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From: eugene@ames.UUCP (Eugene Miya)
Newsgroups: net.astro
Subject: Re: StarDate: April 24 Nine Months to Uranus
Message-ID: <971@ames.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 6-May-85 17:57:46 EDT
Article-I.D.: ames.971
Posted: Mon May  6 17:57:46 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 9-May-85 02:28:06 EDT
References: <55@utastro.UUCP> <603@abnji.UUCP>
Organization: NASA-Ames Research Center, Mtn. View, CA
Lines: 27

> When I read this, it seemed a bit misleading.  As Uranus moves around its 
> orbit, one hemisphere gradually lightens and one gradually darkens.  In
> fact, most of the time, most of the planet will get sunlight in a given day.
>
Most?  Maybe close to 50%?  Half a sphere if we 'round' the oblate
structure of the planet.
> 
> In the case of Uranus, the Arctic circle is much farther south, so
> this effect is more pronounced.
> -- 
> James C Armstrong, Jnr.   ihnp4!abnji!nyssa

I think the difficulty came in describing the 72 degree axis tilt of
Uranus [if my memory does not fail me].  One of the last things I did
before leaving JPL was begin the preliminary planning for the simulation
of Uranus encounter.  There are several unknowns regarding the length
of the Uranian day, I think we found four different lengths of a day.
Seasons are not well understood.  It would help immensly if it were
possible to see planetary features thru ground-based telescopes (or
space-based).  Oh! to have digitized pictures of StarDate transmissions
rather than the text.  Debbie should illustrate using computer generated
animation.  Will Bill Skane of Science notes on PBS do the same?

--eugene miya
  NASA Ames Research Center
  {hplabs,ihnp4,dual,hao,decwrl,allegra}!ames!aurora!eugene
  emiya@ames-vmsb.ARPA