David Clapham

Planetary scientist; TESS Exoplanet assessor; Realistic world designer for SF/fantasy authors. Mostly science, some cynical politics, occasional trivial banter.

[David Clapham @DClaphamFRAS]

@DawnSunrise1 I picked out all the second magnitude stars above the knees and a couple of thirds in the darker arc to the right of Mintaka.

[David Clapham @DClaphamFRAS]

The Observatory may be closed, but lockdown hasn't stopped us from upgrading the facilities. Here's the Three Peaks #radiotelescope dish being installed overlooking the 16" SCT room, where I usually spend Saturday evenings. (....and yes, that's a different TR7 by the main dome.)

[David Clapham @DClaphamFRAS]

Apologies to all for my sudden quiescence. The issues involved are almost resolved and I hope to rejoin you soon.

[David Clapham @DClaphamFRAS]

@BRGS_Physics Also: If the musical definition of an octave as a range of vibration spanning a doubling of frequency was applied to light....

The visible spectrum: 1 octave
The entire electromagnetic spectrum: 40 octaves

[David Clapham @DClaphamFRAS]

@_TheGeoff "Parliament" has voted to ask the EU if it's OK to delay Brexit. The EU have stated on many occasions that they would only consider an extension for the purpose of smoothly implementing a deal. Some individual states have said they will refuse.... and agreement must be unanimous.

[David Clapham @DClaphamFRAS]

@rjmlaird @UKParliament @UKLabour I've opposed a third EEC/EU referendum for the past two years, but am reluctantly coming round to the view that the only realistic way to break the deadlock is to ask the public the simple question: "Deal or no deal?"

[David Clapham @DClaphamFRAS]

@Dr_ThomasZ ....but if you're outside the US, we want your ideas for free. ROSES-2019 Summary of Solicitation: "....all research involving non-U.S. organizations (sic) will be conducted on the basis of no exchange of funds...."

[David Clapham @DClaphamFRAS]

@NinaWarhurst @BBCNWT Perhaps you could reflect that "your patch" has a larger electorate than Scotland & it voted just as emphatically as they did: but to leave? Maybe suggest we've heard more than enough from businesses who'd rather cause skills shortages in other nations than train the UK workforce

[David Clapham @DClaphamFRAS]

@DavidBflower Are they hoping that it'll already be down when they come back and that they can just scoop it onto the flatbed?

[David Clapham @DClaphamFRAS]

@BeccyBarr1 @DrRaviJ Unfortunately, we maturer men get various things which we don't need or want: blue pills, hair transplant surgery, "life" insurance and disposable shaving products.

[David Clapham @DClaphamFRAS]

@0rangelic Congratulations.

[David Clapham @DClaphamFRAS]

@Stephencheatley Fast and good images. Perhaps a few notes for the curious on how each one was captured.

[David Clapham @DClaphamFRAS]

@DavidBflower @RoyalAstroSoc @mw5868 Given that academia doesn't see an astronomy 'A'-level as necessary for entry to undergraduate courses in the subject, then I doubt the RAS would consider 40 years knowledge and experience in the related fields of observational astronomy and celestial navigation to be useful. :(

[David Clapham @DClaphamFRAS]

@SaturnSheila @RobertMMassey @willgater None, the observer is too far north for any star which rises & sets to pass through the zenith. The same is true for any observer in the UK. At my latitude of 53° 47' 15" N, a star passing through the zenith requires the same declination. It will be at 36° 12' 45" when due north.

[David Clapham @DClaphamFRAS]

@SaturnSheila @willgater @RobertMMassey Basic observational astronomy. A star of declination +80° is 10° from the pole, which it circles. When it is "south" of an 80°N observer, it reaches a minimum zenith distance of 0°, altitude 90°. When it is north of the observer, it is 20° (10°+10°) from the zenith, altitude 70°.

[David Clapham @DClaphamFRAS]

@Kath_Math Hint 1: Look at your own map of events over the next week and see if you notice anything about the urban/rural distribution.

[David Clapham @DClaphamFRAS]

@ProfTimOB @acdc @Bands_FC @Tim_Burgess There's a phrase about a "small world" in there somewhere Tim: that's the period when I was living in Denmark St and was at that concert too.

[David Clapham @DClaphamFRAS]

@BRGS_LRC That top shelf looks like one of mine. 😯

[David Clapham @DClaphamFRAS]

@KarenFaz @samatkin Its no more remarkable than the 1 in ~8,000 chance that we would be drawn away to them again. If we end up next year with the 1 in ~480,000 chance of having to play there in the FA Cup for a third consecutive time, then serious questions may need to be asked.