEDENTS FOR 10 000
From Mark Kidger <mrk@ll.iac.es>
Just to put the on-going debate on asteroid number 10 000 in
context,
it is interesting to look at how previous 1000s have been delt
with.
Starting with 1000, special names have been found for each
landmark
asteroid: (1000) Piazzia - for Piazzi ; (2000) Herschel; (3000)
Leonardo; (4000) Hipparchus; (5000) IAU; (6000) United Nations;
(7000)
Curie; (8000) Isaac Newton. Each marks a special body or
scientist. To
date number 9000 has not been named, although no doubt it will
follow
in the same tradition.
The debate has thus been over how to find a sufficiently
grandiose
name, or gesture for asteroid 10 000, in the tradition of these
previous "millennium" bodies. Similarly, the body
should mark in some
way the 198 years of discovery and observation of minor planets
and the
thousands of people who have participated in this wonderful
international effort. The suggestion that a planet, Pluto, should
be
used for number 10 000, was made largely to celebrate Pluto's
highly
unusual nature and status. It also had the added benefit that it
would
allow number 10 000 to be a far more important object than the
faint,
tiny rocks which make up the majority of new numbered objects. I
suspect that many people will think that naming a 21st magnitude
rock
of around 5km diameter with so much ceremony is perhaps a little
over-kill.
Despite the very public debate it is interesting to see that the
vote
on whether or not Pluto should be asteroid 10 000 did give an
almost
2:1 majority in favour. This suggests that the community of
astronomers
is not as divided over the issue as some sectors of the press
have made
out. The public vote on a name for asteroid 10 000 actually even
follows in the tradition of Pluto. The name Pluto was chosen by
Clyde
Tombaugh and his colleagues at Lowell Observatory after counting
up the
many hundreds of suggestions received from the public, because no
consensus could be reached amongst the astronomers. Pluto was the
most
voted of the eligible names and the suggestion is formally
credited to
an eleven year old English schoolgirl!
With several weeks remaining to the February 26th deadline, there
is
still a chance that an astronomer, or a member of the
public, may come
up with a name that fires the imagination.. That person's name
and
suggestion will go down in history. Alternatively, one name may
turn
out to be suggested by a substantial number of people and thus
become
"the people's choice", thus solving this very delicate
problem. If not,
rather than a rushed decision, it might be nice to wait and think
about
this issue again. Given the strong support for (10 000) Pluto in
the
vote and the lack of a really convincing alternative, perhaps we
ought
to hope that the issue of 10 000 is left open on February 26th.
After a
suitable cooling-off period, the issue can be re-addressed later,
perhaps in the summer.
============================
(2) AND THE OSCAR FOR BEST LEADING ASTEROID GOES TO......
From Scott Manley <spm@star.arm.ac.uk>
For those of you who spent the whole of Armageddon laughing at
the
liberties taken with science you might be interested to note that
the
film has been sufficiently groundbreaking in the visual effects
world
to earn itself a nomination for Best Visual Effects in this years
Academy Awards.
I know the asteroid was one of the less realistic creations of
the year
(how do you create an eroded valley on an asteroid with no
water?) but
the visual effects oscar is usually for the films which bring the
impossible to the movie screen. Armageddon is competing against
'What
Dreams May Come' and 'Mighty Joe Young' in the Visual Effects
category.
Armageddon has also been nominated for Best Sound, Best Sound
Effects
Editing and.... ahem.... Best Original Song for Aerosmith's
"I Don't
Want To Miss A Thing".
Deep Impact failed to gain nominations for anything...(thankfully
IMHO)
As an Addendum to the list of possible honours that Armageddon
has been
nomimated for by AMPAS, I have the flip side of the story... the
Nominees for the Razzle Awards.... And Armageddon once again
established its ability to polarise audiences between loving and
loathing.
Armageddon finds itself competing with The Avengers, The Spice
Girls,
Godzilla and Alan Smithee for the dubious Honour of 'Worst
Picture'.
Bruce Willis is nomiated for worst actor for his contributions to
Mercury Rising, The Siege and ... Armageddon. Liv Tyler and Ben
Affleck
are nominated for Worst Screen Couple while Ms Tyler gets a
nomination
all to herself for Worst Supporting Actress.
Director Michael Bay is also Dishonoured, and screenplay writers
Jonathan Hensleigh and J.J. Abrams find themselves shortlisted
for the
Wrost Screenplay Razzie.
And last, but not least.... Aerosmith's "I Don't want To
Miss a Thing"
is a possible contender for Worst Original Song.
All in all, Armageddon has 4 Oscar nominations, and 8 Razzie
nominations.
Scott Manley (aka Szyzyg)
Armagh Observatory
--------------
CCNet-LETTERS is the open discussion forum of the
Cambridge-Conference
Network. Contributions to the on-going debate about Near-Earth
Objects,
the cosmic environment of our planet and how to deal with it are
welcome. To subscribe or unsubscribe from CCNet-LETTERS, please
contact
Benny J Peiser at b.j.peiser@livjm.ac.uk.
The electronic archive of the
CCNet can be found at http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/cccmenu.html