[pasmembers] Measurement SIG

From: Alex Vrenios <axv@xxxxxxx>
To: pasmembers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Sun, 18 May 2014 13:14:59 -0700
All,

I'm sending this to see if there is any interest in a Measurement SIG, a 
Special Interest Group of the PAS. Together we will attempt to reenact the 
scientific discoveries of early astronomers.

My vision so far is to do one or two topics per year. We would meet somewhere 
convenient, perhaps at a local restaurant (during their non-rush hours), to 
discuss the current topic in detail.

Each topic (see list below) may have one or more candidate objects with 
properties to measure:

   Phase 0 - choose and agree upon a topic from the list (or propose a new one)

   Phase 1 - present the topic, discuss the historical methods and develop a 
list of candidates

   Phase 2 - agree on a candidate and refine the measurement method(s) [okay to 
be different]

   Phase 3 - ongoing discussion via a PAS email sublist until everyone has 
arrived at a value

   Phase 4 - compare our results to the accepted value and celebrate our success


Topics:

   Size of a lunar object (crater diameter, ray length, mare region etc.)

   Height of a lunar object (mountain, crater edge, etc.)

   The latitude and longitude of central Phoenix

   The diameter of the Earth

   Distance to a nearby star

   Distance to a distant cluster or galaxy, via a Cepheid star

   Distance to the Sun (1 AU)

   Inclination of Earth's axis of rotation

   Diameter of Mercury's orbit around the Sun

   Diameter of Venus' orbit around the Sun

   Diameter of Titan's orbit around Saturn

   Diameters of the orbits of the Galilean moons of Jupiter

   Orbit of a large asteroid

   Orbit of a comet

   Others?

Alex
[pasmembers] Measurement SIG

Other related posts:
