Space & Astronomy/Space and Astronomy (October 1993).iso/mac/TEXT/SPACEDIG/V13_7/V13_701.TXT

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Subject: SPACE Digest V13 #701

SPACE Digest                                     Volume 13 : Issue 701

Today's Topics:
           MAJOR GEOMAGNETIC STORM UPDATE - 06 JUNE
       Re: Request For Discussion: sci.space.moderated
            Re: NASA budget crisis
             Re: Crary's Quick Debunkings
             Urgent action needed
            Re: Death of the Space Station
             Colors in the Aurora

Administrivia:

    Submissions to the SPACE Digest/sci.space should be mailed to
  [e-mail].  Other mail, esp. [un]subscription requests,
  should be sent to [e-mail], or, if urgent, to
             [e-mail]

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Wed, 5 Jun 91 23:28:13 MDT
From: oler <@BITNET.CC.CMU.EDU:[e-mail]> (CARY OLER)
Subject: MAJOR GEOMAGNETIC STORM UPDATE - 06 JUNE
X-St-Vmsmail-To: st%"[e-mail]"

                       /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

                            GEOMAGNETIC STORM UPDATE

                       /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

                               05:00 UT, 06 June

                                 -------------


STORM UPDATE INFORMATION:

     Geomagnetic storming is continuing at major to severe storm levels.
The intensity of the storming has decreased slightly over the past six hours,
although major to severe geomagnetic storming is expected to continue for the
next 12 to 18 hours.  Thereafter, some additional decay in activity can be
expected.

     However, the most recent major flare (class X12+/3B event) was
associated with major Type II and IV sweeps, and is expected to produce an
additional strong interplanetary shock sometime after 03:00 UT on 07 June.
The activity associated with this event is expected to cause storm activity
to reintensify to major to severe storm levels.  Conditions do not look good
for the rest of this week and possibly even the early part of next week.
Region 6659 is expected to continue to spawn major flares for the next three
days at least.  And with each passing day, this region will continue to move
into a better position for inflicting high terrestrial impacts.

     The most recent major flare is expected to produce another PCA
enhancement.  Absorption levels should pass PCA event thresholds.  Polar and
high latitudes are warned to expect continued proton-related anomalies over
the coming week.

     HF propagation conditions have been fair to extremely poor.  Blackout
conditions have been observed over many regions, particularly over the higher
latitudes.  Polar cap absorption associated with continuing proton activity
has also degraded polar and high latitude signal propagation on the HF bands.
Errors do exist on polar and high latitude navigational paths.

     Extensive VHF auroral backscatter openings have been possible on a
global basis over the past 24 hours.  Conditions have been very favorable for
unusual VHF scatter propagation.  These conditions are expected to continue
for at least the next 12 hours.  On 07 and 08 June, conditions should again
become very favorable for VHF scatter propagation as storm conditions
intensify.

     Auroral activity has been high to extremely high.  Low latitude auroral
observations have been widely possible over the past 24 hours and are
expected to continue to be possible over the next 12 to 18 hours.  Auroral
activity could again be observed over the lower latitudes on the evening of
07/08 June.  Frequent sightings may be possible over the next week to 10 days
as Region 6659 continues to produce potent major flaring and possibly high
terrestrial impacts.  Todays most recent major class X12+/3B event could
produce levels of auroral activity sufficient to be observed from Florida.
Sightings of auroral activity from Hawaii may become possible over the coming
week if very powerful solar flaring continues.

     A short PCA event was observed on 04/05 June.  The event began at 15:20
UT on 04 June and ended around 09:00 UT on 05 June.  Absorption levels are
still above normal (presently running at around 1.2 dB) and will remain above
normal over the next 24 hours.  10 MeV protons are presently hovering near 90
pfu.

     Protons are expected to become enhanced once again as we feel a proton
impact from the most recent major flare.  Levels are expected to reach 3,600
to 3,700 pfu.

     Another update will be posted later this UT day.


                       /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 6 Jun 91 09:31 PDT
From: [e-mail] (John Higdon)
Reply-To: John Higdon <[e-mail]>
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Date: Thu, 6 Jun 91 06:57:24 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Jim Bowery)
To: crash![e-mail]
Subject: Re: Request For Discussion: sci.space.moderated

Doug Mohney writes:
>                                  ....Peter Yee and the other Official
> NASA folks (ooops, can't remember the other one) who bring us daily updates,

> GIFs, plus the orbital stuff should go into one group.
>
> This would leave sci.space open for the political lobbying which it was not
> intended for....

The problem is the U.S. space program dominated by politics.  You
don't solve that problem by shutting down political free speech on
the net.  You do it by talking about the nature of the problem to
see how you can change the rules of the game so space becomes less
political.  Changing the rules of the game requires political
action.

This is very similar to the problem encountered when JSC/Fred
supporters, having played politics with space funding in prior
years, now object to space scientists playing politics:  "How
dare people who are trying to do science engage in politics!
Only politicians should engage in politics.  Therefore, only
JSC/Fred supporters should be allowed to engage in political
action because we aren't scientists -- we are politicians
POSING as scientists."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jim Bowery      619/295-3164               The Coalition for
PO Box 1981                                   Science and
La Jolla, CA 92038                             Commerce
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------

Date: 6 Jun 91 23:30:09 GMT
From: cis.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!isi.edu![e-mail]  (Craig E. Ward)
Subject: Re: NASA budget crisis

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Robert W Murphree) writes:
>Please call your congressmen to vote against the space station.  It is in
>direct competition with NSF.

This is wrong.  Dead wrong.  See my reply to Joe Cain, in message id number
[e-mail], for why.



--
Craig E. Ward <[e-mail]>     Slogan:    "nemo me impune lacessit"
USPS:    USC/Information Sciences Institute
    4676 Admiralty Way, Suite 1200
    Marina del Rey, CA 90292

------------------------------

Date: 7 Jun 91 01:01:05 GMT
From: stan![e-mail]  (Mark Martin)
Subject: Re: Crary's Quick Debunkings

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Roadster Racewerks) writes:

...

>Anybody care to list other terran formations that resemble faces, etc.? I know
>they exist all over the planet...
>
>Suze Hammond
>[e-mail]

Off the top of my head, I can think of, in Colorado, Sleeping Elephant Butte,
Profile Rock, Rabbit Ears Pass, all geographical items which resemble the
things they were named after.  People naturally recognize features which
resemble familiar artifacts.  It's not surprising to find so many of these
features named after familiar things.  I would think that if an alien
civilization were to begin studying Earth in the way we are studying Mars,
they would recognize a completely different set of geographical features,
and pay no particular attention to the Great Sphinx in Egypt or other
similar man-made features.  We might tell them 'Italy looks like a boot',
and they would wonder what a boot was untill we pointed to the ones on
somebody's feet.

--
[e-mail]            |  Another man is what you'll see
Mark Martin                     |  Who looks like you, and looks like me
Solbourne Computer, inc.        |  And yet, somehow,
Engineer, Technician, Mystic    |  He will not feel the same!

------------------------------

Date: 6 Jun 91 13:23:20 GMT
From: prism!mailer.cc.fsu.edu!geomag![e-mail]  (Joe Cain)
Subject: Urgent action needed

The American Geophysical Union recognizes that passage of the following
amendment would do serious damage to future space science programs and
ask all to phone their congressional representatives and urge that
this amendment be defeated. Instead, they support the originally
passed budget of the Appropriations Committee supporting the Augustine
Report.

****THIS MUST BE DONE TODAY FOR POSSIBLE EFFECT*******



This was received from my congressman's`
legislative correspondent yesterday afternoon:

    SUMMARY OF MAJOR PROVISIONS OF THE CHAPMAN/LOWERY AMENDMENT

THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT WOULD NEARLY FULLY FUND SPACE STATION FREEDOM,
WITHOUT MODIFICATION TO THE 602(B) ALLOCATION TO THE VETERANS/HUD
APPROPRIATIONS BILL. THE AMENDMENT WOULD RESTORE SPACE
STATION AND LEAVES VIRTUALLY ALL OTHER NON-NASA PROGRAMS IN THE
BUDGET INTACT AND ADDS $33M TO ADDRESS URGENT NEEDS IN VETERANS
MEDICAL CARE.

NASA

o    Freeze all NASA programs at FY91 funding levels, providing
1.9B for Space Station Freedom.

o    No NASA program would receive less than last year's funding
amount.

VETERANS

O    Increase funding for Veterans Medical Care Programs by $33M.

NSF

o    No change; fully fund NSF at the President's request, as
recommended by the Appropriations Committee.

EPA

o    No change; fund all EPA increases as recommended by the
Appropriations Committee.

HUD

o    Reduce subsidized Housing Operations subsidies to the
President's requested level. The Committe had increased the
President's request by $250M, but disallowed the expenditure of the
$250M until September 20, 1992, ten days before the end of the fiscal
year.

o    All other HUD programs--including CDBG, Elderly and Handicap
new construction, and public housing modernization and construction--
funded at the levels approved by the Appropriations Committee.

FEMA

o    No changes; fund all FEMA programs as recommended by the
Appropriations Committee.

All other Agencies and Programs

o    No changes; fund all other accounts as recommended by the
Appropriations Committee.

Scoring

o    The proposed amendment is fully offset in both budget
authority and outlays.


****************************************************************

In their testimony May 1, 1991, the President of the AGU pointed out
several aspects of the deliberations concerning Space Station Freedom(SSF):

-Scientific research is critical to the solution of major
environmental problems affecting our nation and planet. The potential
contributions of SSF is ..minimal and not commensurate with the
enormous costs..

-there is little that cannot be done with unmanned satellites for
Earth Observation

-the total cost of SSF is not now made public but is likely to be of
the order of $180 billion over its 30 year life. The operating costs alone
will be about $5 billion per year.

-all possible benefits are hopelessly overpriced. space
manufacturing results have been minimal.  Ask any teacher if the
educational value of the $180 billion could not be spent better elsewhere!

-the high costs will delay other NASA programs that are far more
likely to produce much greater benefits and contribute more to U. S.
leadership in Space, such as the Mission to and from Planet Earth as
recommended by the Augustine committee. We note that this committee
did not include SSF in its Mission to Planet Earth Program.

The AGU is not opposed to manned space per se, but in the face of the
present budget reduction needs to agree with the vote of the full
Appropriations Committee. It seems to be a case where the major
support is from the builders of the SSF, not the potential users.



Joseph Cain        [e-mail]
[e-mail]        scri::cain

------------------------------

Date: 7 Jun 91 04:24:57 GMT
From: cis.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!hobbes.physics.uiowa.edu!news.iastate.edu!vaxd.iastate.edu![e-mail]
Subject: Re: Death of the Space Station


   I agree, we definitely need to work together with the Soviet Union.
 But they already know what they want the space station to do, at first at
least.  I found that out on a recent trip to NASA in Houston.

------------------------------

Date: 5 Jun 91 12:56:23 GMT
From: ssc-vax!fluke!dyndata!dynamo![e-mail]  (Dan Everhart)
Subject: Colors in the Aurora


There was a TREMENDOUS aurora last night here in the Seattle area.
At it's peak, about 3/4 of the sky was lit.

Although most of the aurora was phosphorescent green, at times there
were patches of red, and once or twice a streak of white.  What causes
the varying colors in an aurora?

Also, how long does it take the aurora-causing particles to travel
from the sun to the earth?

--
Dan Everhart                             Dynamic Data & Electronics
[e-mail]                         7107 179th St SW
[e-mail]                Edmonds, WA 98026, USA
{camco,eskimo,fluke}!dyndata!dan

------------------------------

End of SPACE Digest V13 #701
*******************