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

OK Thanks.

Thanks for unbunging Aquarius. And it made it to the FP

I've put some links into Ara. But there's still a couple of yours that can be linked when they clear 'Pending'.

Any other H2 links you can suggest would be welcome.

Deke.

Unbung

I've made a start on Libra, so I can talk about the Gliese 581 system

I am thinking about making a banner for the constellation entries which are already edited. It'll be easier to add to them as and when others hit the FP. What do you think?

I'm not sure that I know what a 'banner' is.

But if it's the clickable list that appears at the top of some of the Uni entries, then yes, it seems a good idea.

It would certainly help to see other entries and refer those who are interested in the subject to read more. And an easy ref to see what's done.

Good idea!

Deke

I've been reading through your Libra entry. It is as usual very good.

There are a couple of things that I can't quite get around at the moment, but I'll get back when I've had a better look.

If it's any help have a look at my Ara re the position of the constellations changing.

Deke

Here is the test one: A27975063
I'm awaiting Editorial response before doing the rest or removing it, whatever.

Ara

Ah, it is what I thought.

Looks brilliant. I can't see there would be any objection.

Deke

Thank you
Although I was thinking, by the time the project is done, it will be an awfully large banner

I said in my last email to the Eds that it won't be complete in my lifetime, and I don't think I was joking

Do you think it should have the Uni badge as well? Or not...?

I've just added the four which are pending awaiting FP, there are others awaiting sub and being subbed which I'll leave.

I'm wondering whether, with the final banner being at least four times what's already there, it might not be better to just link to (eg) Taurus | Triangulum | Ursa Major - do they need writing the titles out in full?

I don't think that the Uni badge is necessary. It might have been good to have organised it thro that in the beginning, but it would have foundered anyway even if Cefpret hadn't pulled out.

In some respects I think it's turning out rather better than it would have if it were being done as originally intended. There has been a bit of evolution of the formula and layout as the comments from PR have been applied. That wouldn't have happened if they had all been submitted en bloc as a Uni development. The latest ones are IMO looking better and more interesting that the earlier ones. And they are getting read, at least in PR.

I believe that it will get finished eventually, and I now think that this is the best way of doing it. That is, interested parties doing parts as and when the interest takes them. The main thing to guard against though is burn out.

It is a big project but there isn't any time limit as there supposedly is with a Uni proj.

Deke

Good point.

Just keep it to the initial name. Anyone who's looking will know what is meant. That should cut the size in half.

Deke

Andromeda is the "test case" so I'll tweak that until everyone is happy (or satisfied)

I agree there's no rush, I'm happy to submit 2 a month to PR.

Voila: A27975063

That looks *so* much better!

And now the Eds are asking for tweaks

A27975063 the navigation bar is centered, with no separators at the end of (or beginning of) a new line or long links wrapping onto another line (think I got all those)

I better check all the skins

That looks good. But does it mean that each time a new constellation is added to the EG that you are going bto have to go through all the others to update them? Wouldn't that be a lot of work updting say 70 plus entries each time?

Re Libra:
I have a bit of a reservation about this in the last section of the Libra entry. Its not wrong, but I think it’s a little misleading and could do with a bit of rewording.

>The constellation Libra is a member of the zodiac; one of the 13 which the sun appears to pass through over the course of a year. Yes, 13. There were originally 12 'signs' but thanks to precession (the wobble of the Earth upon its axis) everything has shifted somewhat. Then when the IAU redrew the constellation borders it was found there were 13 constellations that the sun was passing though.<

>The constellation Libra is a member of the zodiac<
Yes.

>one of the 13 which the sun appears to pass through over the course of a year. Yes, 13<
Yes, but there only ever were twelve (or less) signs to the zodiac.

>There were originally 12 'signs' but thanks to precession (the wobble of the Earth upon its axis) everything has shifted somewhat.<
Yes and No. Yes there are twelve zodiacal signs, but it wasn‘t precession that brought about thirteen. The Ecliptic is the same as it‘s always been and runs the same path it always has. All precession has done is to move the points at which the equinox’s take place to a different point and point to different north/south pole stars. ‘Frinstance the first point of Aries moving along the ecliptic into Pisces.

>Then when the IAU redrew the constellation borders it was found there were 13 constellations that the sun was passing though<
Yes. To the old astronomers the zodiacal signs didn’t have borders. The simply looked at the asterism, so the thirteenth one just didn’t figure in their calculations. When the borders were defined it simply meant that the ecliptic passed through the borders of thirteen constellations. That is of no real consequence to astronomy, but does rather put the astrologers calculations out. But then they probably don‘t recognise the borders anyway.

Deke

You're right about the banner, although when it's made it will be a doddle to "add one" to each EGE as they go live, (I think) as I said, I don't mind doing it, and it would be sheer hell to make one of 88, and there's no saying they'll all be done.

I've tweaked the Libra astrology sectionthanks.

congrats on Ara

Perhaps the easiest way would be to keep adding to Andromeda and then just copy/paste at two or three updates on the other 80+ at say 50, 70, and Finish.


Deke

I'm not sure that would be preferable, I really am happy to add one new edited entry to the bar when they go live. There's not going to be more then one or two a week, I don't think. As long as I keep on top of it, I'll be fine.

I have done with Scorpius now: A33337901 except for the "modern" section; it's just the science I want checking

I read your postings at my Astronomy column in The Post - would you like to write about some as well? I felt a bit embarrassed that I'd written less about your hero than anyone else

Posting each new link to all the other entries when you get into the higher numbers seems a lot of work. But it would be worth it in the end. I was just trying to think of a way to make it a bit easier and ease the load. I don’t suppose there is one though really.

I’ll have a look at Scorpio and let you have any comments that I can but on a quick read it seems good to me..

I had a close encounter with a scorpion last year. I was sat in a restaurant waiting for a meal when a scorpion came padding across the table top heading for my bread roll. A napkin trapped it until the waiter could throw it outside. It was a bit of a hair raising moment.

Over the year the creature has grown in the telling from its real three inch size to at least six inches long, and red in tooth and claw.

On the astronomy heads up page I just added those comments out of general interest for anyone else to pick up on. I hope they weren’t out of place although I realise Frank Borman isn’t really about astronomy, It’s just that it’s a subject that I can’t resist. If you want anything more I’ll be happy to assist if I can. But I don’t know anything about astrology.