Return-path: X-Andrew-Authenticated-as: 7997;andrew.cmu.edu;Ted Anderson Received: from beak.andrew.cmu.edu via trymail for +dist+/afs/andrew.cmu.edu/usr11/tm2b/space/space.dl@andrew.cmu.edu (->+dist+/afs/andrew.cmu.edu/usr11/tm2b/space/space.dl) (->ota+space.digests) ID ; Fri, 1 Dec 89 01:40:20 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: Reply-To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU From: space-request+@Andrew.CMU.EDU To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU Date: Fri, 1 Dec 89 01:39:37 -0500 (EST) Subject: SPACE Digest V10 #291 SPACE Digest Volume 10 : Issue 291 Today's Topics: Re: Asteroid strikes and warning times CRESCENT MOON: WED 29 NOV 1989; 5th ISLAMIC MONTH: JUMA dul'ULA, 1410. shuttle/mir rescue? Re: NASA Headline News for 11/27/89 (Fo Positions and velocity vectors of planets Re: Salyut 7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 1 Dec 89 00:19:05 GMT From: zephyr.ens.tek.com!wrgate!mrloog!dant@uunet.uu.net (Dan Tilque) Subject: Re: Asteroid strikes and warning times leonard@bucket.UUCP (Leonard Erickson) writes: >dant@mrloog.WR.TEK.COM (Dan Tilque) writes: > > >So do re-entry vehicles... Meteors are usually quite a bit faster than re-entry vehicles, I think. --- Dan Tilque -- dant@mrloog.WR.TEK.COM "There are no Communists left in China." -- Chiang Kai-shek, 1939 ------------------------------ Date: 29 Nov 89 10:19:39 GMT From: dasys1!mohib@nyu.edu (Mohib) Subject: CRESCENT MOON: WED 29 NOV 1989; 5th ISLAMIC MONTH: JUMA dul'ULA, 1410. Standard Disclaimer: This info is independent of Columbia Univ. Bismillah hir-Rahman nir-Rahim ( I begin with the name of ALLAH, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful ) THE MUSLIM STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION (MSA) of COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 102 Earl Hall, Columbia University, NEW YORK, N.Y. 10027 SUBJECT: CRESCENT MOON: FIRST VISIBILITY (every lunar month) ************************************************************** NEXT CRESCENT (NEW) MOON, HILAL: Wed 29 NOV 1989, evening (*) for the 5th. Islamic Month of JUMA dul'ULA, 1410, the month starting - most probably - on Thu 30 November, 1989, for USA-CANADA and S.America. It is IMPOSSIBLE for the Crescent Moon to be visible on evening of Tue 28 Nov 1989, worldwide, except, (perhaps) at Bunos Aries, Lima, and Honolulu. See also postings in Soc.culture.african, ..arabic, ..turkish. (*) Hilal (crescent) sightings would be in the evenings, at least 10 minutes after sunset, usually before 20 minutes, and upto 40 to 90 minutes after sunset; near and along the sun's path. We are conducting research/survey on the recorded WORLD-WIDE first sightings of the "CRESCENT MOON, FIRST VISIBILITY" in the evenings, for every lunar month. Some TECHNICAL INFO. is at the end. PHOTOGRAPHS / SLIDES ARE MOST WELCOME since they are very helpful in the research. Please also pass on the request to your friends who are interested in astronomy/physics and to your local amateur astronomy associations. We would very much like to hear from you. Please respond either by email or by letter. The survey results are to enhance the present ATMOSPHERIC MODEL and fine tune some parameters regarding SCATTERING/VISION. When reporting actual Crescent-Hilal sightings, (even if you do not see it) PLEASE INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: HILAL was visible to naked eye?......... Hilal sighted in binoculars?......... EXACT TIMES: Complete Sunset at......... Hilal First Visible....... End....... HEIGHT-Degrees: Hilal highest........... Hilal lowest (faded/set)............. ORIENTATION: Ends of Hilal Curve: Start at.......'O Clock:End at.....'O Clock (Right is 3'O Clock:Bottom is 6'O Clock: Left is 9'O Clock: Top is 12'O Clock) WEATHER condition: Rel.Humidity......... Temperature..... Pressure............ Sky near western horizon: Clear?........ Hazy?........... Cloudy?............. OBSERVER: Age.... Eyesight: Glasses?.... Far sighted?.... Near sighted?....... Name....................... Date........ Location............................. Thanks. Email to: mnd@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Dr.Mohib.N.Durrani) Mail: Dr.Mohib.N.Durrani Islamic Amateur Astronomers Association (Research Division) 601 West 113 Street, Suite 11-K Columbia University NEW YORK, N.Y. 10025 United States of America ***************************************************************************** Some ORBITAL details for the SUN and MOON: Lunation No.: 828 NEW MOON (not crescent visible moon): 1989 November 28d 09h 41m UT (Universal Time), Tuesday. (Universal Time, i.e. mean solar time on the meridian of Greenwich) EQUATORIAL coords.(0h UT) ECLIPTIC coords.(for 0h UT) Date Sun Sun MOON MOON Sun MOON MOON MOON NOV R.A. Decl. R.A. Decl. Long. Long. Lat. true Elong '89 Alpha Delta Alpha Delta Lambda Lambda Beta from Sun hr deg hr deg deg deg deg deg 28 Tu 16.27 -21.24 15.88 -25.23 245.88 241.39 -4.90 W 7 *29 We 16.34 -21.43 16.77 -26.96 246.89 253.53 -4.58 E 8 30 Th 16.41 -21.63 17.68 -27.41 247.90 265.79 -4.04 E 18 ***************************************************************************** 1989 NOVEMBER 29 (Wed) evening Event times are approximate 1410 JUMA dul'ULA (5th Islamic Month) Civil - clock - Standard times (nearest) (+N,-S) (W) SUN MOON At-Sunset Unaided-Eye CITY LAT LONG SET SET AGE-MOON SIGHTING ************* deg deg h m h m h m ********** MAKKAH-S.Arab 20 320 17 39 18 23 28 58 PROBABLE MOSCOW - USSR 56 320 15 53 15 50 27 12 IMPOSSIBLE CAIRO - Egypt 30 330 17 00 17 37 29 19 PROBABLE ISTANBUL-Turk 40 330 16 36 17 02 28 55 DIFFICULT CAPETOWN-S.Af -35 340 18 37 19 59 31 56 VISIBLE LAGOS-Nigeria 10 355 17 16 18 11 31 35 VISIBLE % GREENWICH-Engl 50 0 16 03 16 15 30 22 DIFFICULT DAKAR-Senegal 10 20 17 56 18 55 33 15 VISIBLE RIO DeJENEIRO -20 45 18 25 19 46 35 44 VISIBLE PARAMARIBO-Suri 0 55 17 32 18 42 35 51 VISIBLE (#) BUNOS ARESarg -35 60 18 57 20 30 37 16 VISIBLE (#) (#) LIMA-Peru S.A -10 80 18 29 19 47 37 48 VISIBLE (#) (#) = May be visible on Previous Evening, with Difficulty. % (add 1 hr to event time, during summer DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME, from nearly early April to nearly end of October) ***************************************************************************** 1989 NOVEMBER 29 (Wed) evening Event times are approximate 1410 JUMA dul'ULA (5th Islamic Month) Civil - clock - Standard times (nearest) (+N,-S) (W) SUN MOON At-Sunset Unaided-Eye CITY LAT LONG SET SET AGE-MOON SIGHTING ************* deg deg h m h m h m ********** % HALIFAX -CNDA 44 65 16 45 17 19 35 04 MOST PROBABLE % NEW YORK -USA 40 75 16 36 17 18 35 55 MOST PROBABLE % JACKSONVIL-Fl 30 80 17 20 18 13 36 39 MOST PROBABLE % SAN DIEGO-USA 35 115 16 29 17 23 38 48 MOST PROBABLE % SAN FRANCISCO 40 120 16 36 17 25 38 55 MOST PROBABLE % VANCOUVER-CND 50 125 16 23 16 55 38 42 MOST PROBABLE (#) % ANCHORAGE-Als 62 150 14 48 13 59 39 07 IMPOSSIBLE (#) % HONOLULU -Hwi 20 160 16 59 18 13 42 18 VISIBLE (#) (#) = May be visible on Previous Evening, with Difficulty. % (add 1 hr to event time, during summer DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME, from nearly early April to nearly end of October) When the CRESCENT is visible - in the evening - anywhere from Halifax, New York, Jacksonville, San Diego, San Francisco, to Vancouver, then in the USA-CANADA the next Islamic month will start. (INCREASE date one day, if crossing EAST TO WEST) ###################### INTERNATIONAL DATE LINE ###################### (DECREASE date one day, if crossing WEST TO EAST) 1989 NOVEMBER 29 (Wed) evening Event times are approximate 1410 JUMA dul'ULA (5th Islamic Month) Civil - clock - Standard times (nearest) (+N,-S) (W) SUN MOON At-Sunset Unaided-Eye CITY LAT LONG SET SET AGE-MOON SIGHTING ************* deg deg h m h m h m ********** SYDNEY-Austra -35 210 18 57 19 59 23 16 MOST PROBABLE TOKYO - Japan 35 220 16 29 16 46 21 48 DIFFICULT PEKING -China 40 245 16 56 17 11 23 15 DIFFICULT JAKARTA-Indon -10 250 17 49 18 39 25 08 VISIBLE DHAKA -B.Desh 20 270 17 19 17 56 25 38 PROBABLE AGRA - India 30 280 16 50 17 10 25 59 PROBABLE PESHAWAR -Pak 35 290 17 09 17 35 26 28 PROBABLE BUKHARA -USSR 40 295 16 16 16 37 26 35 PROBABLE TEHRAN - Iran 35 310 16 29 16 58 27 48 PROBABLE ***************************************************************************** Please note that the Islamic dates start from Sundown of a previous day. ***************************************************************************** ISLAMIC GREGORIAN MOON - MOON - MOON - MOON - MOON Sun - EARTH YEAR YEAR NEW MOON MOON-PERIGEE MOON-APOGEE MONTHS LUNA. (NOT visible) (nearest) (farthest) NO. (All times are in UT = Universal Time) 1410 1989 d h m d h d h d h 1 MUHARAM 824 AUG 1 16 06 JUL 23 07 AUG 7 15 2 SAFR 825 AUG 31 05 44 AUG 19 12 SEP 4 08 SEP 23 01 Equinox 3 RABI-I 826 SEP 29 21 47 SEP 16 15 OCT 1 20 4 RABI-II 827 OCT 29 15 27 OCT 15 01 OCT 28 22 * 5 JUMA-I 828 NOV 28 09 41 NOV 12 13 NOV 25 04 6 JUMA-II 829 DEC 28 03 20 DEC 10 23 DEC 22 19 DEC 21 21 Solstice ***************************************************************************** Perihelion = Earth Closest to Sun (Sun moving FASTEST in sky: Jan 1) Equinox = Earth has Equal Daylight and Darkness (Mar 20 & Sept 22) Solstice = Sun apparantly Stationary in Declination (Maximum of Summer: June 21 OR Min. of Winter: Dec 21) Aphelion = Earth Farthest from Sun (Sun moving SLOWEST in sky: Jul 4) Perigee = Moon Closest to Earth (Moon moving FASTEST in sky) Apogee = Moon Farthest from Earth (Moon moving SLOWEST in sky) **************************************************************************** **************************************************************************** APPROXIMATIONS TO DIRECTION OF KA'BA (MAKKAH Saudi Arabia) In most places of the UNITED STATES of AMERICA, an APPROXIMATION to the direction of KA'BA, to determine the DIRECTION OF SALAT (PRAYERS), can be obtained by noting the direction of your SHADOW near the time of SUNSET. The direction in which your shadow goes is usually a little north of east DURING WINTER. This is the direction in which salat can be performed, as an approximation. This direction of the shadow changes during the different months of the year but is a good approximation when there is no magnetic compass to determine the exact direction. During summer, the shadow goes south of east and hence we would have to turn further north from the shadow, i.e. further to the left of the shadow. For locations in the West of America the direction is even further North from the shadow, i.e. even further to the left of the shadow. Technical details will be posted shortly, inshallah (God Willing). **************************************************************************** Copyright Dr.M.N.Durrani, 1989 Permission to copy for free distribution is granted to all, please do give credit and reference. Thanks For further information, please feel free to contact: Mail: Dr.Mohib.N.Durrani Islamic Amateur Astronomers Association (Research Division) 601 West 113 Street, Suite 11-K Columbia University NEW YORK, N.Y. 10025 United States of America Email to: mnd@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Mohib.N.Durrani) ***************************** End of Document ****************************** -- Mohib N Durrani Big Electric Cat Public UNIX ..!cmcl2!{ccnysci,cucard,hombre}!dasys1!mohib ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Nov 89 19:59 CST From: Nicholas Gloor / Database Support Subject: shuttle/mir rescue? Given that the shuttle cannot reenter safely (lost tiles or one of the wings fell off) would it be possible to transfer the shuttle crew to mir via the new eva unit the russians are putting up at Mir and wait for the next taxi home? As a side issue, are there pressure suits on board the shuttle for all crew, or are they flying shirtsleeves yet? ------------------------------ Date: 30 Nov 89 18:02:37 GMT From: eru!luth!sunic!mcsun!ukc!icdoc!syma!nickw@bloom-beacon.mit.edu (Nick Watkins) Subject: Re: NASA Headline News for 11/27/89 (Fo In article <218100033@s.cs.uiuc.edu> scott@s.cs.uiuc.edu writes: >>explosive bolts friday to jettison the solar panels. >That seems strange. Why did they do that? Why is that capability >even on the satellite? If it is anything like the Lacrosse satellite, it is in order that a faulty satellite can be brought back to earth by a shuttle in the rather narrow shuttle cargo bay. Ironic really :-) Nick -- Nick Watkins, Space & Plasma Physics Group, School of Mathematical & Physical Sciences, Univ. of Sussex, Brighton, E.Sussex, BN1 9QH, ENGLAND JANET: nickw@syma.sussex.ac.uk BITNET: nickw%syma.sussex.ac.uk@uk.ac ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 30 Nov 89 09:21:33 EST From: "R. Bernstein" Subject: Positions and velocity vectors of planets I have program that simulates Newton's Laws of motion. I would like to simulate planetary motion. Getting data for the masses and distances from the Sun for planets at the apihelion and perihelion is easy: most Almanacs have this information. But to use Newton's Laws in a simulation, one wants the velocity vectors and positions at a given instant. The Ephemeris sort of seems to give this positional data in geo-centric form (I would prefer helio-centric), but it doesn't give velocity vectors--perhaps this could be calculated from the information given. Is there someplace I can get the data in a form that is sort of natural for such a simulation? Thanks. (As sort of an aside, I also have a program that simulates geodesic motion using the Schwarzschild solution and either the weak-field gravitational time-dilation metric or the Schwarzschild metric. For planetary motion they give about the same results.) R. Bernstein IBM Research, Room H0-H21 P.O. Box 704 Yorktown Heights N.Y. 10598 (914)-789-7701 ------------------------------ Date: 30 Nov 89 17:35:04 GMT From: usc!cs.utexas.edu!mailrus!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!utzoo!henry@ucsd.edu (Henry Spencer) Subject: Re: Salyut 7 In article <8911291611.AA16744@gn.ecn.purdue.edu> hasara@GN.ECN.PURDUE.EDU (Andrew J Hasara) writes: > Just out of curiosity, does anyone know what equipment is left operational >in Salyut 7? ... Well, Salyut 7 itself is nominally still in operational condition, although mothballed... -- Mars can wait: we've barely | Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology started exploring the Moon. | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu ------------------------------ End of SPACE Digest V10 #291 *******************