Return-path: X-Andrew-Authenticated-as: 32766 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 ; Tue, 9 Jan 90 13:46:11 -0500 (EST) Received: from beak.andrew.cmu.edu via qmail ID ; Sat, 6 Jan 90 02:05:53 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: Reply-To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU From: space-request+@Andrew.CMU.EDU To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU Date: Sat, 6 Jan 90 02:00:40 -0500 (EST) Subject: SPACE Digest V10 #383 SPACE Digest Volume 10 : Issue 383 Today's Topics: CRESCENT SIGHTING: THU 28 DEC 1989 - JUMMAH dul THANI, 6th ISLAMIC MONTH. Re: proposed "space-mail" incentive Re: Launching AUSSAT on Chinese rockets Re: Launching AUSSAT on Chinese rockets ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 28 Dec 89 19:10:10 GMT From: cunixc!cunixb.cc.columbia.edu!mnd@columbia.edu (Mohib N Durrani) Subject: CRESCENT SIGHTING: THU 28 DEC 1989 - JUMMAH dul THANI, 6th ISLAMIC MONTH. 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: Thu 28 DEC 1989, evening (*) for the 6th. Islamic Month of JUMA dul THANI, 1410 AH, the month starting - probably - on Fri 29 December, 1989, for USA-CANADA and S.America. It is IMPOSSIBLE for the Crescent Moon to be visible on evening of Wed 27 Dec 1989, worldwide. 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.: 829 NEW MOON (not crescent visible moon): 1989 December 28d 03h 20m UT (Universal Time), Thursday. (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 DEC 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 Th 18.46 -23.23 18.35 -26.83 276.37 274.75 -3.48 W 4 29 Fr 18.54 -23.20 19.28 -24.84 277.39 287.44 -2.56 E 10 30 Sa 18.61 -23.17 20.19 -21.53 278.41 300.33 -1.49 E 22 ***************************************************************************** 1989 DECEMBER 28 (Thu) evening Event times are approximate 1410 JUMA dul'THANI(6th 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 50 18 07 11 30 DIFFICULT MOSCOW - USSR 56 320 15 52 15 37 09 32 IMPOSSIBLE CAIRO - Egypt 30 330 17 09 17 23 11 49 DIFFICULT ISTANBUL-Turk 40 330 16 42 16 51 11 22 IMPOSSIBLE CAPETOWN-S.Af -35 340 18 56 19 32 14 36 DIFFICULT LAGOS-Nigeria 10 355 17 28 17 54 14 08 DIFFICULT % GREENWICH-Engl 50 0 16 05 16 09 12 45 IMPOSSIBLE DAKAR-Senegal 10 20 18 08 18 38 15 48 PROBABLE RIO DeJENEIRO -20 45 18 42 19 22 18 22 PROBABLE PARAMARIBO-Suri 0 55 17 45 18 23 18 25 PROBABLE BUNOS ARESarg -35 60 19 16 20 02 19 56 PROBABLE LIMA-Peru S.A -10 80 18 43 19 26 20 23 MOST PROBABLE (#) = 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 DECEMBER 28 (Thu) evening Event times are approximate 1410 JUMA dul'THANI(6th 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 49 17 12 17 29 DIFFICULT % NEW YORK -USA 40 75 16 42 17 10 18 22 PROBABLE % JACKSONVIL-Fl 30 80 17 29 18 02 19 09 PROBABLE % SAN DIEGO-USA 35 115 16 36 17 12 21 16 MOST PROBABLE % SAN FRANCISCO 40 120 16 42 17 18 21 22 PROBABLE % VANCOUVER-CND 50 125 16 25 16 55 21 05 DIFFICULT % ANCHORAGE-Als 62 150 14 38 14 45 21 18 IMPOSSIBLE % HONOLULU -Hwi 20 160 17 10 17 59 24 50 MOST PROBABLE (#) = 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 DECEMBER 28 (Thu) evening Event times are approximate 1410 JUMA dul'THANI(6th 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 19 16 19 35 05 56 IMPOSSIBLE TOKYO - Japan 35 220 16 36 16 30 04 16 IMPOSSIBLE PEKING -China 40 245 17 02 16 56 05 42 IMPOSSIBLE JAKARTA-Indon -10 250 18 03 18 19 07 43 IMPOSSIBLE DHAKA -B.Desh 20 270 17 30 17 39 08 10 IMPOSSIBLE AGRA - India 30 280 16 49 16 55 08 29 IMPOSSIBLE PESHAWAR -Pak 35 290 17 16 17 21 08 56 IMPOSSIBLE BUKHARA -USSR 40 295 16 22 16 25 09 02 IMPOSSIBLE TEHRAN - Iran 35 310 16 36 16 45 10 16 IMPOSSIBLE ***************************************************************************** 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 evening 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 ****************************** ------------ >>>>>>>>>>>>> ) Look For The CRESCENT MOON ( HILAL ), ) It Is One Of THE MOST BEAUTIFUL OF CREATIONS; )) Then Offer An INTENSE PRAYER To The ONE CREATOR, )) All Sincere DEVOTIONS Are Surely ACCEPTED. )) ----------- >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ) Next New Moons (Not visible): (ONLY CRESCENTS ARE VISIBLE) 1989 Dec 28d 03h 20m UT 1990 Jan 26d 19h 20m UT 1990 Feb 25d 08h 54mUT ------------------------------ Date: 29 Dec 89 02:52:20 GMT From: cs.utexas.edu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!helios.physics.utoronto.ca!ists!yunexus!utzoo!henry@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (Henry Spencer) Subject: Re: proposed "space-mail" incentive In article <8912191734.AA23999@trout.nosc.mil> jim@pnet01.cts.COM (Jim Bowery) writes: >Save your breath, Steve. Henry and Kieran are just making noises. >HR2674 is the correct solution. "If this is the answer, what's the question?" :-) HR2674 is one very small step in the right direction. A "solution" it's not. It would help. >By the way, I've noticed a marked decline in Henry's critical >thinking skills since Kieran showed up on the net with his nauseating >sophistry. Too bad for Henry. Actually, Kieran has been around for years, although he hasn't posted often until recently. Any decline in my critical thinking skills is entirely coincidental. :-) If one is looking for a correlation for this supposed decline, the arrival on the net of one J. Bowery would match much better... :-) One thing there *has* been somewhat of a decline in is my willingness to follow a debate to the bitter end. This is simply a consequence of a busier life plus a relatively short expiry time on news. There are one or two old topics I do intend to follow up on at length when I find time. -- 1972: Saturn V #15 flight-ready| Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology 1989: birds nesting in engines | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu ------------------------------ Date: 29 Dec 89 21:26:47 GMT From: cs.utexas.edu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!utzoo!henry@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (Henry Spencer) Subject: Re: Launching AUSSAT on Chinese rockets In article <15042@bfmny0.UU.NET> tneff@bfmny0.UU.NET (Tom Neff) writes: >Anthony's primary argument is MORAL, and convincing. These are the >butchers of Tiananmen Square. We should not be doing business with >them... Ah well. That decides it. We can't do business with the butchers of Tiananmen Square (death toll, several hundred as I recall). We'll just have to go back to doing business with the butchers of Afghanistan (death toll, over a million and counting). -- 1972: Saturn V #15 flight-ready| Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology 1989: birds nesting in engines | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu ------------------------------ Date: 30 Dec 89 01:56:21 GMT From: bfmny0!tneff@uunet.uu.net (Tom Neff) Subject: Re: Launching AUSSAT on Chinese rockets In article <1989Dec29.212647.2666@utzoo.uucp> henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) writes: >Ah well. That decides it. We can't do business with the butchers of >Tiananmen Square (death toll, several hundred as I recall). We'll just >have to go back to doing business with the butchers of Afghanistan >(death toll, over a million and counting). Henry has looked better than this! When Afghanistan was invaded we *did* embargo trade. With the accession of Mr Gorbachev things have been unfrozen; the USSR has publicly and formally apologized for Afghanistan in the last months. (The legacy remains, but such is life.) By contrast, the butchers of Tiananmen Square are SMUG about their atrocious response to 1989's wave of democracy. They flaunt their dictatorly arrogance and cynically count on the West's selfish sense of economic expediency to rescue them from hard consequences. Rewarding such horrendous thuggery with hard currency and launch contracts is nothing less than the old, infamous folly of APPEASEMENT. Neville Bush! Let us get things into perspective. Nobody NEEDS Long March, except China's fledgling technocrats, who would like a profit center and international respect despite their regime's bloody hands. The rest of the world can get along without this launcher's limited manifest perfectly well. If China were on good behavior Long March would be an interesting new source of competition, worthy of encouragement by all sides including the US. But China is NOT on good behavior -- it is an outlaw state, which defies the world to hold it accountable for its murderous oppression. We cannot in good conscience throw it a bone while it remains at war with its own people. I know my Canadian friend means to affect a properly evenhanded skepticism in this matter, but it falls flat. I apologize to the net for the non-technical nature of this posting, but it still beats the Face On Mars. :-) -- To have a horror of the bourgeois (\( Tom Neff is bourgeois. -- Jules Renard )\) tneff@bfmny0.UU.NET ------------------------------ End of SPACE Digest V10 #383 *******************