Astronomy Question of the Week 03/05

[tfwthom]

<span method="POST" action="/dopoll.php"></span> <br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1" color="#3366ff">www.siriuslookers.org</font> </div>

 

[tfwthom]

(Total Votes: 12) <br />Pluto <br /> 3 (25%) <br /> <br />Nemisis <br /> 0 (0%) <br /> <br />Mercury <br /> 8 (66%) <br /> <br />Venus <br /> 0 (0%) <br /> <br />Saturn <br /> 0 (0%) <br /> <br />Neptune <br /> 1 (08%) <br /> <br />Mercury<br /><br />Mercury is much closer to the Sun then the Earth is. It sets within about an hour of sunset or rises within about an hour of sunrise. We must look for the planet when it is near its greatest eastern elongation-the date when the angle between Mercury, Earth, and the Sun is largest. Or at western elongation, about two months later, look to the east before dawn.<br /><br />Pluto was discovered in 1930 by a fortunate accident. Calculations which later turned out to be in error had predicted a planet beyond Neptune, based on the motions of Uranus and Neptune. Not knowing of the error, Clyde W. Tombaugh at Lowell Observatory in Arizona did a very careful sky survey which turned up Pluto anyway. <br /><br />Saturn has been known since prehistoric times. Galileo was the first to observe it with a telescope in 1610; he noted its odd appearance but was confused by it.<br /><br />Neptune was first observed by Galle and d'Arrest on 1846 Sept 23 very near to the locations independently predicted by Adams and Le Verrier from calculations based on the observed positions of Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="1" color="#3366ff">www.siriuslookers.org</font> </div>

 

[yevaud]

Umm, the term "Prehistoric" is usually reserved for events that occurred before 6,000 BCE or thereabouts (e.g., before <i>recorded</i> history). Just FYI. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Differential Diagnosis:  </em>"<strong><em>I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are</em></strong>."<br /> </p> </div>

 

[newtonian]

Yevaud - And 'recorded' history before 4,000 BCE is unreliable - just FYI!<br /><br />Which planets are not named after an ancient god?

 

[yevaud]

<i>Which planets are not named after an ancient god?</i><br /><br />Earth, of course. And whatever we may so name any newly discovered "planets" (the definition of which is somewhat up in the air at the moment). <br /><br />(actually one might beggar a point, which is that Mercury is described as the "Messenger of the Gods," which doesn't neccessarily imply he was a God. But I digress) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Differential Diagnosis:  </em>"<strong><em>I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are</em></strong>."<br /> </p> </div>