| Subject | Date Asked |
|
| Lunar rilles | 11/3/2009 |
Q: i saw your answer about Lunar rilles but the other expert said "The surface of the moon is replete ...
A: If such a thing had ever occurred, we should see immense cracks where things were put back together, ...
|
| Lunar rilles | 11/2/2009 |
Q: i saw your answer about Lunar rilles but the other expert said "The surface of the moon is replete ...
A: I read the answer I believe you're referring to, and the page you linked to. The latter makes a ...
|
| expansion of the universe | 10/27/2009 |
Q: !! Here is myGiven that the expansion rate of the universe is 74.2 ±3.6 ...
A: It is correct that the objects we now see as they were 13.7 billion years ago are now much farther ...
|
| expansion of the universe | 10/26/2009 |
Q: !! Here is myGiven that the expansion rate of the universe is 74.2 ±3.6 ...
A: The problem is your units (and a probable decimal place error). The "observable" Universe is 13.7 ...
|
| Big Bang Theory | 10/12/2009 |
Q: Was there at least one inward secondary shock-wave during the initial expansion from the big bang, a ...
A: There wouldn't be any reflected wave, because that requires a surface to reflect off of, and no such ...
|
| any scenario of seeing Neptune or maybe Jupiter's moons with the naked eye? | 10/5/2009 |
Q: I know all about how Saturn is generally considered the last of the "naked eye" visible Planets but ...
A: I've heard apocryphal statements about some people being able to see exceptionally faint objects in ...
|
| THE SHAPE OF THE UNIVERSE | 9/24/2009 |
Q: Where is cosmology now on the overall shape of the universe? Is it a big sphere, with the galaxies ...
A: It is probably a blob of no particular shape, which is growing in all directions at an effectively ...
|
| Moon Behavior. | 8/29/2009 |
Q: For the sake of photography my question is what is the behavior of the moon relative to the sun? ...
A: The position of the Moon changes relative to the Sun over the course of a lunation, or cycle of ...
|
| orion's belt | 8/28/2009 |
Q: Is orion's belt visible Aug. sky in Central Ontario Canada?
A: Yes, but only late at night. In the early evening in mid-summer, the stars that are up are "summer ...
|
| time and space | 8/24/2009 |
Q: I saw a special on tv that theorized that time travel was possible either through the use of a ...
A: You are correct in presuming that given our current understanding of the laws of physics, none of ...
|
| astronomy question--correction | 8/21/2009 |
Q: I first heard Carl Sagan discuss a little known theory that the universe might be surrounded by ...
A: I've read about theories of displacement of the crust and mantle relative to the liquid core, which ...
|
| astronomy question | 8/21/2009 |
Q: I first heard Carl Sagan discuss a little known theory that the universe might be surrounded by ...
A: I see what you mean. You're referring not to an allegory, but a supposedly actual presence of water ...
|
| astronomy question | 8/21/2009 |
Q: I first heard Carl Sagan discuss a little known theory that the universe might be surrounded by ...
A: I believe that the discussions you're referring to are a way of visualizing the multiple-universe ...
|
| Supernova | 8/18/2009 |
Q: Hai, I am Steffi Michael, When there is a supernova the energy given out by the star is more than it ...
A: Supernovae can be several hundred billion times brighter than the Sun, but only for a short period ...
|
| Appearance of Charon | 8/12/2009 |
Q: How large would Charon appear in the sky of Pluto, or vice versa? Degrees of arc would be a clear ...
A: Charon would appear to be a little over 3 degrees in diameter, as seen from the surface of Pluto. ...
|
| orbit | 8/11/2009 |
Q: Why everything revolves around everything in an elliptical pattern? And how it revolves with only ...
A: It just has to do with how the force of gravity acts on the objects orbiting the Sun. As a planet ...
|
| Dark Matter | 8/11/2009 |
Q: What is dark matter and what it is doing in space? If there is no light in a room, will the dark ...
A: We don't know what dark matter is. As far as dark matter in galaxies is concerned, it could be ...
|
| Stellar Parallax | 8/10/2009 |
Q: I am looking for a simple explanation of calculating the distance of a star using stellar parallax. ...
A: For a simple diagram, you might use http://abyss.uoregon.edu/~js/glossary/parallax.html If you're ...
|
| tools | 8/8/2009 |
Q: If I were living during the days of Johannes Kepler (1571-1630) What tools and theorys would I have ...
A: The mass of the Earth is determined by measuring the constant of gravity, G, and comparing its value ...
|
| flares | 8/2/2009 |
Q: Please forgive me if my questions sound arogant, I have little scientific knowledge, but I would ...
A: A solar flare represents a phenomenon in which energy trapped in the Sun's magnetic field is ...
|
| Big bang | 7/29/2009 |
Q: is it true that before the Big Bang all matter was joined together as 1 unit. so the entire universe ...
A: First, I apologize for the delay in answering your question. The electric company was working on our ...
|
| Expansion of space/redshift | 7/9/2009 |
Q: I was wandering what distance from our present position the present edge of the observable universe ...
A: To answer the second part of your question first, I seriously doubt that you have any doppelgangers ...
|
| Astronomy | 7/6/2009 |
Q: This is a problem from my astronomy homework and I have been trying to figure it out but I keep ...
A: You'll need to look up Io's mass in kilograms (it should be in your textbook, but if not, you can ...
|
| moon going away | 6/28/2009 |
Q: It's well known that the Moon is going away from the Earth at few centimers per years; but will it ...
A: The Moon's retreat is caused by the tidal interaction of the Earth and Moon. This interaction ...
|
| merging galaxies | 6/26/2009 |
Q: seen one of those photographs from the hubble telescope of two galaxies on a collision course and ...
A: I don't know about at the beginning of our evolution, but if it were to happen now, the odds are ...
|
| merging galaxies | 6/26/2009 |
Q: seen one of those photographs from the hubble telescope of two galaxies on a collision course and ...
A: The stars attract each other, but by and large, not as individual objects. Each star in each galaxy ...
|
| ASTRONOMY | 6/24/2009 |
Q: On March 21 is the length of daylight (sunrise to sunset) longer, shorter or the same on the Equator ...
A: Ignoring its size, the Sun would be up exactly the same amount of time (half its 24-hour day-to-day ...
|
| Lunar eclipse Saros series numbering | 6/21/2009 |
Q: As far as I know, Saros series are numbered according to when the eclipse that has the least gamma ...
A: The answer is simpler than I thought, so I was able to figure it out within a few spare minutes. ...
|
| Astronomy | 6/20/2009 |
Q: this is a question from my astronomy homework and I can't seem to figure out how to go about ...
A: This is about Kepler's Third Law of Planetary Motion, which says that the mass of the bodies ...
|
| Astronomy: Solstice and Equinox | 6/18/2009 |
Q: I have a question about the ecliptic. What are the times or dates during the year when a place on ...
A: At the Equator, there are 12 hours of sunlight and 12 hours of night every day, throughout the year. ...
|
| planets | 6/16/2009 |
Q: on bbc's the sky at night, they were looking at possible planet formations around other stars,they ...
A: Although looking for exoplanets is interesting in its own right, and might greatly increase our ...
|
| planets | 6/15/2009 |
Q: on bbc's the sky at night, they were looking at possible planet formations around other stars,they ...
A: I don't know what the limiting size would be, but there are two factors which argue against very ...
|
| Space | 6/15/2009 |
Q: How are the weights and sizes of planets like uranus, mercury and earth and asteroids determined?
A: Size Estimates: (1) TYPICALLY BEST -- observations of how large the object appears (in a telescope ...
|
| black holes | 6/11/2009 |
Q: the creation of black holes is formed in the aftermath of supernova so does this happen ...
A: Any light / gases /etc inside the event horizon (a more or less spherical surface which defines the ...
|
| black holes | 6/11/2009 |
Q: the creation of black holes is formed in the aftermath of supernova so does this happen ...
A: The formation of the black hole takes only a fraction of a second, but it wouldn't be 'visible' for ...
|
| milky way | 6/9/2009 |
Q: hypothetical question what if the only galaxy created from the big bang was our own, would life ...
A: There are theories which propose that 'local' conditions can be affected by the nature of the ...
|
| comets,astroids etc | 6/8/2009 |
Q: often when mentioning these objects on tv,films etc the narrator will talk about the impact of a ...
A: The only equivalence involved is the total amount of energy. If, say, an impact has a total energy ...
|
| eclipses | 6/6/2009 |
Q: solar eclipses are slightly more common than lunar eclipses. Why then is it more likely that your ...
A: Lunar eclipses can be seen anywhere on the night side of the Earth, but solar eclipses can only be ...
|
| black holes | 5/29/2009 |
Q: what happens to all the matter that goes into black holes?
A: It falls to the center, and becomes part of the singularity at the center. As it nears the ...
|
| solar system | 5/26/2009 |
Q: I agree the moon orbits the earth at aprox. 62,000 miles an hour,but Idon't agree that we orbit the ...
A: The Moon only orbits the Earth at about 2,000 miles per hour. The Earth orbits the Sun at about ...
|
| Solar & Planets | 5/24/2009 |
Q: Has anyone ever done an estimate of the Mass of the Trojans- & why are they spaced at approx 60 ...
A: I don't know if there is a specific estimate of their total mass, but there are only a few hundred ...
|
| tidal locking | 5/23/2009 |
Q: Can planets become tidally locked to stars in the same way that moons are tidally locked to their ...
A: Yes, they can. In fact, until the 1960's, it was thought that Mercury was tidally locked to the Sun. ...
|
| gravity & speed | 5/21/2009 |
Q: mars has a gravity 38% that of earth...if earths gravity was the same how fast will a man be able to ...
A: The difference in gravity wouldn't affect how fast things could go -- only how fast they fell. For ...
|
| How close does something have to be to see it? | 5/19/2009 |
Q: I'd like to know how far away I can see objects in the daytime sky, such as balloons. Assuming an ...
A: There are two possible answers to this question, depending upon what you mean by 'seeing' it. One, ...
|
| cat's eye nebula | 5/10/2009 |
Q: could you tell me what the TRUE color of Cat's eye Nebula is? Is it that: ...
A: I presume you mean, if you were looking at the nebula directly, without any optical aid or ...
|
| GETTING UP CLOSE | 5/10/2009 |
Q: I was wondering would you please tell me: why do we have daylight savings? Thanks
A: The basic idea is that since most people are up in the evening and abed in the morning, they can do ...
|
| particles | 5/5/2009 |
Q: i saw a show on the science channel hosted by micho kaku and he was on top of a mountain talking ...
A: He was probably talking about mu mesons produced by cosmic rays bombarding atoms in our upper ...
|
| my grandma has a question for you | 5/3/2009 |
Q: why do the planets orbit the earth on a parallel line like they all go across if you where to draw a ...
A: This is explained by the Solar Nebula theory of the origin of the Solar System. The planets formed ...
|
| Observing Our Early Universe | 4/30/2009 |
Q: I just finished reading this article at ...
A: When it is said that we see something 13 billion light years away, what it really means is that the ...
|
| mars | 4/26/2009 |
Q: I have recently recieved an email saying that mars will appear as big as the moon this year on ...
A: This is a misconception or hoax that has cropped up every couple of years since 2003. Below, I've ...
|
| about a detail on Earth's past | 4/23/2009 |
Q: During Earth's past; more PRECISELY just before the formation of the first mountains-ranges (ie, 1 ...
A: It is highly unlikely that general surface motions such as continental drift have ever exceeded a ...
|
| Astronomy | 4/18/2009 |
Q: At times, you can look into the sky and see the Sun and the moon at the same time. It's almost as ...
A: The portion of the Moon that you see lit depends upon the difference between the angle you look at ...
|
| where are we? | 4/16/2009 |
Q: Goodmorning from Barcelona. After recently watching 2012 Nostradamus on the History Channel -which ...
A: Although visible light cannot penetrate the clouds of gas and dust which lie in the plane of the ...
|
| Angle of the solour system to the milky way disc. | 4/14/2009 |
Q: what is the orientation of the plane of our solar system relative to the plane (disc) of our galaxy ...
A: The galactic equator is tilted about 63 degrees relative to our equator. However, the answer to the ...
|
| Straight lunar rilles | 3/30/2009 |
Q: I'm posting this question again because I didn't write my E-mail adress correctly. i'm sorry for ...
A: Here's a copy of the answer I posted a few hours ago. Lunar rilles were formed by lava tubes, ...
|
| Lunar rilles | 3/30/2009 |
Q: could you tell me if the idea of the cleavage of the Moon (allegedly occured thousands years ago) in ...
A: Lunar rilles were formed by lava tubes, during the formation of the lunar maria, 3.2 to 3.9 billion ...
|
| Space travel | 3/14/2009 |
Q: Why can't the Cassini–Huygens space craft travel above or below the Asteroid Belt and the rings of ...
A: There isn't any restriction on our ability to go above or below the plane of the Ecliptic. There are ...
|
| Moon | 3/13/2009 |
Q: Why does the moon look so much larger (in size) when it is rising in the East (when its a full moon) ...
A: This effect (called the Moon illusion) is due to the apparent difference in distance between the ...
|
| moon | 3/12/2009 |
Q: 1.Which phase of the Moon rises in the east exactly when the Sun sets in the west? and why?
A: That would be the full moon. East is opposite west, so if the moon is rising in the east when the ...
|
| comets | 3/2/2009 |
Q: I have got two questions concerning comets. I would like to know 1. how fast in general do comets ...
A: 1. When very close to the Sun, comets may move more than 200 miles per second. At the orbit of the ...
|
| planetary formation of water | 2/28/2009 |
Q: Courtney: I have studied cosmology for about 30 years, and a question keeps popping up in my mind. ...
A: A small portion of the water may have come from cometary bombardment, particularly in the period ...
|
| The light horizon and cosmic microwave background | 2/26/2009 |
Q: Does the Light Horizon include cosmic microwave background radiation? Or is one more distant then ...
A: Yes, the light horizon and cosmic microwave background would be in the same place, relative to us. ...
|
| The light horizon and cosmic microwave background | 2/26/2009 |
Q: Does the Light Horizon include cosmic microwave background radiation? Or is one more distant then ...
A: The light horizon is identical to the 'surface' defined by the microwave background radiation. When ...
|
| Life cycle of a star | 2/17/2009 |
Q: What is the complete life cycle of a normal star, starting with a protostar and ending with a black ...
A: Apparently, whomever you sent this question to was on vacation, or declined to answer it, as I just ...
|
| Planets | 2/10/2009 |
Q: One story in Hindu Mythology was saying there was an astrological event of all the planets & Sun ...
A: I've done a check of famous planetary alignments, and thought you'd be interested to know that ...
|
| Planets | 2/9/2009 |
Q: One story in Hindu Mythology was saying there was an astrological event of all the planets & Sun ...
A: Sorry for the delay in answering, but I just got back from the hospital, and didn't receive your ...
|
| Jupiter | 2/8/2009 |
Q: Was Jupiter ever a star once?
A: Apparently, whomever you sent this question to was either on vacation, or rejected it, as I just ...
|
| Hubble discoveries | 2/5/2009 |
Q: How come that we can see photographs of thousands of galaxies said to be > 10 billion years old made ...
A: Observations always trump theories, so what those photographs show is that theories which predicted ...
|
| Earth's axis | 1/25/2009 |
Q: Does the earth's axis tilt away from the sun or towards it as it revolves around the sun? eg On the ...
A: The axis always points in the same direction, so when it is on one side of the Sun, the northern ...
|
| Moon and Sun | 1/20/2009 |
Q: What is the term used to describe when the sun and moon are both visible? (I.e. the sun is setting ...
A: I don't think there is a term to describe that, because it's almost an everyday occurrence (though ...
|
| the universe | 1/16/2009 |
Q: 73 billion years old, Mars and earth about 4.5 billion years old, would it be fare to say that these ...
A: There are two reasons for that: (1) Jupiter does not significantly protect the Earth from comets or ...
|
| begining universe | 1/15/2009 |
Q: Is it true that the Universe (rather, all the matter in the Universe) used to be, at its early ...
A: I suppose it would depend upon what you mean by a cloud of smoke. Very early on, the 'matter' in the ...
|
| the universe | 1/14/2009 |
Q: 73 billion years old, Mars and earth about 4.5 billion years old, would it be fare to say that these ...
A: As far as the 9 billion years, yes, that would be correct, presuming the 13.73by is correct (I know ...
|
| Position of rising moon | 1/13/2009 |
Q: I have noticed that the moon rises in at least two different places and would like to know if it ...
A: Just as the Sun moves north and south during the year, the Moon moves north and south during the ...
|
| geography | 1/12/2009 |
Q: what caused the sun to become tilted at 7.25 degrees?
A: The Sun's rotation is presumably the average of the net rotation of the material that fell into it ...
|
| earth attraction | 1/10/2009 |
Q: sir why earth attract the objects?
A: I presume you mean, why do things fall toward the Earth, or orbit around it. Since your question ...
|
| Flare activity on earth? | 1/8/2009 |
Q: I have asked this question many times around about, but i thought i'd ask you. I have a pet theory ...
A: As noted in my earlier (abortive) attempt to reply, this is outside my area of expertise, but I ...
|
| constellations | 1/7/2009 |
Q: Do you know of any websites that show a picture/animation of the milky way galaxy with the ...
A: If you mean, where are the constellations in the sky, relative to the Milky Way, then there are many ...
|
| not sure | 12/20/2008 |
Q: Describe how a proton found in hydrogen gas cloud(nebula), subsequently found itself in an atom of ...
A: (Sorry for the delay in answering; but I'm on vacation, and won't have regular access to the ...
|
| Physics | 12/20/2008 |
Q: Why does centrifugal force can keeps earth move and rotate on its axis?
A: Centrifugal force has nothing to do with how the Earth moves in space. Its orbital motion is due to ...
|
| astronomy | 12/15/2008 |
Q: Mr.Seligman, I have been reading about the interrelation between moon-earth, many information about ...
A: The slow increase in the Moon's distance will have no significant effect on the Earth, save for its ...
|
| Considering the moon as a planet | 12/14/2008 |
Q: I was trying to figure out what classifies the moon as a satellite, and not a planet. I found my ...
A: (Please forgive the delay in answering this question. It was sent to the Question Pool, presumably ...
|
| astronomy | 12/14/2008 |
Q: I am trying to write a programme to find location with the use of stars planets. Can you give me the ...
A: I don't know what you're referring to, by 'other place'. Can you include the entire sentence or ...
|
| Astronomy | 12/12/2008 |
Q: How many galaxy and nebulas are there in the constellation Draco? And can you name some?
A: I have no idea, but there should be dozens of nebulae, and billions of galaxies, depending upon how ...
|
| astronomy | 12/12/2008 |
Q: I am trying to write a programme to find location with the use of stars planets. Can you give me the ...
A: In order to calculate the sidereal hour angle, you need your latitude and longitude, the date and ...
|
| Astronomy | 12/10/2008 |
Q: Seligman, I am a ninth grade student, and am doing a report and am required to interview an expert ...
A: 1. I'm sure black holes exist, but believe that worm holes do not. They are an interesting ...
|
| Questions | 12/9/2008 |
Q: How can I become an astronomer? Is it easy? Is it fun?
A: To be a professional astronomer, you need an undergraduate major in astronomy, physics, or ...
|
| Astronomy | 12/9/2008 |
Q: Seligman, I am a ninth grade student, and am doing a report and am required to interview an expert ...
A: Most astronomers work as teachers, so their salaries are usually in the same range as other ...
|
| Astronomical Sizes | 12/8/2008 |
Q: I am trying to rank the relative sizes of the following: Jupiter, Sun, Spiral Galaxy, Neutron Star, ...
A: In order of increasing size: Black holes have very little size (in fact none, if you mean the ...
|
| Online planetariums | 12/4/2008 |
Q: In a previous question on azimuth of celestial bodies, you mentioned that there are many free online ...
A: Prior to answering your earlier question, I hadn't looked at online planetarium software in any ...
|
| Theoretical question | 12/4/2008 |
Q: What would happen to the planets in our solar system if the sun just vanished in the blink of an ...
A: For one thing, they would get very cold as their surface heat was radiated into space, and not ...
|
| astronomy | 12/1/2008 |
Q: I am trying to write a programme to find location with the use of stars planets. Can you give me the ...
A: Your question seems to be self-contradictory. The first sentence implies that you want to use the ...
|
| planets mass bending star light | 12/1/2008 |
Q: This problem has been bugging me since I saw the BBC drama about Eddington and Einstein. This is to ...
A: I just noticed this question, in the Question Pool. (I presume the individual you sent it to either ...
|
| Angle of setting sun - continued | 11/29/2008 |
Q: Hope you had a good Thanksgiving, Professor Seligman. Thanks for helping me with the angle of ...
A: You are correct. I inadvertently left out a step at the end of my answer. Although it correctly ...
|
| Angle of setting sun | 11/26/2008 |
Q: I found this site and your name while searching for information on my question. You answered a ...
A: You are correct in saying that at the Equator, the Sun would rise vertically (at a 90 degree angle ...
|
| solar system orbit-orbit resonance | 11/26/2008 |
Q: In my current Msc course in Astronomical Climate Forcing we briefly touched the subject of ...
A: It is true that each interaction between two planets will alter their orbits, but that doesn't alter ...
|
| Cosmology and the Exansion of the Universe | 11/26/2008 |
Q: Lets just say for instance that; 1). We have two Astronomers on two planets say 4ooo light years ...
A: The Universe doesn't have to expand any faster, for the speed of expansion in a given region to ...
|
| Cosmology and the Exansion of the Universe | 11/26/2008 |
Q: Lets just say for instance that; 1). We have two Astronomers on two planets say 4ooo light years ...
A: Because the expansion of space is very small unless the volume of space is very large, your example ...
|
| Origin of life | 11/25/2008 |
Q: Can we hypothesise that life was 'created' on earth more than once? If this was the case would the ...
A: You might better ask this of a biologist, but I've read enough about the topic to give you a ...
|
| Astronomia | 11/20/2008 |
Q: What is supporting the solar system; I mean, what is down it? Quisiera saber si los demas planetas ...
A: No, there isn't; at least, not in the sense I think you mean. Your question suggests that if ...
|
| Astronomia | 11/19/2008 |
Q: What is supporting the solar system; I mean, what is down it? Quisiera saber si los demas planetas ...
A: Nothing is "supporting" the Solar System, as there is no "down" in space, save for the direction to ...
|
| interview questions | 11/18/2008 |
Q: 1. How did you get involved in astronomy? Do you enjoy this profession? ...
A: 1. I've been interested in astronomy all my life, but the critical event was my attendance at the ...
|
| Measurement in space | 11/17/2008 |
Q: What exactly is a parsec? I don't understand why astronomers would use this instead of light-years, ...
A: When measuring the distance of a star, its apparent displacement in direction, due to our motion ...
|
| planet formation | 11/16/2008 |
Q: Can you explain some of the processes involved in the alleged planet formation from dust particles ...
A: I can see that my answer didn't directly address your main concern. Thanks for the clarification. ...
|
| planet formation | 11/15/2008 |
Q: Can you explain some of the processes involved in the alleged planet formation from dust particles ...
A: During the earliest stages of the formation of the Solar System, there would have been huge numbers ...
|
| About True Polar Wander theory | 11/14/2008 |
Q: According to True Polar Wander theory, if a supersized volcano is on earth, then our planet would ...
A: If it were possible for large structures (supersized volcanoes or continents) to not have deep ...
|
| astronomy | 11/14/2008 |
Q: Why does the moon appear to be "upside down or rotated to the right" in the morning or when it is ...
A: (Please excuse the delay in answering this question. Apparently, whomever it was directed to ...
|
| planet formation | 11/8/2008 |
Q: Can you explain some of the processes involved in the alleged planet formation from dust particles ...
A: You can find a detailed, albeit somewhat scattershot discussion of this topic on my website, ...
|
| earth | 11/6/2008 |
Q: What would happen if an object the size of Pluto rammed into earth at the speed of sound? Would ...
A: When any object hits the Earth, it does so with at least the escape velocity of the Earth, which is ...
|
| telescope | 10/27/2008 |
Q: can you please help me with this question Explain how visual telescope shows the temperature and ...
A: Hotter stars give off a greater percentage of blue and ultraviolet radiation than cooler stars, ...
|
| sun exposure | 10/22/2008 |
Q: what would happen if someone was never exposed to the sun?
A: This is more a biology question than an astronomy question, but having some experience with the ...
|
| mountains without roots | 10/21/2008 |
Q: First of all, thank you for answering my first question. My new question is the following: if ...
A: The only way I can imagine that happening would be for a massive volcanic eruption to blow the ...
|
| Space | 10/20/2008 |
Q: What direction are you traveling in a space vacuum?
A: If you mean, how can you tell what direction you are moving in a completely empty Universe, the ...
|
| Full Moon Duration | 10/16/2008 |
Q: How many days is a full moon considered full (ie. 3, 5, ?) Thank you so much.
A: (Please excuse the delay in answering this question. Apparently the person you asked to answer it ...
|
| mountains and Earth's rotation | 10/16/2008 |
Q: A friend of mine made the following analogy to prove me that mountains balance our planet while it's ...
A: Your friend's analogy is wrong, on several counts. First, the purpose of wheel weights has nothing ...
|
| astronomy | 10/15/2008 |
Q: 1. Why does a cloud of interstellar gas heat up as it collapses?
A: When you compress a gas, you have to exert a force to overcome the outward pressure that the gas ...
|
| Sun's angle at sun rise and sun set | 10/14/2008 |
Q: What is the angle created by the sun at sun rise and sun set on June 21 and what is it on December ...
A: Your question was apparently rejected and placed in the general question pool, which is where I just ...
|
| start or planet | 10/14/2008 |
Q: I don t really know anything about astronomy. So my question may be a little vague. I see a light in ...
A: At that late time, it would certainly be Jupiter. At the moment, Venus is going down before 8, but ...
|
| start or planet | 10/13/2008 |
Q: I don t really know anything about astronomy. So my question may be a little vague. I see a light in ...
A: Based on your description, the "light" is the planet Jupiter, which was in the southeast (in early ...
|
| How to view the Dark Moon? | 10/5/2008 |
Q: You can't see the Dark Moon (commonly often referred to as the New Moon) in the daytime sky using ...
A: You can't see a new moon because it is so close to the Sun that the scattered sunlight that lights ...
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| astronomy | 10/2/2008 |
Q: I am inquiring about sunspots. What is the size of a sunspot, in kilometres, given that it has an ...
A: An object with an angular diameter of 1" is 206,265 times smaller than the distance between it and ...
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| The Universe | 9/29/2008 |
Q: What is the size of the Universe (in light years)? Is the size of the Universe expanding, and, if ...
A: There are some complications involved in answering your question, so a simple answer isn't ...
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| Asteroid | 9/26/2008 |
Q: What would happen if an asteroid hit where the ice caps are melting? Thank you.
A: I presume you mean an asteroid large enough that the impact and subsequent explosion would melt and ...
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| astronomy | 9/25/2008 |
Q: how did early astronomers first know that the Solar System was not the center of the Galaxy? ...
A: This was discovered by Harlow Shapley in 1918. Prior to that, it was thought that the Sun lay near ...
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| Radio Astronomy Data | 9/22/2008 |
Q: Where could I download some raw data from a radio telescope for free? What file format is "standard" ...
A: I'm afraid that under the circumstances, I don't know what to suggest. As I said, I'm not an expert ...
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| Radio Astronomy Data | 9/21/2008 |
Q: Where could I download some raw data from a radio telescope for free? What file format is "standard" ...
A: I am not an expert in the field of radio astronomy, but have looked at enough online material to ...
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| Star photos | 9/20/2008 |
Q: Most photos of stars have four rays at 90 degrees to each other. Obviously they are an artifact of ...
A: (Your question was sent to the Question Pool, because the expert you sent it to was on vacation, had ...
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| declination and right ascension | 9/16/2008 |
Q: It's a long story...but I'm working on a historical novel, and have gone off on a tangent about ...
A: The coordinates in the Ephemeris should be geocentric -- that is, as seen from the center of the ...
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| declination and right ascension | 9/16/2008 |
Q: It's a long story...but I'm working on a historical novel, and have gone off on a tangent about ...
A: If you only know the Moon's right ascension and declination at one date and time, you can't ...
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| mutual gravitation | 9/14/2008 |
Q: what is the meaning of mutual gravitation?
A: (Your question was apparently rejected by the system, or sent to an expert who was on vacation or ...
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| sight | 8/22/2008 |
Q: what do we actually see? when we look at things are we seeing the Light or the objects
A: Strictly speaking, we the light reflected by or given off by the object. Experience tells us that ...
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| blue shifted light | 8/22/2008 |
Q: I have a Question to ask about light from distant galaxies. If We look at far off galaxies(12 bill. ...
A: In any given part of the Universe, galaxies are moving more or less randomly relative to each other. ...
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| stellar parallax | 7/15/2008 |
Q: what are the errors in star parallax measurement? thanks
A: (Please forgive the lateness of this answer. I volunteered on August 5, and noticed that no one had ...
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