September 2005 - Utah-Astronomy - mailman.xmission.com

Aurora alert
by paw＠trilobyte.net 14 Sep '05

14 Sep '05

Space Weather News for Sept. 14, 2004 http://spaceweather.com Sunspot 798/808 flared twice more yesterday, and at least one of the X-class explosions propelled a coronal mass ejection (CME) toward Earth. NOAA forecasters estimate a 70% chance of severe geomagnetic activity when the CME arrives--perhaps tonight, Sept. 14-15. Sky watchers at all latitudes should be alert for auroras. Observing tips: Although auroras are sometimes bright enough to shine through city lights, you'll see more from a dark-sky site in the countryside. The best time to look is usually during the hours around local midnight. Visit http://spaceweather.com for more information and updates ___________________________________ Trilobyte Web Mail http://webmail.trilobyte.net

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Re: Deep Impact revisited
by Michael Carnes 14 Sep '05

14 Sep '05

>I wonder what "Intelligent Falling" has to say about >orbital mechanics? Can the hand of God push any >direction it wants to, You've raised a real issue there, Chuck. But it's even worse. First of all, you've got to target the right area of the asteroid to apply a deflecting force. If you've got the Baptists praying toward the north pole and the Lutherans praying toward the south pole, do you have cancellation? What about margin of error? You've got to be accurate to within a tiny fraction of a degree, and I think most people just can't get that exact. Perhaps Guy knows of some prayer sights that would be helpful. What about solar windage? Although a lot less capital equipment is required, you've got to be really good to make this work. We probably got a whole lot of people ticked off at us now...

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Re: Deep Impact revisited
by Chuck Hards 14 Sep '05

14 Sep '05

I wonder what "Intelligent Falling" has to say about orbital mechanics? Can the hand of God push any direction it wants to, not just "down" (meaning toward the center of the earth)? You'd think then that sufficiently massed prayer could possibly divert the asteroid/comet, right? What are the rules of prayer addition? Is it commutative? Must all terms be similar (same language)? Will prayers to Allah cancel an equal number of equally fervent prayers to a Christian God? Or are they cumulative? And what about some fundamental Armageddonist praying for a hit? Would those be considered "negative" prayer? What about sacrifice and self-denial, or other forms of "grace"? Could they be effective at asteroidal intercession as well, or merely cause interference with the prayer effort? Show your work to receive full credit. ;) __________________________________ Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 http://mail.yahoo.com

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Re: Deep Impact revisited
by Michael Carnes 14 Sep '05

14 Sep '05

And I thought they were just blasting over at the gravel pit... >You've obviously never tasted my chili. > From: diveboss(a)xmission.com > Even the worlds most dangerous weapon, a Marine > sniper, __________________________________ Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.utahastronomy.com

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Re: Deep Impact revisited
by Chuck Hards 14 Sep '05

14 Sep '05

You've obviously never tasted my chili. > From: diveboss(a)xmission.com > Even the worlds most dangerous weapon, a Marine > sniper, __________________________________ Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 http://mail.yahoo.com

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Re: Deep Impact revisited
by Chuck Hards 14 Sep '05

14 Sep '05

Michael, my understanding is that the numbers don't add up for this strategy to work unless implemented decades to scores of years in advance- same for "low relative thrust/long term" rocket motors such as ion engines anchored to the surface. Any impactor discovered months to a few years beforehand defaults to the Atari strategy. Certainly it is the most expensive option, and it just costs too much to build the levees to withstand a category 5, right? :( There's the justification for funding inventory searches more aggressively. > Michael Carnes wrote: > For a 'what if' scenario, imagine you've got to get > rid of a Temple-Tuttle class comet. Boost up a few > truckloads of soot and spread them over the thing. > Let the sun take care of it over a few years. __________________________________ Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 http://mail.yahoo.com

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Re: [Utah-astronomy] Deep Impact revisited
by Michael Carnes 14 Sep '05

14 Sep '05

Chuck sez... >Rethinking it, a 1-kilometer object could be reduced >to small rocks, rubble, and dust with repeated >detonations of conventional explosives- no nukes >needed. As a former little boy, I can certainly see the appeal in blasting the living s*** out of a threatening asteroid or comet. But I'm a long way from being sold. When I think of the tons and tons and tons of material (or materiel) to be lifted to quite distant moving targets, it just doesn't add up for me. Just like the whole so-called "Star Wars" missile defense, it shares more with the Maginot Line than with a successful plan. The French squandered their treasury on the Maginot Line and the Germans just drove around it. I think that if we got our minds set on a big blow-em-up strategy, we'd miss out on cheaper and potentially more effective tricks. Of course the big defense contractors would love it. Job security for decades. Cost Plus. For a 'what it' scenario, imagine you've got to get rid of a Temple-Tuttle class comet. Boost up a few truckloads of soot and spread them over the thing. Let the sun take care of it over a few years. Or imagine a big microwave emitter with solar cells. Land the thing on the comet (or just orbit) and point the emitter down toward the surface. Maybe sprinkle a little popcorn on it, too. For an asteroid, send a few ion drive engines. Use a few to damp the rotations and another to gradually nudge the orbit. It mighttake decades to move it. These may be the dumbest ideas yet, but the point is not to be crippled by the only techniques we know.

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Re: Deep Impact revisited
by Chuck Hards 14 Sep '05

14 Sep '05

It would be fun. I call it the "Atari" strategy. ;) > From: Joe Bauman <bau(a)desnews.com> > Wouldn't it be grand up there in the spaceship, > blasting away at that > comet? Sounds fun to me, anyway. -- Joe __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

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Sunspot 808 and ISS overpass
by Canopus56 13 Sep '05

13 Sep '05

Looks like Sunspot 808 set off another major X-Ray flare today. http://www.sec.noaa.gov/rt_plots/xray_5m.html An ISS overpass may be visible tonight low on the northern horizon at 20:43. 9/13/2005 Tuesday Appears Â Â Â Â Â 20h38m27s Â Â 4.3m Â az:313.4d Â NW Transit Â Â Â Â Â 20h43m03s Â 0.2m Â az: 21.6d NNE Â h:18.9d Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â dist:919.8km Â alt:355.5km Sunset 19:41 Civil Twi 20:08 Astro Twi 21:15 Two days after 1st Qtr Moon Disappears Â Â 20h44m15s Â Â 0.1m Â az: 53.3d Â NE Â h:15.3d - Canopus56 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

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TeleVue Gibraltar Mount
by astrodeb＠charter.net 13 Sep '05

13 Sep '05

Would anybody be interested in a TeleVue Gibraltar alt-azimuth mount? It has been stored indoors for the last three years. E-mail me off list if interested. Debbie

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