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

Hi shagbark

I'm the sub-editor for your soon-to-be-edited Entry: A18927859 please go subscribe to it and I'll start subbing


GB

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That's not correct.

The Earth's atmosphere is about 300 miles (480 km) thick, but most of the atmosphere (about 80%) is within 10 miles (16 km) of the surface of the Earth. There is no exact place where the atmosphere ends - it just gets thinner and thinner, until it merges with outer space.

So what would you like me to change your words to?

I need to change "eighty miles"

Is the 480 the Van Allen Radiation Belts?
I read in an article in Analog Magazine that
The Van Allen belts shield the International Space station from
solar discharges of Charged Particles but a lunar base would be outside that protection. I always considered the ISS to be outside the atmosphere but I guess it is how you define it.

I had specifically used the words "less than" because I knew that there was no real boundary.
http://www.answers.com/topic/exosphere
calls the layer where molecules finally excape earths gravitation as the top layer and says that stretches up to 10,000 km
so maybe one could even make that line 'less than 10,000 km'

I think we'll go with 300 miles (480 km) because that's what space.com said

I've changed all the quotes to italics. Is everything in order now?

Oh I forgot to ask, who is Josiah Kelley Atwood? The opening quote needs to be attributed.

I've done a search but all I get is "do you mean Josh Kelley Atwood" which then brings up a genealogy page!

that's a typo. The last name is Alwood.
Rev. Josiah Kelly Alwood was a circut preacher in nineteenth century Ohio.
He was ordained in the "United Bretheren of Christ" a protestant denomination.
Southern Gospel groups and CW artists have been singing this song for over one hundred years up to and including Willie Nelson.
see also
http://home.att.net/~j.hanna/revjk.htm

I have no objection to using 300 miles as the top of the atmosphere.
Just get the reverends name right and I think we are done.

one more note about those lyrics- I had got them from an on-line hymnal that claimed "all songs used here are public domain, and permission is granted to use them"
I'm not sure if this is the hymnal but it might be
http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/u/n/uncloudedd.htm

one more try on that URL
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/

hard-headed tree that I am I finally figured it out.
they deleted 'ed making it
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/u/n/uncloudd.htm

You know the quote you used about Heaven not being very far.

One of the last conversations I had with my father here: A18805476 he said he was going away and I asked where, he didn't even have the strength to open his eyes but replied: "Not very far" and he isn't.

I took that picture today ready for my pending entry and the Eds made it into a BLOB very quickly. I was astonished that the cherry blossom was out on the lovely tree by the conservatory.

Now let me tidy up your entry

I think we are done

Me too

button pressed, see you on the Front Page!