2L,

A barn megaparsec is a long thin straw with roughly 3 cm^3 of volume. I used that unit once in a paper I was writing becuase the volumes in question were cm^3 but this sounded soooo much better. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" />

Now we are talkin the goooood stuff. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Roll Eyes]" src="images/icons/rolleyes.gif" />

JL

You guys have really lost me now!!!!!!!!

Words are my thing - I have NO idea what you're all talking about. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" />

I do know it was HOT yesterday, in Fahrenheit and Celcius. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="images/icons/tongue.gif" />

Jen

Retrograde, in astrology I believe means behind, not that it is spinning in the opposite direction. Venus actually spins in the opposite direction so that if you could see the sun from the surface it would appear to rise in the west and set in the east.

I believe Venus is the only planet with that spin, although as 2L points Uranus is one messed up planet.

Actually a Russian physician named Velokofsky (sp) offered an explanation for all of this in the 30's maybe 40's. It is an interesting book and very very controversial, but his primis was that most legends have basis in fact or where started by some real event. He claimed that Venus and Mars interacted, and Venus changed orbit. The interaction between Venus and Mars and subsequently the Earth changed Venus' rotation. He linked this in his theory to the Biblical story of the sun standing still in the sky. Following that logic the Chinese should have experienced the Sun being late in rising and indeed they apparently have such a legend.

Carl Sagan tried to do a calculation that would prove Velokosfsky wrong but he messed it up. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" />

The book is very very dry reading as he was not writing it for the popular media but as a scientific paper/book.

So 2L when are you going to write a new treatis on Venus????

So how did this topic get here in MB? Oh! I remember, it is chilly in Canada right? Or was it that it is warm in NZ in the summer?

Oh Well, it is fun.

JL

I thought the Mars/Venus/Uranus connection was this: men are from Mars, women are from Venus, and lawyers are from Uranus.

Oh, no my mistake JL, it was Mercury not Mars which is supposed to be in retrograde. But now you are saying that that is not so either, only Uranus. Well those dirty rotten horoscope liars anyway, messin with my head, getting me to think that Mercury was messing with my shipments. Dang!

For your astrological enjoyment JL (you too Jen, cause I know you will appreciate it, hey BTW Jen - smoke'em if you got'em! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" /> )

Taken from a website and only in part -


At several points throughout the year most of us will be bombarded with the maddening effects of Mercury in retrograde. Mercury is a planet which governs all transportation and communication issues. Mercury is not an emotional planet, but rather a highly objective, truth-seeking one. It rules intelligence, education and truth. When it is in retrograde, some of its power is held back.

When Mercury starts turning in an apparent backward motion, we will start to feel the effects of this event days or even as far as two weeks earlier. When the planet normalizes we will see the tempo of events pick up in our lives as the planet becomes "stationary" and then speeds forward.

Why would the Universe give us Mercury retrograde? Because to move forward it is sometimes necessary to backtrack and reconfigure our paths in life. It is important to reconsider, repair, reflect, and reconnect. Mercury forces us to slow down and fix what's broken, and in so doing, rethink things. It also gives us time to get to projects we have put on the back-burner.

Edited to add - WAT I just got your joke - too cute! But I sure hope SadFWW doesn't see it <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="images/icons/shocked.gif" /> where ever she is (miss you Sad!).

<small>[ December 28, 2004, 04:08 PM: Message edited by: weaver ]</small>

weaver:

Okay, I've got one for you! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="images/icons/wink.gif" />

From Phil Plait's "Bad Astronomy" website:

"What's Your Sign?

Bad Astronomy: The zodiac contains 12 constellations.

Good astronomy: By any reasonable definition, the zodiac contains between 13 and 24 constellations.

What's going on:

The creepy lounge lizard walks up to you, shirt unbuttoned down to his navel, gold chains dangling, and asks, 'What's your sign?'
Calmly, you take a sip of your drink, and say, 'Ophiuchus, the serpent bearer. I guess that's appropriate right now.'"

<img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" />

Yep, Venus is a weird place. Hotter than Mercury even. Day longer than its year.

Mercury has some peculiarities as well. Not a lot bigger than the moon, and looks a lot like it 2. With a very eccentric orbit and a rotation that's in a 3:2 resonance with its year. That means there are 3 days on Mercury every 2 years (88 Earth days). And with the eccentric orbit, when Mercury is closest 2 the sun, it moves faster, such that the motion of the sun against the background stars is faster than that due 2 Mercury's rotation. It would be possible 2 find a place on Mercury where you could watch the sun rise in the east, go up a ways, set again in the east, rise again in the east, go across the sky and set in the west, rise again in the west, go up a ways, and set again in the west. Wouldn't that be neat?

And on Uranus, with such a high tilt angle, one whole hemisphere experiences 21 years of winter night, followed by 21 years of day-night, followed by 21 years of day, then day-night, then night again.

I got a cool bumper sticker for Christmas! It has a pic2re of a roll of TP unfurling, with this printed on it:

"Kee the Earth clean. It's not Uranus!"

-ol' 2long

Actually, 2long, I do have a serious question for you.

Are the earthquake in Southern Asia and our terrible weather this summer somehow linked? Australia seems to be getting normal summer weather though.

This is probably a joint GC and 2long question. The geologist and the metereologist. LOL.

Jen

Jen,

The answer is NOPE. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" />

JL

Thanks, JL, it just seems so weird. I can't remember a worse summer.

BTW now I have a minute or two. How long were you in Australia? You didn't do a little trip across the Tasman to little old NZ did you? If you did and didn't come and visit us I'll never speak to you again. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" />

How was Oz? It's a wonderful country isn't it - wonderful, friendly laid-back people and wide open spaces. Geez, don't let any of the Aussies on here hear me say that. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="images/icons/wink.gif" />

Also, you probably haven't read Aussieswife's latest thread - I think it's disappeared. Aussie is home (and posting on Idiotville) but has severe PTSD. I'm sure they'd appreciate a call out from you.

Jen

Jen,

Well the itenerary was long. We flew to Aukland, and spent a day. Then drove down toward Rotarura (sp) saw the sites and stayed on a sheep farm for a few days. Then drove to Wellington, just spent a little time and took the very across to the south Island. Got a wonderful view of the Southern Cross during the passage. We stayed in Blenheim (sp??) and then drove to Christchurch where we stayed for a few more days.

Then flew from Christchurch to Hobart Tasmania and spent a few days there (had to see a Tasmanian devil you know for the kids) toured Port Arther (sp) and then flew to Melbourne and spent a few days there seeing the sites, the zoo, all sorts of stuff. Then flew to Alice Springs, went to Ayers Rock, climbed the rock and then came back. That was a few more days. We then went to Cairns and spent 3-4 days went to the barrier reef, and some tours of the rain forest and such. Then went down to Sydney and spent a week, including New Years (Great fireworks). Saw a few distant relatives while there, and then came home. About 6 weeks of traveling in all.

This was in the early 90's. Have not been back to NZ since but have had a trip or two to Aust. I would love to go back you live in a spectacular country Jenny, you really do.

JL

Oh I see. I thought from one of your posts recently that you'd spent THIS christmas at Ayers Rock.

I knew you'd been here and thanks for saying it's a lovely country. Gosh, I remember one of your first posts to me and you talked about Judder Bars but you called them Jutter Bars and I don't think anyone here has called them Judder Bars for about 15 years. We call them Speed Bumps! LOL. My kids wouldn't know what a judder bar is.

While I'm on a roll here I have to say that when I posted on Mulan's thread it was like I was talking about a different person. Amazing isn't it how far Rob and I have come?? And wonderful. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" />

Jen

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Originally posted by 2long:
<strong>It would be possible 2 find a place on Mercury where you could watch the sun rise in the east, go up a ways, set again in the east, rise again in the east, go across the sky and set in the west, rise again in the west, go up a ways, and set again in the west. Wouldn't that be neat?</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Yea, and make for some interesting fishing. Tides prolly all screwed up, though.

WAT

WAT,

I am not sure what kind of bait you would use on Mercury. But you would get fried with radiation. So bring the OH! SPF 1,000,000 or so. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" />

Jenny,

Actually the family we stayed with on the sheep farm used that term and it took awhile to figure out what they were talking about. Yup, they are good ole' speed bumps around here as well.

Then, there were those odd things called "jumpers". <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="images/icons/shocked.gif" /> It was a wonderful experience and I wish I could do it again. You truely do live in a wonderful part of the world.

JL

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Originally posted by KiwiJ.:
<strong>Amazing isn't it how far Rob and I have come?? And wonderful. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" /> </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Yep - you have much to be proud of and provide a model for others here.

Let us know what the new year is like, hey? If it arrives unremarkably, maybe I'll hit the sack at my normal time instead of staying up past 9:00.

WAT

Hey, my own little callout thread dropped to page 2.

WAT, New Years looks like it's going to be rain, rain and more rain. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Frown]" src="images/icons/frown.gif" />

Last NY we went to my best girlfriend's and I looked after her (very small) children on the beach all afternoon, then vaccuumed her house when we got back, but then had a lovely bbq dinner, cooked by the men when they arrived home.

I rib her mercilessly about my "relaxed" New Year last year.

Jen