Return-path: X-Andrew-Authenticated-as: 7997;andrew.cmu.edu;Ted Anderson Received: from beak.andrew.cmu.edu via trymail for +dist+/afs/andrew.cmu.edu/usr11/tm2b/space/space.dl@andrew.cmu.edu (->+dist+/afs/andrew.cmu.edu/usr11/tm2b/space/space.dl) (->ota+space.digests) ID ; Sat, 27 Oct 1990 02:01:23 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: <8b-G-H200VcJ00z055@andrew.cmu.edu> Precedence: junk Reply-To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU From: space-request+@Andrew.CMU.EDU To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU Date: Sat, 27 Oct 1990 02:00:51 -0400 (EDT) Subject: SPACE Digest V12 #497 SPACE Digest Volume 12 : Issue 497 Today's Topics: Magellan Articles Re: Theories needed on life FITS images Re: UFO on TV in Nevada Re: Theories needed on life NSS in Australia - call for correspondance... Re: "NAVY WITHHOLDING EVIDENCE" Re: Theories needed on life Re: Pioneer 11 article Re: You Can't Expect a Space Station to be Cheap Re: Mercury rotation and tidal lock Re: Hiten Update Administrivia: Submissions to the SPACE Digest/sci.space should be mailed to space+@andrew.cmu.edu. Other mail, esp. [un]subscription notices, should be sent to space-request+@andrew.cmu.edu, or, if urgent, to tm2b+@andrew.cmu.edu ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 25 Oct 90 20:54:04 GMT From: usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!jato!mars.jpl.nasa.gov!baalke@ucsd.edu (Ron Baalke) Subject: Magellan Articles Christian Science Monitor -- 10/25/90 "Venus Revealed Is An 'Amazing Place'" By Robert Cowen "The radar images of Venus sent by the Magellan spacecraft in the last few weeks are 10 times sharper than any that scientists have seen before." The Monitor says that these images have already revealed an entirely "new" Venus, one which scientists are calling "an amazing place" with features not seen in other worlds in our solar system. The paper says that the scientific analysis of Magellan's radar pictures of Venus must account for the planet's tremendous atmospheric pressure and high surface temperatures. In this environment, the paper says, land features "relax away" in a relatively short period of a few hundred million years. The science team must learn to take this into account, the Monitor concludes. -------------------- Associated Press -- 10/25/90 "Magellan-Venus" By Lee Siegel "Venus has 600-mile-wide circular bulges on its surface caused by molten rock pressing up from inside the planet, the same kind of forces that created Hawaii, a Magellan scientist says." The wire service says that Ellen Stofan, a geologist who analyzes the spacecraft's pictures of Venus at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, says the bulges are nearly a mile high. The report quotes Stofan as saying "you have hot material that rises from deep within the interior of the planet." This material, the report says, is causing bulges which look like sets of concentric rings. The bulges, according to the wire service, are called "coronas." ___ _____ ___ /_ /| /____/ \ /_ /| | | | | __ \ /| | | | Ron Baalke | baalke@mars.jpl.nasa.gov ___| | | | |__) |/ | | |___ Jet Propulsion Lab | baalke@jems.jpl.nasa.gov /___| | | | ___/ | |/__ /| M/S 301-355 | |_____|/ |_|/ |_____|/ Pasadena, CA 91109 | ------------------------------ Date: 25 Oct 90 22:45:29 GMT From: agate!sandstorm.Berkeley.EDU!luciac@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Lucia J. Choi) Subject: Re: Theories needed on life In article <1990Oct25.172608.10937@midway.uchicago.edu> pab1@quads.uchicago.edu (paul andrew braier) writes: >In article <1990Oct24.204350.10346@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu> wayne@csri.toronto.edu (Wayne Hayes) writes: >>In article <1251@geovision.UUCP> gd@geovision.uucp (Gord Deinstadt) writes: >>>Actually, it surprises me >>>that no creature on Earth ever evolved the ability to balloon around. >> >>We don't know that for sure. I'd say it's unlikely, but the being would Well, humans have...:) > ************************************************************************** ** Lucia Choi * Or, this may be someone with her ** ** luciac@ocf.Berkeley.EDU * password.... ** ************************************************************************** ------------------------------ Date: 26 Oct 90 04:06:14 GMT From: usc!wuarchive!cec2!news@ucsd.edu (Abed Hammoud) Subject: FITS images Hello, I have some astronomical images in FITS format. I obtained a program called "fitstopgm" from the ftp site fits.cx.nrao.edu; this program worked for some of the images but did not for many other (even thougt they are all FITS files). The error messages I get are some thing like "I cannot read header" or "...number of axis does not match...", if any body have a solution to my problem I would appreciate any comments. I would also like to know if there is somewhere a program that read "all kind" of FITS files and converts them to other easy to manipulate formats. thanks a million -------------------------------------------------------------- | Abed M. Hammoud abed@saturn.wustl.edu| | Washington University. office:(314)726-7547 | | Electronic Systems & Signals Research Laboratory. | | Dept. of Electrical/Biomedical Engineering. | | St.Louis Mo U.S.A | -------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: 25 Oct 90 10:32:03 GMT From: swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!munnari.oz.au!bruce!monu1!monu6!steve@ucsd.edu (Steve Balogh) Subject: Re: UFO on TV in Nevada In article <1990Oct25.101200.16845@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au> I replied to the following two lines relating to UFOs... >>Something should be done to force these criminals to release these glorious >>things that belongs to the American people; NOT THE GOD DAMBED NAVY!!!! > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ > THIS ATTITUDE IS SICKENING!!! > >Audrey Lauin has her head stuck so far up her backside that it pokes out her >mouth!!!! Same goes to Bill McGowen. > >Does the rest of Humanity not exist?? > >Steve > >----_--_-_-_--_-__-_------_-__---_-___-_----_-____-_-_--__-_--_--___-_-_-_--__-_ >Steve Balogh (Network Manager) VK3YMY | steve@monu6.cc.monash.edu.au >Monash University (Caulfield Campus) | 37 52'38.8"S 145 02'42.0"E ...ICBM >PO Box 197, Caulfield East | +61 3 573 2266 Voice (Office) >Melbourne, AUSTRALIA. 3145 | +61 3 571 3646 Fax Is it OK to do a followup on your own article? :-) I re-read what I said and realised that I was implying that UFOs "belong" to humanity. I did not mean to imply this. Obviously, they "belong" to the ETs who flew them here. (assuming they existed in the first place!) Steve ------------------------------ Date: 25 Oct 90 14:28:21 GMT From: att!watmath!maytag!watdragon!watyew!jdnicoll@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Brian or James) Subject: Re: Theories needed on life In article <1990Oct24.204350.10346@jarvis.csri.toronto.edu> wayne@csri.toronto.edu (Wayne Hayes) writes: >In article <1251@geovision.UUCP> gd@geovision.uucp (Gord Deinstadt) writes: >>Actually, it surprises me >>that no creature on Earth ever evolved the ability to balloon around. > >We don't know that for sure. I'd say it's unlikely, but the being would >probably be non-vertabrate (for weight reasons) and therefore be very >unlikely to leave a fossil. Perhaps the problem is that ballooning in our thin atmosphere requires a balloon of such a size that other flight methods grossly out compete ballooning. One good peck from a bird, and our ballonist could be real trouble [Mind you, the balloonist could use some evasive tricks that birds would find hard to follow; hot 'updrafts' make Lighter than Air vehicles *decend* not rise]. The other possibility is that they exist, but at a very small scale. Are there tiny more or less permanantly air-borne non-flapping organisms? Maybe it's like propellers; you only find them on small organisms. BTW, why isn't a biology newsgroup in on this discussion? James Nicoll ------------------------------ Date: 25 Oct 90 09:58:13 GMT From: agate!bionet!ucselx!usc!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!samsung!munnari.oz.au!metro!nuts!frey!c8921212@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Luke Plaizier) Subject: NSS in Australia - call for correspondance... The Newcastle Space Frontier Society, part of the National Space Society of Australia (NSSA) , which is in turn a part of the NSS in the United States, would like correspondance with any willing chapters in the United States on an informal or formal (ie SISTER chapter) type basis. There are presently 6 chapters in Australia, of which I am representing the Newest chapter the NEWCASTLE SPACE FRONTIER SOCIETY. (Contrary to the writings in the September issue of AD ASTRA - Queensland have been around for quite a few years - a retraction is expected soon.) As a member of the NSFS (Publications Officer) I would like for both a personal correspondant and a chapter correspondant. For Personal correspondance please mail me - Luke Plaizier 5 Fifth Street. Cardiff South NSW 2285 Australia. For Chapter Correspondence PLEASE write to one of the addresses in the issue of Ad Astra. We would all be glad to swap newsletters, tell tales and form an alliance. (Perhaps simultaneous meetings might not be out of the question.) Note - EMAIL from US NSS members is EXTREMELY WELCOME! Tnakyou for your time and Patience. =========================================================================== Luke Plaizier c8921212@frey.nu.oz.au. Hau Long is a China man? =========================================================================== ------------------------------ Date: 26 Oct 90 01:40:09 GMT From: prism!ccoprmd@gatech.edu (Matthew DeLuca) Subject: Re: "NAVY WITHHOLDING EVIDENCE" Wow...as if once wasn't enough, we get a slightly different version of this yet *again*! Is it my imagination, or will people on the cdp node believe anything? -- Matthew DeLuca Georgia Institute of Technology Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, Office of Information Technology for they are subtle, and quick to anger. Internet: ccoprmd@prism.gatech.edu ------------------------------ Date: 25 Oct 90 15:17:32 GMT From: rk3h+@andrew.cmu.edu (Robert J. Knapp) Subject: Re: Theories needed on life One question to the people saying "squat with massive internal skeletons/frames," is the verdict in or out on element other than carbon being used as the basis of chemistry in other orgs. it very S-F, but couldn't a Silicon or Germanium based life-form be denser and therefor able to attain heights close to human even on emmensly high G planets. I'm not sure but it think the basis for the arguement that life can be based on these elements is that they, like carbon have four bonding sights (more if they expand their outer shell) even if its not scietifically correct the idea has great potential for S-F stories. Rob "I'm a physics major for now" Knapp Freshman, CMU quote: "You mean I actually got in to a college?" ------------------------------ Date: 25 Oct 90 15:03:05 GMT From: usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!rex!rouge!dlbres10@ucsd.edu (Fraering Philip) Subject: Re: Pioneer 11 article In article <66456@yarra.oz.au> jlw@yarra.oz.au (John Webb) writes: jw>What part of an orbit would such a planet have to be in so that it jw>would (or would not) affect the Voyager/Pioneer trajectories noticeably ? It could have a very inclined orbit. I think all of the probes in question have trajectories roughly in the ecliptic. ------------------------------ Date: 25 Oct 90 15:01:25 GMT From: mintaka!olivea!samsung!rex!rouge!dlbres10@bloom-beacon.mit.edu (Fraering Philip) Subject: Re: You Can't Expect a Space Station to be Cheap In article <9010250032.AA13018@iti.org> aws@ITI.ORG ("Allen W. Sherzer") writes: aws>Why? If Freedom used expendables instead of insisting on using aws>the Shuttle their costs would also drop. At $500 to $900 a pop aws>those assembly costs add up fast. Why is that apples and oranges? One pet peeve: could we have standard units of measurment here? I can't find the _pop_to_metric_ button on my calculator. (I know I should have bought an HP) aws>[excerpted suggestion to use ssx] aws>Now *THAT'S* risky. The above HLV's are all based on existing aws>technology. Over 90% of the parts can be bought today. SSX aws>on the other hand requires a lot of new stuff. It would be aws>far more risky for LLNL to use SSX. You've said things to this effect before, but I remain unconvinced. With regard to two alternatives to HL Delta: 1, Space Van, was to use the engines from the Delta and the RL-10. Both are _very_ proven technology. 2. SSX is meant to rely very much on proven technology. Also, maybe we should put some faith in _people_. The person who is behind SSX, Max Hunter, is the man who built Delta (which McDonnel Douglas means to use as the basis of its HL vehicle) twenty years ago with 1950's and some 1960's technology. (I believe Thor was designed and built in the late '50's). What do you think he could build today, now that we have CAE, composites, rocket engines that have flown hundreds of times already, etc... Phil ------------------------------ Date: 24 Oct 90 14:24:15 GMT From: agate!linus!philabs!briar!rfc@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Robert Casey) Subject: Re: Mercury rotation and tidal lock In article <1990Oct22.204347.7788@eagle.lerc.nasa.gov> spgreg@venus.lerc.nasa.gov writes: >Mercury is tide locked with the sun. That is one side always faces the sun. >-------------------------------------------------------------------- Not quite. It's been found that Mercury is tide locked, but all sides see the sun. The planet rotates 3 times in 2 orbits. Mercury's orbit is elliptical, and when the planet is in the "perigee" (near the sun, can't remember the right word) part of its orbit, the planet rotates at about the right rate to make the sun stand still in the planet's sky. When the planet gets near the "apogee" part of its orbit, the planet travels slower, but the rotation speed stays about the same. Tide effects are highest when your near the sun, so that keeps Mercury on this resonant pattern of 3 rotations in 2 orbits. ============================================================================= __/\/\__ o o My job is so secret, even I don't know what I'm doing! :-) - ------------------------------ Date: 24 Oct 90 15:53:28 GMT From: mnetor!utzoo!henry@uunet.uu.net (Henry Spencer) Subject: Re: Hiten Update In article <3664@syma.sussex.ac.uk> andy@syma.sussex.ac.uk (Andy Clews) writes: >please post some summary information about the mission objectives for >the Hiten craft? ... Mission objectives are to test Japanese navigation and control facilities for spacecraft operating beyond low Earth orbit. Period. It is an engineering mission with no attempt at science return. -- The type syntax for C is essentially | Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology unparsable. --Rob Pike | henry@zoo.toronto.edu utzoo!henry ------------------------------ End of SPACE Digest V12 #497 *******************