Recent content by pioneerboy

I'd like to experimentally simulate air flow turbulences around obstacles. Building the obstacles in one thing, but providing a well characterised flow (and mix it with something visible like smoke...) is something else. In general, I think the whole idea is easier to acomplish compared to fluid...

I'd like to build my own reliable alarm clock, but I don't have any knowledge in electronics and no fancy equipment, only some humble C programming experience. What do I need and what do I need to know to build one myself. Thanks very much.

I'd like to read some articles, papers, or whatever scientific there is about the prospects and impacts of climate change for professional ground based astronomy and observatory sites. In particular, which locations which are now among the most suitable sites for observatories - especially...

Sorry for the misunderstanding. I thought we unwrittenly agree to the same optical design instead of comparing between different designs. Still, for a given design I'd first like to see...

But you just confirm my general statement that faster optics have larger central obstructions: F5 => 52%, and F7 => 48% obstruction. The faster F5 has a 4% larger obstruction. I've never come across any telescope design that from Newton to RC where the faster scope has a smaller obstruction. If...

There are two aspects: 1. the larger obstruction makes the light gathering area smaller for a faster scope, 2. the faster scope reaches a specific magnitude in a shorter exposure time. What you say is that aspect 1 weights more than aspect 2. Intuitively, I'd agree for insanely large...

Can you go a little bit more into detail what you mean exactly with your last sentence, please? Do you have Modulation Transfer Function and Contrast in mind or under which keywords can I find the explanation to the phenomenon you mention here?

Thanks for the input. What would be of greater benefit concerning planetary sciences and telescopes: a vocational education electronics or precision optics?

Would such a telescope be useful for discovering new main belt asteroids: http://www.officinastellare.com/products_scheda.php?idProd=29

I dropped out of physics in college and have several career choices now for the near future being all vocational. In the far future I want to end up in planetary sciences again. So, I'll want to work again with planetesimals, dwarf planets, evolution of planets, their geology, and astrobiology...

Maybe a stupid question and maybe sensless to ask, but as I don't know, I ask anyway: what is the length of the newly found gravitational waves in terms of traditional EM wavelengths?

If hypothesised planet nine is really discovered in the outskirts of our Solar system, will M. E. Brown and K. Batygin have a chance to win the Nobel prize in physics or is this too much of an old hat for the Nobel-commitee?

I did not know this is possible...what a kindergarten! When I read a paper I expect and want all authors to have participated directly, at least to some extend or some period, in the paper's research - for me that's just logical. Honoring, praises, funny statements (I also came across those)...

My point is how can someone be a coauthor of a paper when he/she is long gone and the research in the paper almost certainly was not conducted by this person anymore while still alive? When he/she participated in the paper's research then it's clear and one makes a respective footnote about...

How long after a scientist's death can papers be published with this very scientist as coauthor? I assume this is the case for all scientific work where he or she participated to such a degree that justifies listing as coauthor...living or dead. But there's a case that got me wondering. I read...