Recent content by matt.o

  1. M

    IRAF can't deal with .fits files

    If you want to combine python and iraf, you may find pyraf useful: http://www.stsci.edu/institute/software_hardware/pyraf
  2. M

    What is the current status on MOND

    I have to guess at which paper you are referring to here. Initial claims of the incompatibility of the Bullet cluster with LCDM inferred the velocity of the Bullet subcluster from the shock properties. The velocity of the Bullet has been reduced for two reasons: 1) The newest Chandra...
  3. M

    Thesis Writing: Is Crying Typical for Advisors?

    That's science for you!
  4. M

    Thesis Writing: Is Crying Typical for Advisors?

    Really? What happens when you need to come up with your own ideas or set your own goals?
  5. M

    Number of Voids in the (observable) Universe

    Caroline Foster did some work in finding and characterising voids in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. I am sure there is a trail of references to follow from her paper: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2009ApJ...699.1252F
  6. M

    Which Observational Project sounds funner/easier?

    3 seems most interesting to me since it involves observations plus some astrophysics to determine the age.
  7. M

    Acceleration due to gravity in a galaxy?

    To determine the acceleration due to gravity at the periphery of a galaxy, you need to know three numbers. The first is the distance from the galaxy centre where your acceleration is to be calculated (the radius). The second is the total mass of the galaxy contained with that radius. The third...
  8. M

    Fund ESA's Billion-Plus Euro Project for 2020s Launch

    Athena, but I am biased toward X-ray astronomy!
  9. M

    Programs Physics PhD with a b.sc from a different field? (Australia)

    You might be best to aim for something like astrobiology, for example the Australian centre for astrobiology at UNSW (http://www.aca.absociety.org/aca/ [Broken]). You might also contact groups that are interested in molecular astronomy (e.g...
  10. M

    Is anyone familiar with The Open Astronomy Journal?

    So you would class ApJ as a vanity publisher that has no credibility because they have page charges?
  11. M

    What are the strange absorption peaks on this solar spectrum?

    I am not sure if these questions are directed at me, but I'll answer anyway. The wavelength calibration looks okay to me. The Calcium H & K lines appear to be located at their expected positions (393.4 and 396.9nm), as do the Sodium D line (~589nm) and the hydrogen alpha (656.3nm), to name just...
  12. M

    What are the strange absorption peaks on this solar spectrum?

    The features seen at ~690, 720 and 760nm are due to absorption of the sunlight by molecules (water, I think) in the Earth's atmosphere. They are otherwise known as telluric absorption features.
  13. M

    Does Dark Matter Really Exist? A Look at Alternative Theories in Astrophysics

    Microlensing searches for such objects (otherwise known as MACHOs - Massive Compact Halo Objects) come up well short of the amount of matter needed to explain the missing mass. There is more info on the wiki page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massive_compact_halo_object" [Broken]
  14. M

    Schools James Cook University Online Astronomy Degree: Worth it or Not?

    I think you need to go back and check the other links before you level any more accusations at those professors. To the OP: you will almost certainly require a Phd in order to obtain a career in astronomy research. Note, however, that even with a Phd it is not guaranteed you will have that...
  15. M

    Schools James Cook University Online Astronomy Degree: Worth it or Not?

    Err, no. Perhaps you should go and reread the entry requirements: http://www.jcu.edu.au/eps/disciplines/astronomy/JCU_080272.html" [Broken]
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