Fwd: Urania Presents (New Version)...

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From: b <rrdd3939@aol.com>
To: rrdd3939 <rrdd3939@aol.com>
Sent: Wed, Aug 22, 2012 6:11 pm
Subject: Fwd: Urania Presents (New Version)...

Dear Readers, This is corrected version. In original version, pics 2 & 3 had to do with astronautics not

 astronomy and not the nature of our Galaxy. Rectified: Pics 2 & 3 replaced with proper pics. This is

expanded version with 'new' info on exoplanets.
Original Version: Wed, Jul 18, 2012 8:40 pm

                        URANIA Presents Her Astronomy (Corrected & Expanded)

                                  by Richard DePersio and Citizen Journalist

We protest!!! Books, documentaries and the Internet claim that the first exoplanet was

discovered in '92 orbiting a pulsar and in '95 by Mike Mayor (51 Pegusi b) orbiting a main

sequence star. We contend that exoplanets were discovered in the '60s and '70s as

astrometric binaries. Astrometric binaries are binaries in which one member is too faint to be

seen but whose presence is realized and its mass determined by its gravitational effect on its

larger and visible partner. The mass can be low enough to qualify it as a planet. A method still

employed. See "Plato Presents Calliope" at www.rickcmtsite.blogspot.com. You may want to

 reread --- or not. Add this to that as it comes from the same source: Peter van de Kemp may

have been the first exoplanet discoverer in '68 after carefully analyzing hundreds of observations

 of Barnard's Star made over a 51 year period.  (as stated in the college textbook; second

edition - '69 which also talks about 69 Cygni). It had a mass 80% greater than Jupiter. You

 might argue that we now consider objects ranging from 15 to 25 Jupiter masses to be brown

dwarf stars. Let's fast forward to the '85 third edition of Hartmann's college textbook:

"Astronomy: The Cosmic Journey." It states that five of the nearest stars have planets,

including, Barnard's Star and 61 Cygni. And, that three stars just a little further out have

planets with masses 10-15 times greater than Jupiter's. We tentatively rest our case!

After all, more evidence might come to light. It has (expanded version)! "Astronomy:

Fundamentals and Frontiers" ('77) by Jastrow and Thompson: "The periodic shift or wiggle

seems to have been detected in the path of Barnard's Star. According to Peter van de Kamp,

small variations in the path of Barnard's Star reveal that two planets, approximately the size of

Jupiter and Saturn are in orbit around it...photographic plates exposed at the telescope over

a period of decades. Two such quests have been performed...implying presence of  two or

more planets of Jovian mass or smaller. {Needs further study}" "Are We Alone" ('81) by Rood

 and Trefil: "...Barnard's Star is small (0.15 solar masses) star about 5 light years away. Since

 the late 1930s, Peter van de Kamp has taken thousands of photographs of this star...Although

some of (his) early data were questioned on technical grounds, the data since 1950 can't be

criticized on the same grounds. Furthermore the predictions of the star's position made on the

basis of data taken through 1975 have been verified by observation taken through 1979.

Even though some controversy remains, van de Kamp and Lipponcott seem successfully

detected the first extrasolar-system planet."* Carl Sagan contributes to the conversation:

"...For most of the trip the velocity would be very close to the speed of light and time would

slow down enormously. A nearby objective, a sun that may have planets, Barnard's star,

about six light years away. it could be reached in about eight years as measured by clocks

aboard the shop..." (Cosmos, 1980). Thanks Carl from coming from the heavens (weren't

you an atheist?) to serve as a witness. Kamp not Mayor: We rest our case!

Between the '50s and the '90s, it was thought that the Milky Way Galaxy consisted

of four major arms: Norma; Sagittarius; Scutum-Centaurus; Perseus; There were two spurs:

Our solar system resides on a spur of Sagittarius called Orion.

During the '90s, we came to the realization that our galaxy wasn't a spiral but a barred-

spiral with two major arms: Perseus emanating from one end of the bar and Scutum-

Centaurus the other - which is the way virtually all barred spiral do it. These arms

contained numerous young, hot stars and old red giants. The other two arms have been

downgraded to minor having a paucity of hot, young stars and being sgorter.. All arms have

 dust and gas. (Some astronomers are calling it: Crux-Scutum).

If truth be told: the downgraded arms are none too pleased! A deviant Centaurus issued

a Press Release: "I'm still here. Challenge me: Make my  day!" Sagittarius is resigned

to the situation having told reporters: "Now, I know how Pluto feels!

(Also at this venue "Citizen Journalist is Missing" - start with "The Last Bow". {"The Return of

Citizen Journalist" at www.rickcmtsite.blogspot.com; "Prequel: Citizen Journalist in Diogenes

Club" at www.quasarpolitics.blogspot.com - problems connecting? Connect via Facebook

Second American Revolution} Also at this site: The on-going "Plato in the Cave Series").

(We must acknowledge the fact that Hubble has yet to confirm).