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

OK, I saw it just before I left. The Galaxy Zoo team account has been hacked, I have a filthy email from the team

Maybe it was aliens!

>Not difficult this week

That was the third highest score I ever got!

I can't get over 100K at the momentnot to mention I've never got near bettering or even repeating my PB of 203K

Hi, I wonder if you'd care to read this: F11533928?thread=6923831 and let me know what you think?

It doesn't appear to mean anything. There are usually three reasons for writing that sort of rubbish:

1. An attempt to make the reader feel inferior
2. The writer understands it but doesn't appreciate that the reader doesn't, so he doesn't attempt to explain it.
3. The writer doesn't really understand what he's saying either, but says it because it makes him feel important.

I suspect that this example is number 3.

Safe to ignore it then?

Until it's better explained, yes.

Thinks...

This is what I've been working on for the last few days: A2821600. It is nearly finished.

I've been given Aldebaran to sub-edit, and I'm debating whether to do it or hand it back, since you added me as an author on that Entry.

One thing I've just noticed. The Hyades are not a cluster of blue stars. The four brightest of them are red giants. Any comments on that?

Oh, I added you because of your contribution. I don't mind if you want to sub it (add yourself to the credits) or hand it back to make it joint. I'm not going for any more solo badges

I will enjoy reading Sirus when I come back from the Mum run this afternoon (I'm currently running late)

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The Hyades is an old star cluster?

Couldn't resist a quick read:

Sirius is 1/3 part of the Winter Triangle A32016656

Every Trekker knows Wolf 359 (I can give you more detail if required, doesn't matter if you're not interested, the Harry Potter connection is enough to draw in non-astronomers)

White dwarfs were discovered by Williamina Fleming et al: A42694428

I thought the Sun was heading for that stage in 4-5 billion years, not 6.

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0009/sepsky_labels.jpg

Aldebaran is quite distinctive, perhaps the Hyades reference should be removed altogether?

The main stars in the Hyades cluster are:

Epsilon "Ain" G9.5IIICN0.5 yellow
Delta1 "Hyadum II" K0-IIIabCN1 orange
Gamma "Hyadum I" K0-IIIabCN1 orange
Theta1 K0IIIbFe-0.5 orange
Theta2 A7III white
Delta3 A2IV white

I think it is worth mentioning the cluster, but they're not blue, so I'll change around the wording slightly, if that's OK.

The current age of the sun is 4.57 billion years. The sun will remain on the main sequence for "about 10" billion years, so on that reckoning, there are about 5 billion years left. I'll change that, and I'll change the figure in "Lives of Stars".

I don't think you're right about Wilhelmina Fleming, but I'd welcome any extra information you have.

Sirius B was the first white dwarf discovered, and although the star itself was observed, it was not known to be anything unusual until 1915, when WS Adams at the Mount Wilson observatory managed to capture its spectrum and showed it to be a hot white star rather than a cool red one as had been previously believed. This was after Fleming died.