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Dog_Ed
Skeptic Friend
USA
126 Posts |
 Posted - 11/27/2001 : 01:33:00 [Permalink]
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Welcome, cydonian! Yeah, new posts at the bottom and then on to a new page when there are too many posts. When you log on you can see by the color of the folder icon which sections of the forum and which topics have had new entries since the last time you visited.
"Even Einstein put his foot in it sometimes" |
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Lisa
SFN Regular
USA
1223 Posts |
Posted - 11/27/2001 : 02:50:57 [Permalink]
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Cydonian wrote:quote:
since noone seems to have posted here since the 14th..or i just havent figured this board out yet..i get to pick the topic right? now about Hooters..<evil grin>
ok, the weather then. it's pouring snow here and about time. nope, thats still not bad astronomy..hehehe. ok then who saw K-PAX? amazing precision in the presecion (sp but i'm not gonna look it up :-P) of a star 1000 light yrs away wasnt it heheheheh
wonder if that lisa person will read this..:-P
Yeah, Lisa person read this. And yes, its snowing. Lisa
If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room.
Edited by - Lisa on 07/05/2002 15:08:06 |
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Zandermann
Skeptic Friend
USA
431 Posts |
Posted - 12/30/2001 : 14:08:43 [Permalink]
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bummer...Phil's page seems to be down today |
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James
SFN Regular
USA
754 Posts |
Posted - 12/30/2001 : 17:59:43 [Permalink]
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It has been really slow at BABB lately. Worked fine this morning. Maybe BA just took it down to work on it. I don't know.
"Necessity may be the mother of invention, but laziness is usually the father." -Bailey's First Law |
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Megan
Skeptic Friend
USA
163 Posts |
Posted - 01/02/2002 : 13:34:28 [Permalink]
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Hey guys!! Megan here with a question not really related to astronomy but this was the only site that I could maybe get some help from. My question: how do you balance chemical equations? Is there like a site that I could go to to help me out a little?? And if you could just e-mail it to me, KristyGraham311@hotmail.com. Tanx
BTW, hope Lisa told you guys that I found Jupiter and four of its moons on New Year's Eve. Pretty good for a beginner
-Megan-
I only do what the voices in my head tell me to do. |
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Trish
SFN Addict
USA
2102 Posts |
Posted - 01/02/2002 : 14:16:49 [Permalink]
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There's a few more who can help you better than I, Megan. Glad to see you back around tho.
It is by the goodness of God that in our country we have those three unspeakably precious things: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the prudence never to practice either of them. -Mark Twain |
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Zandermann
Skeptic Friend
USA
431 Posts |
Posted - 01/02/2002 : 21:11:28 [Permalink]
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| [ off topic ] Megan, email me with your chem questions...I'll probably be able to help.[ /off topic ] |
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Chippewa
SFN Regular
USA
1496 Posts |
Posted - 01/03/2002 : 22:45:09 [Permalink]
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quote:
Hey guys!! Megan here with a question not really related to astronomy ... how do you balance chemical equations?
BTW...I found Jupiter and four of its moons on New Year's Eve. Pretty good for a beginner
-Megan-
Hey there -
I'm no help with chemical equations -- sorry, but since you mentioned seeing Jupiter and the four moons -- (fantastic sight BTW!) -- next time you're observing the night sky, take a look at Saturn, which is currently located "not far" from Jupiter as seen from Earth. Saturn is in Taurus. To the eye it looks like Taurus has a longer horn right now (week of Jan. 1). It is thrilling to see the rings! By using "averted vision" you might even spot Saturn's largest moon, Titan! Good luck.
Best wishes,
Chip
"I'd never join an organization that would have a man like me as a member." |
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Megan
Skeptic Friend
USA
163 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2002 : 12:44:01 [Permalink]
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Hi guys! Thank you so much for you help, I really needed it And Zandermann, I'll be sure to email you with my questions, I have lots! BTW, what are some other bright stars are out?? I'll have Lisa's telescope for a while and want to loads of star-searching
-Megan-
I only do what the voices in my head tell me to do. |
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Russ
New Member
USA
22 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2002 : 16:47:37 [Permalink]
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quote:
BTW, what are some other bright stars are out?? I'll have Lisa's telescope for a while and want to loads of star-searching
Hi, Megan:
It's always nice to see you on the board. I like the Pleadies (Subaru to the Japanese) they look best in a binoc or spotter scope as they have a larger field of view. The star that is at the bend in the handle of the Bid Dipper is actually a triple star system. You need to be pretty good to pick out the third star. The Orion nebula is also fun. It has the ooooohhhhaaaa I can't remember the name of those four stars that form a rhombus.  It's the quadrahoochaflachet or sum such. ;) Go for it, you can see it without knowing the name. Look at the sword part of Orion, it's sorta towards the left of the belt stars.
Have fun and report back here with your results.
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Zandermann
Skeptic Friend
USA
431 Posts |
Posted - 01/04/2002 : 20:25:25 [Permalink]
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quote:
The Orion nebula is also fun. It has the ooooohhhhaaaa I can't remember the name of those four stars that form a rhombus. It's the quadrahoochaflachet or sum such. ;)
The Trapezium? |
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Megan
Skeptic Friend
USA
163 Posts |
Posted - 01/06/2002 : 19:17:57 [Permalink]
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Hey more questions here (beware, there are a bucket load of them):
A) One night Lisa and I were talking about the stars, as usuall, and she was trying to explain to me why the stars don't really move. But the thing is is that I still don't get it. So here's my question: Why, from the humans eye, it seems like the stars don't move? And if they do, how come we can't tell??
B) What are luxons, muouns, and tachyons, and what is the difference between them?
C) What is a dwarf star, and what different types of them exist?
D) How do stars form?
E) What is the differecne between the goecentric and heliocentric theories?
F) Where does the sun get its energy?
G) What is the inversesquare law?
H) What are Kepler's Laws?
I) What are blue and red shifts, and what is the difference between them?
J) What are cosmic rays?
K) What is a singularity?
L) What is an elliptical galaxy?
M) What is an irregular galaxy?
N) What is a spiral galaxy?
O) What is magnitude? And what is it in astonomical terms?
P) What is the difference between the photosphere and the chromosphere?
Q) What is the difference between periapsis and apoapsis?
R) What is a neutrino?
S) How are stars classified?
T) What is the ergosphere?
U) What are interstellar dust grains?
V) What is a pulsar?
W) What is the Hubble Constant?
X) What is the sun made of?
Y) What is a supernova?
Z) What is a nova?
1) What is the difference between a meteroroid, a meteor, and a meterorite?
2) What is Doppler shift?
3) What are inner and outer planents, and how do they differ?
4) What are planetary atmospheres?
5) Why do stars appear to "twinkle"?
6) What is half-life?
7) What is a coma?
8) What is the difference between Apparent Time, Mean Time, Sidereal Time, and Universal Time?
9) What is an aurora, and what are the names of some of the famous ones?
10) What is a binary star?
11) What is the event horizon?
12) What is a Cepheid?
13) What is a nebula?
So there you have it. I'm also going to post this on BA. Tanx
-Megan-
I only do what the voices in my head tell me to do. |
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Trish
SFN Addict
USA
2102 Posts |
Posted - 01/06/2002 : 22:15:08 [Permalink]
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Hey more questions here (beware, there are a bucket load of them):
A) One night Lisa and I were talking about the stars, as usuall, and she was trying to explain to me why the stars don't really move. But the thing is is that I still don't get it. So here's my question: Why, from the humans eye, it seems like the stars don't move? And if they do, how come we can't tell??
B) What are luxons, muouns, and tachyons, and what is the difference between them?
C) What is a dwarf star, and what different types of them exist?
D) How do stars form?
E) What is the differecne between the goecentric and heliocentric theories?
Geocentric puts the earth at the center with the sun travelling round at the third planet position. Geo means earth.
Heliocentric puts the sun at the center with the earth travelling round at the third planet position. Helio means sun.
The difference is that by putting the earth in the third planet position retrograde makes sense and it is easier to figure our calendar.
F) Where does the sun get its energy?
The sun creates it's energy through nuclear fusion. However, as fusible material decreases the sun will expand in an atttempt to keep going, eventually becoming a red giant before collapsing back into a dwarf star.
G) What is the inversesquare law?
H) What are Kepler's Laws?
I) What are blue and red shifts, and what is the difference between them?
Blue shift is the compression of light toward the blue end of the spectrum. This indicates something is moving toward you. Actually it is an increase in the frequency of the light wave.
Red shift is the compression of light toward the red end of the spectrum. This indicates something is moving away from you. It is a decrease in the frequency of the light wave.
Somehow, I think I may have that backwards with the increase and decrease in the frequency of the wave.
Frequency is defined as the distance measured between one peak and the next peak in a wave. WARNING Really bad attempt at drawing a wave. Distance x is the frequency.
______x_______
* *
* *
* *
* *
* *
* *
*
Grrrr! My spacing isn't working - HELP!
J) What are cosmic rays?
K) What is a singularity?
L) What is an elliptical galaxy?
A galaxy with an over all eliptical shape.
M) What is an irregular galaxy?
N) What is a spiral galaxy?
A galaxy with spiral arms, kind of like when you draw a whirl - don't worry I won't attempt it.
O) What is magnitude?
How bright something on an arbitrary scale.
And what is it in astonomical terms?
Magnitude is generally referring to the ability of an object to be seen with the naked eye. I'll see if I can find a scale that shows magnitude for you.
P) What is the difference between the photosphere and the chromosphere?
Q) What is the difference between periapsis and apoapsis?
R) What is a neutrino?
A neutrino is an extremely small particle given off during the hydrogen-hydrogen fusion process inside the sun. It is speculated that a neutrino is capable of passing through a mile thick peice of lead without hitting a single lead atom.
S) How are stars classified?
Our sun is a main sequence Type G star. Main sequence stars are those that are basically in their prime, still fusing material.
T) What is the ergosphere?
U) What are interstellar dust grains?
V) What is a pulsar?
W) What is the Hubble Constant?
X) What is the sun made of?
Y) What is a supernova?
Z) What is a nova?
1) What is the difference between a meteroroid, a meteor, and a meterorite?
Meteors are in space. Meteoroid (I dunno) a meteorite has impacted the earth.
2) What is Doppler shift?
You ever sit at the train tracks and listen to the train whistle as it goes past. It starts out low and gets louder as the whistle itself passes you and then gets low again. It describes the compression of sound waves and their change in pitch and volume as the sound source passes (the train whistle) the recording source (your ears).
3) What are inner and outer planents, and how do they differ?
The inner or terrestrial planets are inside the meteor belt and are comprised of silicates with nickel and iron cores. The outer planets are comprised of gasses and very light. Though the compression at their cores are believed to cause the gasses to liquify. The outer planets are not solid, they don't have a surface, per se.
4) What are planetary atmospheres?
5) Why do stars appear to "twinkle"?
Because they produce their own light and that light production is not a constant like with a light bulb.
6) What is half-life?
The time it takes for one half of a radio active substance to break down. Highly unstable radioactive substances have an extremely short half-life.
7) What is a coma?
In referring to a comet?
8) What is the difference between Apparent Time, Mean Time, Sidereal Time, and Universal Time?
9) What is an aurora, and what are the names of some of the famous ones?
An aurora is the interaction of highly charged particles from the sun with our atmosphere. And we only have two of them, the Aurora Beaurialis and Aurora Austrealis. (I just butchered the spelling - but I think you get the drift) The Auroras are most spectacular near the poles where our atmosphere has more charge. (I'm not sure that's the right way to put this.)
10) What is a binary star?
A binary start (bi meaning 2) has two stars orbiting a common point, depending on the stars themselves this common point maybe contained within one star or outside of both stars.
11) What is the event horizon?
The point beyond which light can not escape gravity.
12) What is a Cepheid?
13) What is a nebula?
Are commonly referred to as the birth place of stars. They are clouds of interstellar gas. Some nebulas are 'dead' and have produced all the stars they will and some are still actively producing stars.
So there you have it. I'm also going to post this on BA. Tanx
Well, now I know what I don't know. Thanks Megan. But better take others advice on some of this stuff - it's been a really long time since I've really studied it.
There is no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. It underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've known. Sagan
Edited by - Trish on 01/06/2002 22:15:56 |
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Donnie B.
Skeptic Friend
417 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2002 : 07:39:01 [Permalink]
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Hi, Trish,
Forgive me, but a couple of your answers were wrong or misleading. I hope you won't feel too bad if I throw in a couple corrections.
quote:
2) What is Doppler shift?
You ever sit at the train tracks and listen to the train whistle as it goes past. It starts out low and gets louder as the whistle itself passes you and then gets low again. It describes the compression of sound waves and their change in pitch and volume as the sound source passes (the train whistle) the recording source (your ears).
This is a bit misleading. Doppler shift has nothing to do with the *loudness* of the sound you hear. Instead, it's a change in the *pitch*, or frequency, of the sound. As the train (or other sound source) approaches you, the pitch is higher, and slides lower as it passes you and begins moving away from you.
In astronomy, it's not the frequency of a sound source we're concerned about, but the frequency of the light from a distant object. Just as the train whistle rises in pitch if it's moving toward us, the frequency of light rises in frequency (shifts toward the blue) if it's moving toward us. We can detect this shift by means of the distinctive pattern of emission and absorption lines in the spectrum of the star or other object.
quote:
3) What are inner and outer planents, and how do they differ?
The inner or terrestrial planets are inside the meteor belt and are comprised of silicates with nickel and iron cores. The outer planets are comprised of gasses and very light. Though the compression at their cores are believed to cause the gasses to liquify. The outer planets are not solid, they don't have a surface, per se.
You might also mention that Pluto is the odd duck among the outer planets; it's a solid object like the inner planets, except it's probably not so much rocky as icy.
quote:
5) Why do stars appear to "twinkle"?
Because they produce their own light and that light production is not a constant like with a light bulb.
Oops! This is not right at all. Stars do not twinkle, inherently; most of them produce light that's far steadier than any light bulb. They seem to twinkle only from our vantage point on Earth, because we're seeing them through a thick and turbulent atmosphere. Think of the way a distant object seems to waver and shimmy, especially on a hot day; the twinkling of the stars is produced in much the same way.
This is why telescopes are placed on high mountaintops or in space for best "viewing". The latest ground-based telescopes can actually detect and measure the atmospheric distortions and correct for them, giving results almost as good as Hubble's.
continued...
-- Donnie B.
Brian: "No, no! You have to think for yourselves!" Crowd: "Yes! We have to think for ourselves!" |
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Donnie B.
Skeptic Friend
417 Posts |
Posted - 01/07/2002 : 07:40:47 [Permalink]
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quote:
9) What is an aurora, and what are the names of some of the famous ones?
An aurora is the interaction of highly charged particles from the sun with our atmosphere. And we only have two of them, the Aurora Beaurialis and Aurora Austrealis. (I just butchered the spelling - but I think you get the drift) The Auroras are most spectacular near the poles where our atmosphere has more charge. (I'm not sure that's the right way to put this.)
Aurora Borealis (the Northern Lights) and Aurora Australis (the southern-hemisphere equivalent). They are produced by high-energy particles from the sun (the solar wind) interacting with our atmosphere. They tend to occur in a ring-shaped pattern around the Earth's magnetic poles, because the particles tend to follow Earth's magnetic field lines (which intersect the atmosphere in those areas).
quote:
11) What is the event horizon?
The point beyond which light can not escape gravity.
To amplify this a little: the event horizon is the boundry of a black hole. A black hole is an object so dense and massive that its gravity is intense enough to prevent even light from escaping.
So the event horizon isn't a point, it's a spherical *surface*. Warning: don't get too close to one! The tides are something fierce.
It's worth pointing out that black holes are still theoretical; we've observed some distant objects that seem to behave like we think a black hole should, and most astronomers think they really exist, but it's not an open-and-shut case.
quote:
Well, now I know what I don't know. Thanks Megan. But better take others advice on some of this stuff - it's been a really long time since I've really studied it.
Megan, I may take a swing at some of your other questions later. Sorry to step on your toes, Trish, but I thought it was better to correct the errors; it's so easy to get a misconception stuck in one's head (I should know, I have a bunch of them in there!)
-- Donnie B.
Brian: "No, no! You have to think for yourselves!" Crowd: "Yes! We have to think for ourselves!" |
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