h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Nicolas Louis de la Caille, his Lunar Crater and the X on the Terminator - A87832353
Author: Galaxy Babe - eclectic editor - U128652



GB

Hi GB. I think this entry works much better in its current form.

There are a few places where you talk about things without explaining them. Evidently these things are clear to you, but the average reader will need them explained:

This observation area gave him a pristine view of the southern night sky
-- I'd add that the sky above the South Pole is not visible from the Northern Hemisphere where all the astronomers lived, so this was one of the first times that this part of the heavens had been studied by an astronomer. I believe La Caille was the first to map out the southern skies, although I'm not sure.


working out the lunar and solar parallax
-- I'd add "which allowed the distance to the Moon and the Sun to be calculated".

You say that la Caille was sent to South Africa, but you don't say what for. Was it to map the skies, to measure the parallax, or was it for some other reason and he just used his time while he was there to study the skies?

You say that La Caille introduced 15 new constellations, and give details of the 14 of them which are still in use today. You tantalisingly don't tell us what the 15th one was.

The footnote about Antlia has a stray apostrophe.

will become cataclysmic variable -->
will become cataclysmically variable

Hi Gnomon
Thanks for reading and your review. I'm glad this entry works better than my previous attempt


>>The sky above the South Pole is not visible from the Northern Hemisphere where all the astronomers lived, so this was one of the first times that this part of the heavens had been studied by an astronomer.<< added

A dozen constellations were delineated by the Dutch astronomers Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman during their voyage to the southern seas between 1595 and 1597, so la Caille wasn't the first astronomer to map the southern skies.



>>which allowed the distance to the Moon and the Sun to be calculated.<< added



"You say that la Caille was sent to South Africa, but you don't say what for." I have tweaked this to read: >>but went on an expedition to the Cape of Good Hope in 1751 which was to attempt to measure the radius of the Earth and determine distances to other Solar System objects.<<



The footnote about Antlia has a stray apostrophe.fixed



will become cataclysmic variable -->
will become cataclysmically variable
fixed



"You say that La Caille introduced 15 new constellations, and give details of the 14 of them which are still in use today. You tantalisingly don't tell us what the 15th one was."
The 15th was Musca, which already existed with another name, all he did was rename it so I suppose it's not correct to say he introduced 15 new constellations. 14 new constellations and renamed an existing one? I've added a footnote about Musca.



GB

any other comments/reviews?



GB

Anything else required here?

GB

Looks good to me.

Anything else required here?

GB

The sentence "It described 42 nebulous objects among almost 10,000 southern stars, 14 new constellations had been delineated and one previous constellation renamed' would read better as 'It described 42 nebular objects among almost 10,000 southern stars, deineated 14 new constellations and renamed one existing constellation."

fixed, thanks mvp

GB

Anything else required here?

GB

At the risk of repeating myself - is there anything else required here?

GB

See post 6.

Pity you're not a Scout, Gnomon.

GB

(Of course, should you wish to apply to be a Scout....?)

<BB<

No, I won't be a volunteer because I don't agree with the current management's interpretation of the Code for Volunteers.

I'm a scout...

Just need time to read this...

I read this - excellent indeed

The X on the terminator picture is very striking, and your linkage to other Entries is superb!

Thank you very much Sasha

GB

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