Return-path: X-Andrew-Authenticated-as: 7997;andrew.cmu.edu;Ted Anderson Received: from hogtown.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 Apr 91 02:15:42 -0400 (EDT) Message-ID: Precedence: junk Reply-To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU From: space-request+@Andrew.CMU.EDU To: space+@Andrew.CMU.EDU Date: Tue, 9 Apr 91 02:15:37 -0400 (EDT) Subject: SPACE Digest V13 #380 SPACE Digest Volume 13 : Issue 380 Today's Topics: *** CRESCENT (HILAL) MOON SIGHTING - Mon 15 April 1991. Soyuz capabilities Administrivia: Submissions to the SPACE Digest/sci.space should be mailed to space+@andrew.cmu.edu. Other mail, esp. [un]subscription requests, should be sent to space-request+@andrew.cmu.edu, or, if urgent, to tm2b+@andrew.cmu.edu ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 8 Apr 91 06:12:31 GMT From: swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!cunixf.cc.columbia.edu!cunixb.cc.columbia.edu!mnd@ucsd.edu (Mohib N Durrani) Subject: *** CRESCENT (HILAL) MOON SIGHTING - Mon 15 April 1991. 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: Mon 15 APR 1991, evening (*) The first sightings would be in Japan, China. EID-UL FITR (Festival after Fasting) Tue 16 APR 1991 for the 10th. Islamic Month of SHAWWAL, 1411 AH, the month starting on Tue 16 April, 1991, for most of the Northern Hemisphere. It is IMPOSSIBLE for the Crescent Moon to be visible on evening of Sun 14 Apr 1991, worldwide. See also postings in Soc.culture.african, ..arabic, ..pakistan, ..turkish for the significance of the Islamic festival of EID-UL FITR. (*) 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. ********************************************************************** * WORLD RECORD: "THE YOUNGEST NAKED-EYE CRESCENT MOON SIGHTING" * * "BADAT & AL-THANI SIGHTING": 13 hrs 24 min after New Moon Phase * * Friday 5 May 1989 from Houston, Texas, USA * * Ref: Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Vol 83/3, Pages 34-36 * * Newsletter/Bulletin, June 1989 * ********************************************************************** 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.: 845 NEW MOON (not crescent visible moon): 1991 April 14d 19h 38m UT (Universal Time), Sunday. (Universal Time, i.e. mean solar time on the meridian of Greenwich) EQUATORIAL coords.(at 0h UT) ECLIPTIC coords.(at 0h UT) Date Sun Sun MOON MOON Sun MOON MOON MOON APR R.A. Decl. R.A. Decl. Long. Long. Lat. true Elong '91 Alpha Delta Alpha Delta Lambda Lambda Beta from Sun hr deg hr deg deg deg deg deg 14 Su 1.46 9.19 0.66 9.62 23.68 12.90 4.92 W 12 *15 Mo 1.52 9.54 1.55 15.08 24.65 27.07 5.00 E 6 16 Tu 1.59 9.89 2.50 19.80 25.63 41.49 4.76 E 17 *************************************************************************** 1991 APRIL 15 (Mon) evening Event times are approximate 1411 SHAWWAL (10th Islamic Month) Civil - clock - Standard times (nearest) (+N,-S) (W) SUN MOON MOON-AGE MOON-SUN Unaided-Eye CITY LAT LONG SET SET At-Sunset Alt/AzDif SIGHTING ************* deg deg h m h m h m deg deg ********** MAKKAH-S.Arab 20 320 18 38 19 25 20 00 9 5 VISIBLE MOSCOW - USSR 56 320 19 25 21 01 20 47 11 -3 VISIBLE ISTANBUL-Turk 40 330 18 38 19 46 21 00 11 1 VISIBLE CAIRO - Egypt 30 330 18 27 19 24 20 49 11 3 VISIBLE CAPETOWN-S.Af -35 340 17 17 17 24 20 39 1 13 IMPOSSIBLE LAGOS-Nigeria 10 355 17 51 18 36 22 13 10 7 VISIBLE % GREENWICH-Engl 50 0 18 53 20 24 23 15 12 -2 VISIBLE DAKAR-Senegal 10 20 18 31 19 20 23 53 11 8 VISIBLE RIO DeJENEIRO -20 45 17 49 18 19 25 11 6 13 MOST PROBABLE PARAMARIBO-Suri 0 55 17 43 18 31 26 05 10 10 VISIBLE BUNOS ARESarg -35 60 17 36 17 53 25 58 2 15 IMPOSSIBLE LIMA-Peru S.A -10 80 18 17 19 00 27 39 9 12 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) **************************************************************************** It is IMPOSSIBLE for the Crescent Moon to be visible on evening of Sun 14 Apr 1991, worldwide. *************************************************************************** North to South Locations at approx 330 deg West (30 deg East) Longitude 1991 APRIL 15 (Mon) evening Event times are approximate 1411 SHAWWAL (10th Islamic Month) Civil - clock - Standard times (nearest) (+N,-S) (W) SUN MOON MOON-AGE MOON-SUN Unaided-Eye CITY LAT LONG SET SET At-Sunset Alt/AzDif SIGHTING ************* deg deg h m h m h m deg deg ********** LENINGRD-USSR 60 330 19 16 21 08 21 38 11 -4 VISIBLE KIEV -USSR 50 330 18 53 20 17 21 15 11 -2 VISIBLE ISTANBUL-Trky 40 330 18 38 19 46 21 00 10 1 VISIBLE CAIRO - Egypt 30 330 18 27 19 24 20 49 11 3 VISIBLE KHARTOUM-Sudn 15 330 18 14 18 59 20 36 9 6 MOST PROBABLE KAMPALA-Ugnda 0 330 18 04 18 38 20 26 7 8 MOST PROBABLE DAResSALAM-Tn -10 320 18 17 18 43 19 39 5 10 PROBABLE LUSAKA-Zambia -15 330 17 53 18 17 20 15 5 11 PROBABLE DURBAN- SAfrc -30 330 17 41 17 52 20 03 2 12 IMPOSSIBLE CAPETWN-SAfrc -35 340 17 17 17 24 20 39 1 13 IMPOSSIBLE The Crescent is easily visible in the northern hemisphere. *************************************************************************** 1991 APRIL 15 (Mon) evening Event times are approximate 1411 SHAWWAL (10th Islamic Month) Civil - clock - Standard times (nearest) (+N,-S) (W) SUN MOON MOON-AGE MOON-SUN Unaided-Eye CITY LAT LONG SET SET At-Sunset Alt/AzDif SIGHTING ************* deg deg h m h m h m deg deg ********** % HALIFAX -CNDA 44 65 19 03 20 37 27 15 14 -1 VISIBLE % NEW YORK -USA 40 75 18 38 20 08 28 00 15 -1 VISIBLE % JACKSONVIL-Fl 30 80 18 47 20 05 28 09 15 2 VISIBLE % CHICAGO - USA 40 90 18 38 20 11 29 00 15 -1 VISIBLE % DALLAS - USA 35 100 18 12 19 40 29 34 16 0 VISIBLE % DENVER - USA 40 105 18 38 20 14 30 00 16 -1 VISIBLE % SAN DIEGO-USA 35 115 18 12 19 43 30 34 16 0 VISIBLE % SAN FRANCISCO 40 120 18 38 20 17 31 00 16 -2 VISIBLE % VANCOUVER-CND 50 125 19 13 21 13 31 35 16 -4 VISIBLE % ANCHORAGE-Als 62 150 19 25 22 19 33 47 15 -9 VISIBLE % HONOLULU -Hwi 20 160 17 58 19 21 33 20 17 5 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) The HILAL (Crescent) SIGHTING COMMITTEE for USA-Canada has decided that when the CRESCENT is VISIBLE - in the evening - anywhere from Halifax, NewYork, Jacksonville, SanDiego, SanFrancisco, to Vancouver, then in the USA-Canada, the next ISLAMIC MONTH STARTS from SUNSET of THAT DATE. The DAY that is shared (Islamic and Gregorian) is the next Gregorian date. (INCREASE date one day, if crossing EAST TO WEST) ##################### INTERNATIONAL DATE LINE ###################### (DECREASE date one day, if crossing WEST TO EAST) 1991 APRIL 15 (Mon) evening Event times are approximate 1411 SHAWWAL (10th Islamic Month) Civil - clock - Standard times (nearest) (+N,-S) (W) SUN MOON MOON-AGE MOON-SUN Unaided-Eye CITY LAT LONG SET SET At-Sunset Alt/AzDif SIGHTING ************* deg deg h m h m h m deg deg ********** SYDNEY-Austra -35 210 17 37 17 13 11 59 -2 9 IMPOSSIBLE TOKYO - Japan 35 220 18 12 18 53 13 34 7 3 DIFFICULT PEKING -China 40 245 18 57 19 48 15 19 8 2 PROBABLE JAKARTA-Indon -10 250 17 37 17 53 14 59 3 8 IMPOSSIBLE DHAKA -B.Desh 20 270 18 18 18 56 16 40 8 5 MOST PROBABLE AGRA - India 30 280 18 07 18 55 17 29 9 3 MOST PROBABLE PESHAWAR -Pak 35 290 18 52 19 47 18 14 10 3 VISIBLE BUKHARA -USSR 40 295 18 18 19 19 18 40 10 2 VISIBLE TEHRAN - Iran 35 310 18 12 19 10 19 34 10 2 VISIBLE TOKYO may have the first worldwide sighting, Then EID-UL FITR and the next Lunar month would be on Tue 16 APR 1991. Sightings would be in the northern hemishpere. *************************************************************************** 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) 1411 *1990* d h m d h d h d h 1 MUHARAM 836 JUL 22 02 54 JUL 19 11 JUL 31 08 2 SAFR 837 AUG 20 12 39 AUG 15 10 AUG 28 03 SEP 23 07 Equinox 3 RABI-I 838 SEP 19 00 46 SEP 9 11 SEP 24 22 4 RABI-II 839 OCT 18 15 37 OCT 6 18 OCT 22 16 5 JUMA-I 840 NOV 17 09 05 NOV 3 23 NOV 19 03 6 JUMA-II 841 DEC 17 04 22 DEC 2 11 DEC 16 04 DEC 22 03 Solstice 1411 *1991* d h m d h d h d h 7 RAJAB 842 JAN 15 23 50 JAN 28 09 JAN 12 11 JAN 3 03Perihelion 8 SHABAN 843 FEB 14 17 32 FEB 25 01 FEB 9 04 9 RAMADAN 844 MAR 16 08 10 MAR 22 05 MAR 9 01 MAR 21 03 Equinox *10 SHAWWAL 845 APR 14 19 38 APR 17 17 APR 5 21 11 ZulQADA 846 MAY 14 04 36 MAY 15 17 MAY 3 15 12 ZulHAJJ 847 JUN 12 12 06 JUN 13 00 MAY 31 03 JUN 21 21 Solstice **************************************************************************** Equinox = Earth has Equal Daylight and Darkness (Mar 21 & Sept 23) Solstice = Sun apparantly Stationary in Declination (Maximum of Summer: June 21 & Min. of Winter: Dec 22) Perihelion = Earth Closest to Sun (Sun moving FASTEST in sky: Jan 3) Aphelion = Earth Farthest from Sun (Sun moving SLOWEST in sky: Jul 6) 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, ie. further to the left of the evening shadow. For locations in the West of America the direction is even further North from the shadow, ie. even further to the left of the shadow. Technical details will be posted shortly, inshallah (God Willing). **************************************************************************** Copyright Dr.M.N.Durrani, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991 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. --- >>> ) ------------------------------ Date: 8 Apr 91 12:08:56 GMT From: ksr!clj%ksr.com@uunet.uu.net (Chris Jones) Subject: Soyuz capabilities In article <1991Apr3.122143.1@dev8.mdcbbs.com>, rivero@dev8 writes: >In article <28296@rouge.usl.edu>, dlbres10@pc.usl.edu (Fraering Philip) writes: >> I have a technical question about the Soyuz. >> From what I saw on the program, the Soyuz doesn't use the >> same attitude control system the Apollo CSMs did (the 4 >> thrusters per point, 4 point or whatever it is called). >> What sort of system does it use? Is it efficient? I always >> thought the one on the CSM looked like an optimum configuration, >> but I haven't given it any serious thought. The current Soyuz TM spacecraft share the same shape as the original Soyuz, but have been extensively redesigned inside. Its main engine (used for major orbital changes, including deorbit) is at the rear of the instrument module, while its other maneuvering engines, which come in two sizes, are spaced around the the front and rear of the instrument module. Although I can't tell for sure, I assume there are engines on the descent module as well to control reentry. >> >> Another good question would be: how hard would it have been to >> have moved their original two-man lunar mission to the Proton >> rocket, using multiple launches? How many Protons would it have >> taken? Pretty difficult, I'd say. It would have taken 6 or 7 launches, and the the Soviets didn't enjoy the greatest success performing orbital rendezvous, so assembling the lunar mission would have been problematic at best. >> >> Is the Soyuz as good a spacecraft as it was made out to be >> on the program? >> I didn't think the Soyuz was made out to be a super spacecraft, though it is true that some variant of Soyuz has been flying for over 20 years. I wouldn't call it versatile -- it's cheap and reliable enough to deliver people into LEO. It has serious enough weight problems which means it's somewhat underpowered from a maneuvering perspective, which loses the Soviets some flexibility. For instance, they usually use time-consuming, but fuel-efficient, rendezvous procedures rather than the quicker, more brute-force tracks the US uses. Failure to achieve rendezvous when scheduled, a not unheard of occurrence in the Soviet space program, has resulted in mission termination, as the Soyuz simply doesn't have the fuel to try again (nor, for a long while, did it have the electrical power to free-fly for more than 48 hours). In fact, when Soyuz launches a three person crew, the orbit is noticeably lower than that achieved by a two person Soyuz, which means that the destination space station has been allowed to have its orbit decay to a lower point to accommodate the this fact. > There has >been one major accident with it that killed three Cosmonauts on re-entry That was Soyuz 11. There was also Soyuz 1, which resulted in the death of its single crewmember. -- Chris Jones clj@ksr.com {uunet,harvard,world}!ksr!clj ------------------------------ End of SPACE Digest V13 #380 *******************