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Path: utzoo!utcsri!ubc-vision!alberta!andrew
From: andrew@alberta.UUCP (Andrew Folkins)
Newsgroups: net.astro
Subject: Re: Occultations, conjunctions, and the like
Message-ID: <698@alberta.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 21-Oct-85 09:52:58 EDT
Article-I.D.: alberta.698
Posted: Mon Oct 21 09:52:58 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 21-Oct-85 19:52:13 EDT
References: <2195@brl-tgr.ARPA> <673@astrovax.UUCP>
Reply-To: andrew@pembina.UUCP (Andrew Folkins)
Distribution: net
Organization: U. of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
Lines: 32
Summary: 

In article <673@astrovax.UUCP> sutin@astrovax.UUCP (Brian M. Sutin) writes:
>> Why does there seem to be so much interest among astronomy popularizers or
>> amateur skygazers regarding the common and inevitable patterns that
>> appear to us on the Earth's surface from the various positions of
>> astronomical bodies? ...
>
>I believe the interest has nothing to do with astronomy at all, but
>astrology.  The age of Aquarius coming when Mars wraps around Jupiter, and
>all that malarky.
>
>
>Brian Sutin
>astrovax!sutin


On the contrary.  Occultations provide real scientific data (size, shape, 
etc. of occulting body), IF enough observations are collected.  This is
one area in which amateur astronomers can make significant contributions.
(I think it was Sky & Telescope which organized observations about a year
ago when one of the major asteriods occulted a star.  A while later they
published a profile of the asteroid, as determined from the disappearance
and reappearance times of the star from different latitudes.)
 
Conjunctions are just plain nice to look at, especially if the two
objects are close enough to be seen together through a pair of binoculars
or a telescope. It is also fun to watch the two objects approach  and
then separate over a period of weeks.
-- 
Andrew Folkins        ...ihnp4!alberta!andrew    
 
All ideas in this message are fictional.  Any resemblance, to any idea,
living or dead, is purely coincidental.