My research work is largely unpaid. I make a living designing
instruments- mostly cameras and guiders for custom applications at
observatories and a couple of space platforms.

My research work is largely unpaid. I make a living designing
instruments- mostly cameras and guiders for custom applications at
observatories and a couple of space platforms.


Then why do you do it and why do you hang out here?..?..?

"micky" <micky@mouse.net> wrote in message
news:9wZuh.189475$hn.144469@edtnps82...

My research work is largely unpaid. I make a living designing
instruments- mostly cameras and guiders for custom applications at
observatories and a couple of space platforms.

Then why do you do it and why do you hang out here?..?..?


He hangs out here for the same reason I do -- idle curiosity as to what
horseshit the village idiots will step in next.

Whats the difference between the two?

Then why do you do it and why do you hang out here?..?..?

"Sitav" <sitav_n...@yahoo.com> wrote:
Whats the difference between the two?In 1962, the UCLA Astronomy dept offered a degree in Astronomy for
those who did not expect to go on to a Masters or Ph D degree. They
offered Astronomy-Physics for those who were going for MS and Ph D.
The latter curriculum required almost the same classes in Physics as
did the Physics majors. Later they dropped the old Astronomy
curriculum and renamed Astronomy-Physics to Astronomy. I got the
Astro-Physics degree and think it looks cooler on my office wall than
just Astronomy. :-)

I assume things like this, in the 60's, occurred in other places.

Today, professional astronomy (except that directed toward general
public entertainment) is Physics directed primarily outside the
earth's atmosphere and most degrees require upper division Physics
classes in Classical Mechanics, Thermo, Quantum, E&M,Mathmatical
Physics, Modern Physics (relativity, atomic etc) and maybe other
optionals like Electronics and Optics (so they can build some of their
own toys) and maybe Solid State.

One does not need all this to give planetarium shows but they are
needed to go for an MS and/or a Ph D.

TV and movies use Astro-Physics because it sounds better than
Astronomer and it follows and leads the public's image.

I went for the MS in Physics and then became a full time Optical
Designer and Engineer. Go figure.

I hope this helps illuminate. :-)

Jim Klein

James E. Klein
jamesekl...@earthlink.net

Engineering Calculationshttp://www.ecalculations.com
ecalculati...@ecalculations.com
Engineering Calculations is the home of
the KDP-2 Optical Design Program
for Windows.
1-818-507-5706 (Voice and Fax)
1-818-823-4121

My research work is largely unpaid. I make a living designing
instruments- mostly cameras and guiders for custom applications at
observatories and a couple of space platforms.


Then why do you do it and why do you hang out here?..?..?

"Chris L Peterson" <c...@alumni.caltech.edu> wrote in messagenews:nfrnr25see23ihqig7o9fk05dqe5a02ues@4ax.com...

On Sat, 27 Jan 2007 23:59:13 GMT, "micky" <m...@mouse.net> wrote:

You mean to say that personally know a few hundred astronomers/physicists?
Come on now.

I probably know a couple of dozen very well, and a couple of hundred
others that I communicate with and meet occasionally at conferences.
_I'm_ an astronomer/physicist... it's hardly surprising that these are
the people I know.

For my own curiosity -- these professional astronomers/astrophysicists that
you know or are acquainted with -- do all/some/most/a few/none of them have
their own scopes at home that they drag out into the backyard for a look at
Jupiter, or, are they beyond that??

I ask because it seems as though once one dives into the realm of serious
science, backyard astronomy might seem tame. Or maybe they just don't have
the time.

For my own curiosity -- these professional astronomers/astrophysicists that
you know or are acquainted with -- do all/some/most/a few/none of them have
their own scopes at home that they drag out into the backyard for a look at
Jupiter, or, are they beyond that??

I ask because it seems as though once one dives into the realm of serious
science, backyard astronomy might seem tame. Or maybe they just don't have
the time.

On Jan 28, 1:18 am, "Joe S." <no_...@nowhere.net> wrote:

For my own curiosity -- these professional astronomers/astrophysicists that
you know or are acquainted with -- do all/some/most/a few/none of them have
their own scopes at home that they drag out into the backyard for a look at
Jupiter, or, are they beyond that??

A few (like myself) were into professional astronomy through an
original interest in amateur astronomy, but the vast majority are
primarily physicists (and a few mathematicians) using the universe to
test theoretical models of how things work in nature by making
observations.

I ask because it seems as though once one dives into the realm of serious
science, backyard astronomy might seem tame. Or maybe they just don't have
the time.

Comparatively few astrophysicists know the sky at all well. They don't
need to! Big telescope time is so precious that no-one looks through
them any more and computer programmes work out the optimum observing
sequence to minimise time wasted moving between objects. A lot of the
time the largest apertures are being used for spectroscopy that can
tell you a lot more about the physical environment where the light was
emitted. Simple images can give misleading line of sight effects.

Universities tend to have teaching telescopes that are around 0.5m
class and so it isn't all that attractive to go home and lug out a
smaller scope. Night assistants at optical (and sometimes) radio
observatories are often pretty well clued up on the night sky though.
Astrophysics researchers tend to know a lot about the physics that
powers the objects and shapes their appearence.

Regards,
Martin Brown
--