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

I thought that would make a great APOD and lo and behold:
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap081224.html

Thank you for organising the picture to the EGE. That’s really great! I’m currently using that photo as desktop wallpaper.

Have you tried setting up your scope in daylight? As it happens it’s a whole lot easier when you can see what you’re doing. Once its done you’ve only got to ’switch it on’ so to speak, at night. It can also be difficult to see through a high magnification eyepiece until you ‘get the knack’. It’s always easier with a low magnification at first.

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap081224.html
That photo is a very significant one. When it was released it had a significant effect on human perception. In fact it is something of an icon to the friends of the Earth.
It gelled in many peoples minds just how precious and vulnerable the Earth is. For me It’s one of those pictures that just brings home how insignificant our place in the cosmos is and how alone we are. It is strange to think that life as we know it can only exist in that thin shroud of blue.

Thanks for your good wishes. Here’s hoping for a very happy Christmas for you and yours as well. And I’ll take a drink to ‘clear skies‘.

I think that I have a couple of other photos that may be suitable for EGE's. Sorry, I'm not sure of the 'form' for submitting photos and I don't want to put the burden on you to squeeze them in.

When I've mastered resizing, would you like me to join up to the Photographers group to submit them for consideration?

If you just upload them to your online album as you did with the Shuttle pics, I can collect them from there. It's much easier that way, and no burden to me at all. You don't need to resize them, I have access to Photoshop now and it's a simple job for me. To tell the truth I don't have a lot to do with the Photographer's club any more.

I hop[e your sky is as clear as mine

It wasn't very clear towards sunset, but was getting better as the evening wore on. Unfortunately I didn't get a real chance to get outside. It must have been very clear overnight though, as everything is covered in a hard frost this morning. Even the pond's got a sheet of ice on it.

I haven’t had a chance to have a good read through your Pleiades piece yet and it’s probably too late now, but there is one small thing that looks wrong, if I’m reading it right. (I may not be).
Pieces are just going too quick for me to catch up with these days. You have in the Ecliptic paragraph:
>>(the perceived passage of the Sun, the Moon, other planets of our Solar System and other celestial bodies like Antares)<<
That seems to imply that Antares moves along the ecliptic in the same way as the planets etc. It doesn’t, it’s a star and it’s fixed in relation to the ecliptic.

In your modern culture section (from around the world)
The Japanese know it as Subaru. And the Japanese car firm of Subaru are named after it. Their ’manufacturers symbol’ is a depiction of the cluster that you’ll find on the front of all of their cars.

Hope this helps even if it is a bit late.

Thanks Deke, I can't alter the recommended version but if I don't catch the sub I'll fix it when it's gone live

<> is already there, under "Around the World" - did you mean you want me to add the Japanese Car company and their trademark logo?

Yes, that was it. I rather felt that bit belonged more in the modern section, but it's a moot point. Only include it if you think it's worth it.

Nice piece by the way

Thanks
I've tweaked the Entry, which has gone live today but due to a mix-up has not hit the FP. Shame, it's a great pic.

There's an interesting piece in today's Daily Mail concerning Thomas Harriot that may be useful for your Babe Among the Stars column

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1115782/The-17th-century-drawings-prove-humble-Englishman-mapped-moon-BEFORE-Galileo.html

As part of the International Year of Astronomy the 'keepers' of his original/first drawings of the Moon through a telescope, are putting them on public display in an exhibition in Chichester. Since these pre-date Galileo's observations they are of considerable historic interest, and are probably the first recording of an observation with an optical aid.

Once I find out where and when exactly, I'm going for a look-see. Others might be interested too.

Believe it or not, I read about him on Wed: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7827732.stm
and included him in my first draft for this Sunday's deadline, but I will add your info

Rather than post what everyone else seems to be doing about TYA09, I've gone for a slightly different slant, which I hope meets with approval - I'll post you the A-number as soon as it goes live

That's great. As Confucius once said: It's always good to have a different slant on things.

I'll look forward to it.

After long deliberation I've sent this to the Eds http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/brunel/F47997?thread=6239768

Excellent. I've posted there. I don't think there'll be a problem, as pages have changed hands before (I gave my Keepers page to Emmily) and Matt the Hoopy just took control of the new Scavengers page (it was the old Hall of Scavengers)

Thanks for your support. I hope this works out OK.

You have my full support



Have you told Shagbark? He was mooching around there last week, but he unsubbed the thread we were talking in, so I did as well.

Thanks again.

Perhaps I can get a in Babe Among the Stars when it's due?

I think the A/s has the potential to be a strong group in H2. There was a lot of interest in the Constellation entries when they were being done. Anyway, we'll see what happens.

I'll mention it to Shagbark when I've actually got control of it. I think I saw the post you mention. It was Cefpret's page that he referred to that gave me the final prompt to do something about it. That page does need to be concluded so it doesn't still look as if the project is still going. I had in mind to list the constellations on it, a la your headers, and link to each of them and their authors.

Why don't you take the code from this: A29617824

You can always remove the images if you don't want them

Of course I will promote it, I've already sent next week's column through to The Post, but it's a better plan to wait until you have control, as you say.

You can write a piece, which I can insert as "a note from the new owner of the Astronomy Society" or I can write something, whichever you prefer