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

OKay.

Caelum is in PR.

A41684448 that's the final constellation banner (the Caelum code is hidden) - what do you think?

That looks really great. Well done.

Not that it matters, but did all this come under a Uni project? I thought they all had to be submitted together.

Thank you

It's all been sanctioned by the Eds.
We been busy bees behind the scenes, am just organising Uni badges for all contributors now.
Normally they do have to be submitted together but there'll never be another project this size, and (could you imagine the reaction) if we'd written them all, then submitted them all in one go to PR

>>could you imagine the reaction) if we'd written them all, then submitted them all in one go to PR<<

That thought had occurred to me. Looks like it got sneaked under the radar.

It *was* originally a Uni project, which was abandoned, there were a few ruffled feathers from what I recall. Hopefully all water under the bridge now, and leaves us free to move on, although I will be going through some to update with new extrasolar planetary discoveries, as and when...

Good!

By the way. If you don't know already, the Space Shuttle is linked up with the ISS at the moment until 29 Nov. There are a few quite good passes during the early evenings from 24th onwards. If the weather clears up a bit you could get quite a good view I think.

I expect you’re already aware but there’s a couple of anniversaries coming up if you want to mention something in your ‘Babe among the Stars’ column..

I think I’ve already mentioned this year is the 50th Annv of the formation of NASA but this Christmas is the 40th Annv of the first manned flight to the moon. The very first time humans ventured into deep space away from home and all that entailed. Borman Lovell and Anders.
And next year of course the Annv of the first moon landing.

Next year is the International Year of Astronomy

http://www.astronomy2009.org/

As previously mentioned, would you care to have a look at these and see if any of the Shuttle pictures are suitable for A970878

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16002114@N06/?saved=1

Hi Deke, I don't have Photoshop on this laptop so I can't trim your original to 200x200 but I can send off the original to the Eds for application to the EGE. It's up to you which one you want applied, I love the one with the yellow sky,

I liked the 'yellow sky' one best too. It would be great if you could apply it. Is that 200 pixels?

Can you take it from Flikr yourself or do I need to send it to you? I have Photoshop and can probably trim it, although I'm a raw beginner at that.

I have managed to save it from Flickr, I'll send it off as is to the Eds

It's the size of the pictures on all the EGEs, like the lunar phase one I just got applied (have you seen the convo there, by the way?)

I guess we're getting posters due to the FP promotion (did you know it was on the FP this weekend?)



I your pics by the way

Thanks very much for doing that. That would be really great to see that on an entry. That was Discovery by the way, in 2001.

I saw the FP 'Phases' entry, which is really nice as it went through so quickly. The piccy is just right for it. Did you take it?

I fear we have a conspiracy theorist in the convo. He seems to be looking for a discussion.

Oh, thanks also for the comments on the moon pictures.

They were some of my first attempts with the old scope and a digital camera. I've got a proper camera attachment on the latest one, but I haven't tried it yet.

I'd forgotten about them on Flickr until I came to put up the shuttle ones. It was quite a nice surprise really.

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- Yes, I saw that on one of the other pics, I mentioned that for the "ALT" (mouse hover over picture when it's applied) but if it's incorrect just mention it and I can use my Curator powers to fix it

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I'm very happy with it, as I reference that Entry a lot in my column for The Post, at least once a month now the format of my columns have changed. BTW I also prodded the Eds to update the "recently updated" entries *on* the FP (sidebar) and they did THAT straight away as well

<< The piccy is just right for it.>>
I'm glad you agree!!

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No, Moonhogg sent it to me and I asked his permission to use it for that Entry - it was the unusualness of the image which struck me, people think moon against dark sky but it can be a nice surprise to spot it during the day (and for me it's always difficult to imagine it's the same moon)

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If he's really up for a genuine discussion rather than flame-throwing session then I'll happily provide him with *evidence* - I saw a Mythbusters programme not so long ago where the presenters went to an observatory and bounced some lasers off the reflectors left by the lunar astronauts, something the team at the Observatory do regularly (can't quite recall if it was to measure the distance between and or something else)

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You're welcome they are truly gorgeous.

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First attempt? I'm even more impressed now

<< I've got a proper camera attachment on the latest one, but I haven't tried it yet.>>
with that, I'm still struggling with my 'scope

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oh yea, and sharing is a good thing

It's a pleasure talking to you Deke

By the way - you may be interested in adding your here: F19585?thread=6163147

...or you may not

We have 4 years left, apparently.

Well, there’s always been some doomsayer… I seem to remember the last doomsday expired a year ago or so, but we’re still here. Usually time proves the point. 2012, Isn’t that the year some asteroid is supposed to come close or hit us?

Conspiracy theorists. Deary me. I used to spend some time in the Apollo landing fora trying to persuade idiots that it really did happen. The one thing that you learn on those boards is that a confirmed CTer will not be convinced by anything you say. He/She cannot be convinced that bad, bad America actually did it. The laws of physics and common sense don’t apply for them. They will always find a way to ignore the evidence that is plain to anyone with a modicum of sense.

Taking the lunar reflector ‘frinstance, you can site their existence, three of them if I remember right, and that they were put there on manned missions. But their stock answer is that they were ’actually’ put there by unmanned probes. There is no answer that they will believe.

The only thing is that these people have to be challenged for the sake of those reading it that have a genuine doubt, but also have an open mind.

Scopes.
I know it’s a bit of a job to erect the thing from scratch every time you want to use it, but it really is worth it. I certainly don’t use mine every time I go out, but I do keep it in a back ‘conservatory’ with a cover over it so it’s the minimum effort to get it out when the mood takes. What problem’s are you having anyway, and what sort is it?

It's nice talking to you too BTW

Sorry, can't stop, just wanted you to see: A970878

It's setting it up so I can actually see through itI am a total anti-instructions personas in I hate them. To my mind that's a *husband* job - call me old-fashioned but I'm no women's libber. And there hasn't been a man around for so long now, that there are jobs that just aren't getting done. I do my best and just keep hoping that one day it will be my turn

Anyway, happy Christmas to you and Mrs Deke

Here's to clear skies in 2009

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7797439.stm