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About Tom Whiting
Expertise
Astronomy has been my hobby/pasttime for over 50 years. Currently own 3 telescopes, the largest of which is a 30 inch Newtonian truss Dob that is portable.I taught Astronomy/Meteorology at the University Level for 13 years before retiring in 1995. Being retired and home most of the time, I am able to answer all questions relatively quickly, unless it's a new moon weekend with good observing conditions. No astrology questions please, or questions about alleged UFO picture identifications.

Experience
Experience: Astronomy has been my hobby and study for over 50 years. We currently now own a 30 inch portable telescope (Updated - Pennsylvania`s largest portable telescope). It can be seen on our website at:http://www.velocity.net/~bwhiting and also attend several regional starparties during the year, and have been on 5 total solar eclipse expeditions.

Organizations: President, Erie County Mobile Observers Group for over 15 years.

Publications: Wrote the "Over Erie Skies" newspaper article in our local newspaper for 11 years (1975-86).

Education: Masters Degree- Taught at the University level for 13 years. Retired 20 years -USAF Pilot - KC-135 with 180 combat missions; Also Eagle Scout, Philmont staff 2 Yrs, Order of Arrow Lodge Chief, Ham Radio (inactive).

Awards: two discoveries: The mini-coathanger asterism in Ursa Minor (the little dipper) And the mini-ladle- another asterism in the bowl of Ursa Minor. Clients: Currently President of the ECMOG as mentioned above.

Education/Credentials
BS Metallurgical Engineering Grove City College, PAMaster's Degree, Gannon University, Erie, PA Also retired USAF pilot, 20 years.

You are here: Experts > Science > Space and Astronomy for Kids > Astronomy > Astronomy and "global warming"

Astronomy - Astronomy and "global warming"

Expert: Tom Whiting - 10/23/2009

Question
Is "global warming" affecting the recreational astronomer? Do you have any images from the past to compare with images of today?

Answer
Hi Matt,
First, there is no global warming. In fact, if you check your numbers yourself, you'll find
there is actually global cooling. We peaked out in 1998 and it's been downhill ever since....
volcanic activity, no sunspots since 2006 (or not many of them). You can expect another
severe winter this year as over 200 days of 2009 have been spotless...see
http://www.spaceweather.com
for an accurate report on sunspot count.
So called global warming is just a farce to keep the money flowing from the governments into
the liberal "pet" projects all around the world. Follow the money...it's all money oriented.

No, any warming (or cooling) does not affect recreational astronomy. What does affect images are volcanic activity, of which we've had 2 this year, Mt Redoubt in Alaska and that one in Russia...I forget it's name. These inject particles and sulfur up in the stratosphere and thus limits our view with all that junk in the air...that's why the very red sunsets all year long.

The very clearest nights we had were the 10 days following 9/11 where there were no aircraft
flying...there was no evening haze from the contrails, and we had near perfect skies for
those 10 days. So it's all the commercial aircraft that gum up the sky, not your falsely
perceived global warming. But there's not much we can do about all those aircraft; they are a
necessity on our society.
But I don't do pictures, I'm only eyeball to the eyepiece, so I have no images of the past
or present.
Clear Skies,
Tom Whiting
Erie, PA

PS..Lots of hurricanes, global warming. No US hurricanes, global warming. Drought in the
Mississippi valley, global warming. Floods in Mississippi valley, global warming. Stratosphere
is cooling, global warming. Statosphere is heating, global warming. Record snowfalls in Erie PA
global warming. Little snow in Erie, global warming! I've even read reports that the dearth
of sunspots is being caused by....you guessed it, global warming! So it's heads you win,
tails you win, if coin falls on edge you win, or if it disappears in mid-air..you win!
Come on....I wasn't born yesterday. You can't have it all both ways. I might be ignorant and stupid, but I'm not dumb.
As Abe Lincoln said, You can't fool all the people all the time.
Tom

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