Celebrity Astronomers?
Matt Tarlach
politicians who are active as amateur astronomers. I've read that
Johnny Carson not only owns a C14, but actually takes it out and uses
it fairly frequently. Whether the frequent appearances of Carl Sagan,
John Dobson etc on The Tonight Show were a cause or effect of his
interest in astronomy, I do not know. I've also heard that Al Gore,
and before him Fritz Mondale, were occasional viewers at the USNO
facility adjacent to Blair house. And I recall an interview with a
young alternative rock star in which he alluded to an astronomical
interest, but I forget the name or the band.
Any others?
-----
Matt Tarlach
Carmichael, CA
mattt...@jps.net
Anthony Ayiomamitis
I think a recent issue of Astronomy magazine had an interview with
the gentleman who plays Tuvok (Tim Russ) in the Star Trek: Voyager series
who is also an avid amateur astronomer.
Anthony.
Tdcarls
scope and found observing a relaxing hobby. Can't remember what his name was
though. He may not even play with them anymore.
Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley professes an interest. I noticed last year he even
has a NASA sticker on the back of the Les Paul that he uses the most.
Tim Russ (Tuvok from the tv show Voyager), has been mentioned by others here
before too.
Todd
http://www.simpleastrophotography.com
http://www.naturetrails.on.ca
Les Blalock
I don't know if he's into it or not but during the Monday Night
Football broadcast week before last, Dennis Miller mentioned Hadley
Rille and the Sea of Tranquility as the camera showed the moon above
the stadium.
Les Blalock
Odessa, TX
http://www.cableone.net/les/Astro/
Jakob
was an amateur astronomer. Saw a program about him and then he told that he
really enjoyed this hobby (he was talking about telescopes and other stuff).
Greetings,
Jakob Sagatowski
http://hem.passagen.se/planetariet/astro
"Matt Tarlach" <mattt...@jps.net> skrev i meddelandet
news:Yece7.843$Ya7.1...@nntp1.onemain.com...
Mark Wilden
news:s8nintsu3u2oh6r5a...@4ax.com...
>
> I don't know if he's into it or not but during the Monday Night
> Football broadcast week before last, Dennis Miller mentioned Hadley
> Rille and the Sea of Tranquility as the camera showed the moon above
> the stadium.
I wonder if it was Dennis Miller who mentioned it, or a writer?
Morgoth's Cat
>I remember that the guitar-player (dont remember name) from the group Queen
>was an amateur astronomer. Saw a program about him and then he told that he
>really enjoyed this hobby (he was talking about telescopes and other stuff).
Brian May? He has a degree in astrophysics IIRC.
Best Regards,
Dave
--
**************************************************************
* Supernovae, Supernova Remnants and Young-Earth Creationism *
* http://www.valinor.freeserve.co.uk/supernova.html *
**************************************************************
Mike Smith
It's Brian May remember him now? .He was on a programme with Patrick Moore a
couple of years ago ,I think it was prior to the Eclipse of August 1999 ?
All the Best.
Mike Smith.
Beginners Astronomy.
http://home.clara.net/thedoor/
Farnham Astro Society.
http://www.farnhamas.plus.com/
"Jakob" <n...@no.com> wrote in message
news:9lde7.10749$z21.1...@newsc.telia.net...
Jeff Cook
> interest in astronomy, I do not know. I've also heard that Al Gore,
> and before him Fritz Mondale, were occasional viewers at the USNO
> facility adjacent to Blair house.
Just picking nits, but Blair House is not at the US Naval Observatory.
The VP lives in the house built for the Superintendent of the USNO, and
it was converted for use by the VP starting with Mondale (it's still
called the "Temporary Official Residence"). Blair House in elsewhere in
Washington, was used by President Truman while the White House was being
renovated, and is currently used for visiting dignitaries.
http://www.usno.navy.mil/command_history.html
http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/travel/wash/dc25.htm
--
Jeff Cook
je...@cookstudios.com
http://www.cookstudios.com
703-524-5333
NOVAC STAR GAZE 2001
A NOVAC Public Astronomy Event (19th Year!)
Saturday, September 22, 2001
Franklin Park, near Purcellville, VA
45 miles from the Washington DC Beltway
http://www.novac.com/gaze
astronomics
singer of 80's Hair Band Cinderella, owns a 12" LX200. They had some nice
shots of him and scope, but it was a little goofy since it was in the middle
of the day and there wasn't a solar filter on the scope. There are other
celeb astronomers out there, you might be surprised at who they are.
Clear Skies,
Mike/astronomics
www.astronomics.com
www.astrofieds.com
www.birdbino.com
astronomics/christophers ltd.
680 S.W. 24th Ave.
Norman, OK
73069
800-422-7876
"Matt Tarlach" <mattt...@jps.net> wrote in message
news:Yece7.843$Ya7.1...@nntp1.onemain.com...
Jakob
Thanks for "re-remembering" it for me.
"Mike Smith" <som...@thedoor.clara.co.uk> skrev i meddelandet
news:997811948.366369@dionysos...
star...@bellsouth.net
<mattt...@jps.net> wrote:
Don't know about others, but Gore was apparently a fairly avid
stargazer; one of his daughters related how many dinner parties ended
with Gore taking the Guests to the observatory.
Cary
(Roxanne Dawson ) also has a telescope of her own.
Anthony Ayiomamitis
Now that you mention it, I think you are right. Unless I am mistaken, I
think that Bill Shatner (Captain Kirk, TOS) also dabbled in amateur astronomy.
Anthony.
Jorge Alvarez
Clarke posing next to his 8" or 10" SCT (the article is about his
predictions for the next 100 years). I know he is not a politician nor a
rock star, but as one of the greatest science fiction writers of the past
century I think he is worth mentioning!
Clear skies,
-Jorge Alvarez
> For no particular reason, I'm curious about stories of celebrities or
> politicians who are active as amateur astronomers.
>
> Any others?
Colin James
apparently can identify most of the constellations.
Haven't head of any LX200's stashed away at Buck Palace though.
Maybe they don't call them "Royal Observatories" for nothing.
Rod Mollise
>(Okay, the last party was simply inserted for shock/comedic value.)
Hi John:
Well, ya never know. The little bitty town little Miss Britney lived in (for a
while, anyway), McComb, Mississippi, is the home of our area star party, the
Deep South Regional Star Gaze--don't REMEMBER her showin' up, but ya never
know! :-)
Peace,
Rod Mollise
Author of _Choosing and Using a Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope_
Like SCTs and MCTs?
Check-out sct-user, the mailing list for CAT fanciers!
Goto <http://members.aol.com/RMOLLISE/index.html>
Rod Mollise
>In a recent issue of Reader's Digest magazine there's a picture of Arthur C.
>Clarke posing next to his 8" or 10" SCT
Hi:
Actually, Mr. Clarke uses a nice C14, and has even written a letter or two to
Sky and Telescope over the years.
Karl Hutchings
than a casual interest in the stars. "Beach House On The Moon" is just the
latest astronomical reference, among many others, appearing in his music
over the years.
Starry, starry nights,
Karl
SKEYEGUY
Is sometimes what goes through my mind when I set the phone down. Last week we
had an Astronaut, a Producer and a Congressman. It truely amazes me who ambles
in, calls or e-mails.
Clear Skies, www.optcorp.com
Mike Fowler o...@optcorp.com
Manager
Oceanside Photo & Telescope
Larry Patriarca
Ken Wilson
and owned a SCT.
Also, Barbara Feldon (Agent 99 on Get Smart) once stated in a TV
interview that she had a telescope and delighted in watching the moons
of Jupiter.
Also, sometime back in the 60's I believe, Hugh Downs wrote an article
about grinding the mirror for his own telescope. I think the article
was published in Reader's Digest.
Another TV personality with a keen interest in astronomy was Dave
Garoway.
star...@bellsouth.net
>>
>>(Okay, the last party was simply inserted for shock/comedic value.)
>
>Hi John:
>
>Well, ya never know. The little bitty town little Miss Britney lived in (for a
>while, anyway), McComb, Mississippi, is the home of our area star party, the
>Deep South Regional Star Gaze--don't REMEMBER her showin' up, but ya never
>know! :-)
Well, actually she only went to school there, she lived a few miles
south just across the Louisiana line.
But she'd be welcome at either the Deep South or the Mid South!!
star...@bellsouth.net
>>
>>(Okay, the last party was simply inserted for shock/comedic value.)
>
>Hi John:
>
>Well, ya never know. The little bitty town little Miss Britney lived in (for a
>while, anyway), McComb, Mississippi, is the home of our area star party, the
>Deep South Regional Star Gaze--don't REMEMBER her showin' up, but ya never
>know! :-)
Well, actually she only went to school there, she lived a few miles
Les Blalock
Are you getting these all down for the saa website FAQ?
This is another one of those threads that comes up often.
Les
http://www.cableone.net/les/Astro/
Scooter
Robert Smith, the just retired start running back of the Minnesota Vikings
has been interviewed several times about his interest in Astronomy. He
talked in an interview on the NFL.com site about how he was excited about
trading his 12 inch LX-200 for a 16 inch LX-200 for his home observatory.
Tom Bemus
walked up to have a look at his scopes. He checked out the 8" and 12.5"
Portaballs and obviously understood how they worked.
He even commented how much he was enjoying himself because nobody was fussing
over him and at NEAF he was just another amateur astronomer.
Thom Bemus, Martz Obs. Pub. Ed. Dir.
Director, NPO's Stars-In-The-Parks
http://members.aol.com/bemusabord
http://members.aol.com/CherrySpSP
http://members.aol.com/BuffAstro
scott
celebration he was out observing the moons of Jupiter before going in to watch
2001 A Space Odyssey. With at least that much interest in astronomy I wonder
what someone of his financial stature uses for a scope.....
Scott
Mark Wilden
news:seesig-CDC6E0....@news2.srv.hcvlny.cv.net...
>
> That reminds me, Metallica has a song called "Astronomy". Written by
> James Hetfield.
Pink Floyd had a song called "Astronomy Domine." I think it was on the same
album as "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun." :)
Gareth Slee
news:tnla5l6...@news.supernews.com...
> Pink Floyd had a song called "Astronomy Domine." I think it was on the
same
> album as "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun." :)
>
The Album was "Piper at the Gates of Dawn"
The lyric was
Lime and limpid green, a second scene,
A fight between the blue you once knew.
Floating down, the sound resounds
Around the icy waters underground
Jupiter and Saturn Oberon Miranda
And Titania Neptune Titan
Stars can frighten...
Lime and limpid green, a second scene,
A fight between the blue you once knew.
Floating down, the sound resounds
Around the icy waters underground
Jupiter and Saturn Oberon Miranda
And Titania Neptune Titan
Stars can frighten...
Blinding signs flap, flicker flicker flicker
Blam pow pow
Stairway scare Dan Dare who's there...
Lime and limpid green, the sounds around
The icy waters under
Lime and limpid green, the sound around
The icy waters underground
---------------------------------------------
No further comment is required ;)
--
Gareth Slee
The news:sci.astro.amateur Website
Jorge Alvarez
Clear Skies,
-Jorge Alvarez
-----------------------
Bob Schmall
Bob
"scott" <scottu...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:c85e45e.01081...@posting.google.com...
Larry Brown
Tom Hanks narrates the presentation for the Hayden Planetarium in New
York city. Ann Druyan wrote the script. Tom is an avid amateur
astronomer, though I don't know what scopes he uses.
A couple of years ago, Patrick Stewart was in Columbus Ohio when he
was invited to come out to the observatory and look through a scope. It
took some arm twisting to get him out there, but when he finally did peer
through a scope at the moon, he was totally amazed and said something
like "you can actually see craters!" I thought it was amusing that he had
so little interest in astronomy given the role he had been playing for
years.
L Brown
Paul Schlyter
Gareth Slee <garet...@ntlworld.com> wrote:
> Mark Wilden <ma...@mwilden.com> wrote in message
> news:tnla5l6...@news.supernews.com...
>> Pink Floyd had a song called "Astronomy Domine." I think it was on the
>> same album as "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun." :)
>
> The Album was "Piper at the Gates of Dawn"
Live versions of both songs appeared on "Ummagumma" from 1969.
> The lyric was
>
> Lime and limpid green, a second scene,
> A fight between the blue you once knew.
> Floating down, the sound resounds
> Around the icy waters underground
> Jupiter and Saturn Oberon Miranda
> And Titania Neptune Titan
> Stars can frighten...
>
> Lime and limpid green, a second scene,
> A fight between the blue you once knew.
> Floating down, the sound resounds
> Around the icy waters underground
> Jupiter and Saturn Oberon Miranda
> And Titania Neptune Titan
> Stars can frighten...
>
> Blinding signs flap, flicker flicker flicker
> Blam pow pow
> Stairway scare Dan Dare who's there...
>
> Lime and limpid green, the sounds around
> The icy waters under
> Lime and limpid green, the sound around
> The icy waters underground
> ---------------------------------------------
>
> No further comment is required ;)
by Syd Barrett, that early PF member who had to quit because he got
crazy on drugs. And "Astronomy Domine" was the last song by Syd
Barrett to appear on a PF album. It's even been re-recorded more
recently - I think "Astronomy Domine" appeared on the same CD single
as "Take it back", a song from PF's last (and apparently final) album
"The Division Bell" from 1994.
--
----------------------------------------------------------------
Paul Schlyter, Swedish Amateur Astronomer's Society (SAAF)
Grev Turegatan 40, S-114 38 Stockholm, SWEDEN
e-mail: pausch at saaf dot se or paul.schlyter at ausys dot se
WWW: http://hotel04.ausys.se/pausch http://welcome.to/pausch
Paul Schlyter
Matt Tarlach <mattt...@jps.net> wrote:
> For no particular reason, I'm curious about stories of celebrities or
> Johnny Carson not only owns a C14, but actually takes it out and uses
> it fairly frequently. Whether the frequent appearances of Carl Sagan,
> John Dobson etc on The Tonight Show were a cause or effect of his
> interest in astronomy, I do not know. I've also heard that Al Gore,
> and before him Fritz Mondale, were occasional viewers at the USNO
> facility adjacent to Blair house. And I recall an interview with a
> young alternative rock star in which he alluded to an astronomical
> interest, but I forget the name or the band.
>
> Any others?
astronomy at Uppsala university around 1880 and then worked a few
years as an astronomer at Stockholm's old observatory (in the middle
of the city; nowadays it's a museum) in the 1880'ies, before he
decided to devote himself to politics.
Paul Schlyter
versions of both songs appeared on "Ummagumma" from 1969.
Printman
On Tue, 14 Aug 2001 17:56:12 GMT,
mor...@REMOVETHISwytchcraft.REMOVETHISASWELLnet (Morgoth's Cat)
wrote:
>On Tue, 14 Aug 2001 17:37:09 GMT, "Jakob" <n...@no.com> scribed:
>
>>I remember that the guitar-player (dont remember name) from the group Queen
>>was an amateur astronomer. Saw a program about him and then he told that he
>>really enjoyed this hobby (he was talking about telescopes and other stuff).
>
>Brian May? He has a degree in astrophysics IIRC.
>
>Best Regards,
>Dave
Gareth Slee
same
> > album as "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun." :)
>
> Yep - both were on the album "A Saucerful of Secrets" from 1968. Live
> versions of both songs appeared on "Ummagumma" from 1969.
"Astronomy Domine" was definitely on "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn"
See http://bomb.tripod.com/pflyrics.html
Rod Mollise
>I have a collection of astronomy lyrics here:
>http://nexstar.50megs.com/starf.html
>
>Including a Floyd song. :)
Hi John:
But no HAWKWIND?! :-(
Nice site...!
John Steinberg
rmol...@aol.com (Rod Mollise) wrote:
> But no HAWKWIND?! :-(
An error of omission not commission, Rod. I'll fix that soon. Hawkwind
rocks, but I need an astro relevant lyric. Got any?
> Nice site...!
Thank you. :)
-John Steinberg
--------------------------------------------------------
email: manby...@aol.com
http://nexstar.50megs.com/index.html
Rod Mollise
>rocks, but I need an astro relevant lyric. Got any?
Hi John:
Well...off the top of me head..."Earth Calling"..."Master of the
Unvierse"..."The Andromeda Nebula"...etc. If you're interested I probably have
some HW lyrics on old record covers around here (for you young folks, "album
covers" were big, square cardboard things that we used to hold "LPs" (we also
used 'em for...uh...other purposes)...;-)
John Gretchen
For the flood of memories.
Rod Mollise wrote:
>
>(for you young folks, "album
> covers" were big, square cardboard things that we used to hold "LPs" (we also
> used 'em for...uh...other purposes)...;-)
>
> Peace,
> Rod Mollise
> Author of _Choosing and Using a Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope_
> Like SCTs and MCTs?
> Check-out sct-user, the mailing list for CAT fanciers!
> Goto <http://members.aol.com/RMOLLISE/index.html>
--
Clear skies,
John N. Gretchen III
Port O'Connor TX
http://www.tisd.net/~jng3/stars/ [updated 08/09/01]
"Whenever anyone says, 'theoretically', they really mean, 'not really'."
— Dave Parnas
Mark Gingrich
> Hjalmar Branting, who was prime minister of Sweden 1920-1925, studied
> astronomy at Uppsala university around 1880 and then worked a few
> years as an astronomer at Stockholm's old observatory (in the middle
> of the city; nowadays it's a museum) in the 1880'ies, before he
> decided to devote himself to politics.
Okay, if we're allowed to nominate obscure celebrities, then I submit
the name of Pope Alexander VII, who was pontiff from 1655 to 1667.
According to J.L. Heilbron's _The Sun in the Church: Cathedrals as
Solar Observatories_, p. 95, Pope Alexander VII "... had an interest
in astronomy and amused himself making sundials...."
--
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Mark Gingrich gri...@rahul.net San Leandro, California
Doug Culbertson
big CDs"!
BTW, Pink Floyd STILL sounds better on vinyl!
Doug
Midway, FL
"Rod Mollise" <rmol...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20010815184551...@mb-fy.aol.com...
Mark Wilden
news:20010815184551...@mb-fy.aol.com...
> "album
> covers" were big, square cardboard things that we used to hold "LPs" (we
also
> used 'em for...uh...other purposes)...;-)
Especially double album covers! ;)
John Steinberg
rmol...@aol.com (Rod Mollise) wrote:
> Well...off the top of me head..."Earth Calling"..."Master of the
> Unvierse"..."The Andromeda Nebula"...etc. If you're interested I probably have
> some HW lyrics on old record covers around here (for you young folks, "album
> covers" were big, square cardboard things that we used to hold "LPs" (we also
> used 'em for...uh...other purposes)...;-)
>
Thanks, Rod!
Titles mean I should be able to find those lyrics. Good stuff!
I'll get that squared away asap (along with correcting the B.O.C. credit
- ty!)
Are you saying you swaddled your album covers in aluminum foil for sun
bathing purposes, Rod? <wink, wink, nudge, nudge>
Hey, I read mary jane was one of the largest cash crops in all of VT,
but I never inhaled (err...or was it exhaled?) <g>
Paul Schlyter
Mark Gingrich <gri...@rahul.net> wrote:
> Paul Schlyter wrote:
>
>> Hjalmar Branting, who was prime minister of Sweden 1920-1925, studied
>> astronomy at Uppsala university around 1880 and then worked a few
>> years as an astronomer at Stockholm's old observatory (in the middle
>> of the city; nowadays it's a museum) in the 1880'ies, before he
>> decided to devote himself to politics.
>
>
> Okay, if we're allowed to nominate obscure celebrities,
1. Because he's not american?
2. Because he's not a musician or a movie star?
3. Because he lived a few generations ago?
It shouldn't be 3. because someone else brought un Benjamin Franklin
who predated Branting by several more generations, and no-one thought
Franklin was an "obscure" celebrity. This ought to rule out 2. too
because Benjamin Franklin was neither a musician nor a movie star....
So what appears to remain is 1.
Thus: who do only american celebrities count here?
> then I submit
> the name of Pope Alexander VII, who was pontiff from 1655 to 1667.
>
> According to J.L. Heilbron's _The Sun in the Church: Cathedrals as
> Solar Observatories_, p. 95, Pope Alexander VII "... had an interest
> in astronomy and amused himself making sundials...."
--
Paul Schlyter
Gareth Slee <garet...@ntlworld.com> wrote:
>>> Pink Floyd had a song called "Astronomy Domino." I think it was on the
>>> same album as "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun." :)
>>
>> Yep - both were on the album "A Saucerful of Secrets" from 1968. Live
>> versions of both songs appeared on "Ummagumma" from 1969.
>
> "Astronomy Domine" was definitely on "The Piper at the Gates of Dawn"
was on "A Saucerful of Secrets", released one year later. Thus both
songs didn't appear on the same album until "Ummagumma", one year
later still.
From http://www.amazon.com:
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn:
1. Astronomy Domine
2. Lucifer Sam
3. Matilda Mother
4. Flaming
5. Pow R. Toc H.
6. Take up Thy Stethoscope and Walk
7. Interstellar Overdrive
8. The Gnome
9. Chapter 24
10. Scarecrow
11. Bike
A Saucerful of Secrets:
1. Let There Be More Light
2. Remember a Day
3. Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun
4. Corporal Clegg
5. A Saucerful of Secrets
6. See Saw
7. Jugband Blues
Ummagumma:
Disc: 1 - Live album
1. Astronomy Domine
2. Careful With That Axe, Eugene
3. Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun
4. A Saucerful of Secrets
Disc: 2 - Studio album
1. Sysyphus (Pt. 1)
2. Sysyphus (Pt. 2)
3. Sysyphus (Pt. 3)
4. Sysyphus (Pt. 4)
5. Grantchester Meadows
6. Several Species of Small Furry Animals
Gathered Together in a Cave An
7. Narrow Way, Pt. 1
8. Narrow Way, Pt. 2
9. Narrow Way, Pt. 3
10. Grand Vizier's Garden Party: Enterance, Pt. 1
11. Grand Vizier's Garden Party: Entertainment, Pt. 2
12. Grand Vizier's Garden Party: Exit, Pt. 3
Skylook123
Steinberg <see...@bottom.invalid> writes:
>Titles mean I should be able to find those lyrics. Good stuff!
>I'll get that squared away asap (along with correcting the B.O.C. credit
>- ty!)
>
How about "The Stars Are Ours", written by Paul Cooper of The Nylons, on the
'Seamless' album released in 1984?
Lyrics from:
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Coffeehouse/1659/starsareours.html
The Stars Are Ours
Behold, the blue horizon line
We see Orion rising
The stars are ours
The stars are ours tonight
They sparkle and shine so bright
Because you're mine tonight
The stars are ours
The moon that's up in the sky
Is shining for you and I
Because you're mine tonight
The stars are ours
We've come a long way from Andromeda
We've got a long way to go, I know, I know
Interplanetary wanderers
Like comets around the sun
We come and we go
The stars are ours tonight
They sparkle and shine so bright
Because you're mine tonight
The stars are ours
The moon that's up in the sky
Is shining for you and I
Because you're mine tonight
The stars are ours
Relax, the galaxies dance and spin
To the music of the spheres
No charted course for the space that we're in
The stars are ours tonight, to light the years
The stars are ours tonight
They sparkle and shine so bright
Because you're mine tonight
The stars are ours
The moon that's up in the sky
Is shining for you and I
Because you're mine tonight
The stars are ours
Because you're mine tonight
The stars are ours
Because you're mine tonight
The stars are ours
Behold the blue horizon line
We see Orion rising
The stars are ours
Jim
"A Bad Night With A Telescope
Beats a Good Night Doing Anything Else"
Scooter
"ex-celebrities" or "dead celebrities" would be appropriate.
"Paul Schlyter" <pau...@saaf.se> wrote in message
news:9lftu9$rki$1...@merope.saaf.se...
rande...@aol.com
-Rich
On Wed, 15 Aug 2001 05:14:00 GMT, "Karl Hutchings"
<wkhut...@home.com> wrote:
>I don't know for sure, but I've long suspected that Jimmy Buffett has more
>than a casual interest in the stars. "Beach House On The Moon" is just the
>latest astronomical reference, among many others, appearing in his music
>over the years.
>
>Starry, starry nights,
>Karl
>
>
.
Mark Wilden
news:9lftu9$rki$1...@merope.saaf.se...
> In article <9levrt$25m$1...@samba.rahul.net>,
>
Perhaps because most people in the world have never heard of him? Just a
guess...
Mark Wilden
information--you can just link to it.
Jeff Cook
And because mentioning that few people have heard of him generates hurt
feelings by those who have?
--
Jeff Cook
je...@cookstudios.com
http://www.cookstudios.com
Washington DC & London
Mark Wilden
news:3B7BFBF4...@cookstudios.com...
>
> And because mentioning that few people have heard of him generates hurt
> feelings by those who have?
Hey, I'm Canadian. There ain't no more marginal culture. You tend to build
up protection against such hurt feelings. :)
Mark Gingrich
> Why you consider Branting an "obscure" celebrity?
>
> 1. Because he's not american?
> 2. Because he's not a musician or a movie star?
> 3. Because he lived a few generations ago?
4. Because he's not well known to a majority of readers
on the international forum called sci.astro.amateur.
> Thus: who do only american celebrities count here?
Your thin skin is showing again, Paul. During Branting's tenure
as Prime Minister, Warren Harding served as President of the U.S.A.
I'd classify Harding as obscure to most readers of s.a.a. -- if not
obscure to most present-day Americans. ;)
And it's plainly apparent that I do not think American celebrities
are the only ones that count, since I myself nominated an Italian.
Mark Gingrich
> I don't think obscure celebrities was a good choice of words. Now
> "ex-celebrities" or "dead celebrities" would be appropriate.
I know of several local politicians and media personalities who are
amateur astronomers, none of them being dead nor retired from their
local-celebrity status. Hence I would label them "obscure celebrities"
to the vast majority of s.a.a. readers, as much as that term may seem
an oxymoron.
Mark Wilden
news:9lh182$ecg$1...@samba.rahul.net...
>
> And it's plainly apparent that I do not think American celebrities
> are the only ones that count, since I myself nominated an Italian.
Let's face it, though: most celebrities are American (including the
Canadians who moved to the States). This irritates the rest of the world
sometimes, but it's still a fact.
Pete Hornby
.
.
> Ummagumma:
>
> Disc: 1 - Live album
> 1. Astronomy Domine
> 2. Careful With That Axe, Eugene
> 3. Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun
> 4. A Saucerful of Secrets
>
> Disc: 2 - Studio album
> 1. Sysyphus (Pt. 1)
> 2. Sysyphus (Pt. 2)
> 3. Sysyphus (Pt. 3)
> 4. Sysyphus (Pt. 4)
> 5. Grantchester Meadows
> 6. Several Species of Small Furry Animals
> Gathered Together in a Cave An
> 7. Narrow Way, Pt. 1
> 8. Narrow Way, Pt. 2
> 9. Narrow Way, Pt. 3
> 10. Grand Vizier's Garden Party: Enterance, Pt. 1
> 11. Grand Vizier's Garden Party: Entertainment, Pt. 2
> 12. Grand Vizier's Garden Party: Exit, Pt. 3
Without wishing to render this discussion more obscure than
it already is, a little truncation appears to have taken place
here. If I remember (and, take note, this was the Sixties),
track 6 was "Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered
Together in a Cave And Grooving With A Pict".
Pete
John Steinberg
pau...@saaf.se (Paul Schlyter) wrote:
> Why you consider Branting an "obscure" celebrity?
>
> 1. Because he's not american?
> 2. Because he's not a musician or a movie star?
> 3. Because he lived a few generations ago?
Paul,
There's a very simple rule for categorizing someone as a celebrity. It
goes something like this:
If you have to explain who the $#@%^* is, odds are better than 95% that
he/she is NOT a celebrity.
:)
Scooter
>
> > Why you consider Branting an "obscure" celebrity?
> >
> > 1. Because he's not american?
> > 2. Because he's not a musician or a movie star?
> > 3. Because he lived a few generations ago?
>
> 4. Because he's not well known to a majority of readers
> on the international forum called sci.astro.amateur.
>
>
> > Thus: who do only american celebrities count here?
>
> Your thin skin is showing again, Paul. During Branting's tenure
> as Prime Minister, Warren Harding served as President of the U.S.A.
> I'd classify Harding as obscure to most readers of s.a.a. -- if not
> obscure to most present-day Americans. ;)
I agree, now let us all return to "normalcy" on s.a.a. By the way, I hear
that Nan Britton had a Clarke Refractor. ;-)
Mark Gingrich
> Let's face it, though: most celebrities are American (including the
> Canadians who moved to the States). This irritates the rest of the world
> sometimes, but it's still a fact.
But if you quantify celebrity status by the total net worth of
"bobblehead" dolls made with that celebrity's likeness, then Japan's
Ichiro Suzuki may be the greatest celebrity ever to scoot down the
base path over these past few millennia. ;)
-- Mark (who would gladly trade his mint-condition Copernicus bobblehead
for an Ichiro bobblehead in a Silicon Valley second)
Carsten A. Arnholm
news:seesig-D84E96....@chicago.usenetserver.com...
> In article <tnla5l6...@news.supernews.com>,
> "Mark Wilden" <ma...@mwilden.com> wrote:
>
> > Pink Floyd had a song called "Astronomy Domine." I think it was on the
same
> > album as "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun." :)
Here's an old time favourite of mine
Peter Hammill's "The Comet, the Course, the Tail" (from "In Camera", 1973)
http://www.sofasound.com/phcds/iclyrics.htm#6
"While the comet spreads its tail across the sky it nowhere near defines the
course it flies, nor does it find its own direction"
--
Carsten A. Arnholm
arn...@online.no
http://home.online.no/~arnholm/
N59.783 E10.500
Whatever563
Tom Rankin
James Earl Jones apparently is interested in Astronomy. I saw him at NEAF
2000.
Karl Hutchings
<rande...@aol.com> wrote in message news:3b7c887b.55425626@news...
Paul Schlyter
Mark Gingrich <gri...@rahul.net> wrote:
> "Scooter" wrote:
>
>> I don't think obscure celebrities was a good choice of words. Now
>> "ex-celebrities" or "dead celebrities" would be appropriate.
>
> I know of several local politicians and media personalities who are
> amateur astronomers, none of them being dead nor retired from their
> local-celebrity status. Hence I would label them "obscure celebrities"
> to the vast majority of s.a.a. readers, as much as that term may seem
> an oxymoron.
ignorant about many celebrities. I'm no exception myself of course -
most of the celebrities mentioned in this thread were unknown to me,
but I wouldn't label all of them "obscure" just because of that.
Instead I would conclude that there are many celebrities I don't know
about. Which is quite reasonable - after all there is more to life
than keeping track of all celebrities, isn't it?
Paul Schlyter
haven't heard of them. Consider for instance the populations of
China and India: combined they make up about half of the world's
population. And then we have a lot of other quite large countries
with a definitely non-american culture: they have their own
celebrities of which we know little....
Of course, most people of the world don't participate in saa either....
Paul Schlyter
> track 6 was "Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered
> Together in a Cave And Grooving With A Pict".
That title is quite long though -- apparently Amazon truncated it.
> Pete
Paul Schlyter
John Steinberg <see...@bottom.invalid> wrote:
> In article <9lftu9$rki$1...@merope.saaf.se>,
> pau...@saaf.se (Paul Schlyter) wrote:
>
>> Why you consider Branting an "obscure" celebrity?
>>
>> 1. Because he's not american?
>> 2. Because he's not a musician or a movie star?
>> 3. Because he lived a few generations ago?
>
>
> Paul,
>
> There's a very simple rule for categorizing someone as a celebrity. It
> goes something like this:
>
> If you have to explain who the $#@%^* is, odds are better than 95% that
> he/she is NOT a celebrity.
>
> :)
Most of the celebrities mentioned in this thread were unknown to me.
Could anyone explain who they are?
:-)
Paul Schlyter
Mark Gingrich <gri...@rahul.net> wrote:
> Paul Schlyter asked:
>
>> Why you consider Branting an "obscure" celebrity?
>>
>> 1. Because he's not american?
>> 2. Because he's not a musician or a movie star?
>> 3. Because he lived a few generations ago?
>
> 4. Because he's not well known to a majority of readers
> on the international forum called sci.astro.amateur.
>
>
>> Thus: who do only american celebrities count here?
>
> Your thin skin is showing again, Paul. During Branting's tenure
> as Prime Minister, Warren Harding served as President of the U.S.A.
> I'd classify Harding as obscure to most readers of s.a.a. -- if not
> obscure to most present-day Americans. ;)
presidents. Branting was quite distinguished among swedish prime
ministers (about as distinguished as e.g. Abraham Lincoln among
american presidents); he's probably the person who prevented a
bolchevik-inspired revolution in Sweden around 1917. So if it
wasn't for Branting, Sweden may have been one of the countries on the
US "blacklist" for over half-a-century. Perhaps this tells you
enough of him to make him appear less "obscure" to you?
Of course Branting was prime minister for a small country, which
apparently makes him obscure to a lot of people.
> And it's plainly apparent that I do not think American celebrities
> are the only ones that count, since I myself nominated an Italian.
--
Tony Turner
inexplicable and ludicrous. In most countries the concept of "celebrity"
doesn't exist.
"Mark Wilden" <ma...@mwilden.com> wrote in message
news:tno3aqi...@news.supernews.com...
: "Mark Gingrich" <gri...@rahul.net> wrote in message
:
:
steve
an observatory in her new house, surprisingly she has a very wide
range of geeky interests...
steve
"Matt Tarlach" <mattt...@jps.net> wrote in message news:<Yece7.843$Ya7.1...@nntp1.onemain.com>...
> For no particular reason, I'm curious about stories of celebrities or
> politicians who are active as amateur astronomers. I've read that
> Johnny Carson not only owns a C14, but actually takes it out and uses
> it fairly frequently. Whether the frequent appearances of Carl Sagan,
> John Dobson etc on The Tonight Show were a cause or effect of his
> interest in astronomy, I do not know. I've also heard that Al Gore,
> and before him Fritz Mondale, were occasional viewers at the USNO
> facility adjacent to Blair house. And I recall an interview with a
> young alternative rock star in which he alluded to an astronomical
> interest, but I forget the name or the band.
>
> Any others?
>
> -----
> Matt Tarlach
> Carmichael, CA
> mattt...@jps.net
Mark
>I read that Catherine Bell (the girl with the rack on JAG) is building
>an observatory in her new house, surprisingly she has a very wide
>range of geeky interests...
>
>steve
i've never seen a spice rack on Jag.....don't they keep such
items in the galley?
jay ryan
> and before him Fritz Mondale, were occasional viewers at the USNO
> facility adjacent to Blair house.
When I lived in Washington DC, I belonged to NCA, the National Capital
Astronomers. It was mostly an armchair group, except for Jerry
Schnall's excellent telescope making class, where I made all three of
my scopes.
Anyway, I heard many great war stories from the late Bob McCracken,
who had been a driving force with that group in his day. Bob told me
that NCA had always kept a small amateur observatory with a 5" Alvan
Clark refractor on the grounds at the US Naval Observatory. To gain
access, one had to get a security clearance, since this was the site
of the Vice President's residence.
So anyway, Bob and some guys were scoping at USNO one night in the
80s. Then-VP George Bush came along jogging and dropped by to see
what was going on. So the guys gave him a tour of everything that
could be seen from under the light-drenched skies of the District of
Columbia. I guess VP Bush dropped in on these guys several times
afterwards, and they all got pretty chummy. Then when Mr. Bush was
elected president, he moved down the road to Pennsylvania Avenue and
that was that.
Cool story, huh? It's probably safe to say that most VP's have had
some exposure to astronomy, given their proximity to USNO.
jay ryan
cleveland, ohio
www.skywise.com
Mark Wilden
> I guess that's valid for most celebrities: most people of the world
> haven't heard of them. Consider for instance the populations of
> China and India: combined they make up about half of the world's
> population. And then we have a lot of other quite large countries
> with a definitely non-american culture: they have their own
> celebrities of which we know little....
Yes, but they know _our_ celebrities, at least some of them. Whenever I hear
about "the most recognized face in the world," it's usually an American or
European, not an Indian or Chinese.
That's to be expected: our media are the most powerful.
Mark Wilden
> Perhaps this tells you
> enough of him to make him appear less "obscure" to you?
A person is either obscure or not. You can't argue him out of obscurity!
Now, whether Branting _deserves_ to be obscure is a different question.
Mark Wilden
news:99801471...@relay.swspn.net.au...
> Let's face it, most of the world finds the U.S. obsession with celebrities
> inexplicable and ludicrous. In most countries the concept of "celebrity"
> doesn't exist.
I don't think that's true, at all. Europe, South America, Asia, Africa,
Australia all have celebrities. Not sure about Antarctica. :)
If you want to see obsession with celebrities, go to Britain!
Scooter
"Mark" <mki...@cinci.rr.com> wrote in message
news:3b7d3e28.5275347@news-server...
No, no, no, not that kind of rack. She's sporting a pair of antlers on her
head.
Karl Hutchings
> Australia all have celebrities. Not sure about Antarctica. :)
Only if you're interested svelte, buoyant water fowl . . . .
Karl
Mark Gingrich
> I don't think that's true, at all. Europe, South America, Asia, Africa,
> Australia all have celebrities. Not sure about Antarctica. :)
Yes, even Antarctica has celebrities. I've heard that Tux, the Linux
penguin, no longer can go for a swim without being mobbed by autograph
seekers back in his home neighborhood on the Ross Ice Shelf....
William R. Mattil
Regards
Bill
Paul Jantzen
Dang, and here I thought he was talking about a plastic-coated
dish-drying rack a la Monty Python's Spanish Inquisition (along with the
soft pillow torture and the comfy chair).
PTJ.
Ximinez: NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition! Our chief weapon is
surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are
fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency.... Our *three* weapons are
fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency...and an almost fanatical
devotion to the Pope.... Our *four*...no... *Amongst* our weapons....
Amongst our weaponry...are such elements as fear, surprise.... I'll come
in again.
Paul Jantzen
Monty Python's The Meaning of Liff:
THE UNIVERSE SONG, from Monty Python's THE MEANING OF LIFE
Whenever life gets you down, Mrs. Brown, and things seem hard
or tough.
and people are stupid, obnoxious or daft,
and you feel that you've had quite enouuuuuuuuugh...
Just
re-
member that your standing on a planet that's evolving,
and revolving at nine hundred miles an hour...
That's orbiting at ninety miles a second, so it's reckoned,
the sun that is the source of all our power.
The sun and you and me, and all the stars that we can see,
are moving at a million miles a day.
in an outer spiral-arm at forty thousand miles an hour
of the galaxy we call the Milky Way.
Our galaxy itself contains a hundred billion stars,
it's a hundred thousand lightyears side to side.
It bulges in the middle, sixteen thousand lightyears thick,
but out by us it's just three thousand lightyears wide.
We're thirty thousand lightyears from galactic central point,
we go 'round every two hundred million years.
And our galaxy is only one of millions of billions,
in this amazing and expanding universe.
The universe itself keeps on expanding and expanding,
in all of the directions it can whiz.
As fast as it can go, that's the speed of light you know;
twelve million miles a minute, that's the fastest speed there is.
So remember when your feeling very small and insecure,
how amazingly unlikely is your birth,
and pray that there's intelligent life somewhere up in space,
'cause there's bugger-all down here on earth!
Paul Jantzen wrote:
> Dang, and here I thought he was talking about a plastic-coated
> dish-drying rack a la Monty Python's Spanish Inquisition (along with the
> soft pillow torture and the comfy chair).
>
> PTJ.
>
> Ximinez: NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition! Our chief weapon is
> surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are
> fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency.... Our *three* weapons are
> fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency...and an almost fanatical
> devotion to the Pope.... Our *four*...no... *Amongst* our weapons....
> Amongst our weaponry...are such elements as fear, surprise.... I'll come
> in again.
--
Paul T. Jantzen
University of South Florida, College of Medicine
Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Alzheimer's Research Laboratories
12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., MDC Box 09
Tampa, FL 33612-4799
(o/l)813.974.9931
(f) 813.974.2565
(e) pjan...@hsc.usf.eud (fix the end to email)
william...@nashville.com
On 2001-08-17 pau...@saaf.se(PaulSchlyter) said:
>Of course Branting was prime minister for a small country, which
>apparently makes him obscure to a lot of people.
Statesman != celebrity.
A celebrity is someone who is famous for being famous, like Zsa Zsa
Gabor, for instance.
Phil Bredesen, Nashville's former mayor, worked at Arecibo when he
was a Harvard grad student in the '60s.
Net-Tamer V 1.11.2 - Registered
Mark Wilden
news:jSjf7.41439$NK1.2...@bin3.nnrp.aus1.giganews.com...
>
> Statesman != celebrity.
>
> A celebrity is someone who is famous for being famous, like Zsa Zsa
> Gabor, for instance.
So Liz Taylor or Tom Cruise aren't celebrities? I don't think so.
Paul Schlyter
Mark Wilden <ma...@mwilden.com> wrote:
> "Paul Schlyter" <pau...@saaf.se> wrote in message
> news:9ligos$2vg$1...@merope.saaf.se...
>
>> Perhaps this tells you enough of him to make him appear less "obscure"
>> to you?
>
> A person is either obscure or not. You can't argue him out of obscurity!
someone finds something obscure, that's because he's ignorant about
it (which is OK in most situations; we cannot be expected to know
about everything in the world). By informing that person, one can
make that obscure thing, or person, less obscure.
> Now, whether Branting _deserves_ to be obscure is a different question.
Paul Schlyter
people tend to want to consider one of their own people "the most
recognized face in the world". Now, go to e.g. China and live there
for a decade or two, learn their language thoroughly, etc -- and I
think your perspective may change.
Paul Schlyter
Mark Wilden <ma...@mwilden.com> wrote:
> "Tony Turner" <to...@sci.net.au> wrote in message
> news:99801471...@relay.swspn.net.au...
>
>> Let's face it, most of the world finds the U.S. obsession with celebrities
>> inexplicable and ludicrous. In most countries the concept of "celebrity"
>> doesn't exist.
>
> I don't think that's true, at all. Europe, South America, Asia, Africa,
> Australia all have celebrities. Not sure about Antarctica. :)
> If you want to see obsession with celebrities, go to Britain!
obsession in the US: you're a former British colony, and apparently
you brought some of this obsession with you, and kept it. Just like
you kept e.g. the British pre-imperial gallon.....
Al Hall
Mark Wilden
> > I don't think that's true, at all. Europe, South America, Asia, Africa,
> > Australia all have celebrities. Not sure about Antarctica. :)
>
> Doesn't Scott and Amundsen count?
They aren't Antarticans. And you forgot Shackleton.
> > If you want to see obsession with celebrities, go to Britain!
>
> Very very true! And here we probably find the origin of a similar
> obsession in the US: you're a former British colony, and apparently
> you brought some of this obsession with you, and kept it. Just like
> you kept e.g. the British pre-imperial gallon.....
This is just an assertion. I suppose Brazil must have been a former British
colony, because of its worship of Pele?
Mark Wilden
> Now, go to e.g. China and live there
> for a decade or two, learn their language thoroughly, etc -- and I
> think your perspective may change.
Since you've done none of those things, on what do you base this assertion?
And if China's media were as free as the Western world's, who knows?
Mark Wilden
> > A person is either obscure or not. You can't argue him out of obscurity!
>
> True - but you may inform someone, or something, out of obscurity. If
> someone finds something obscure, that's because he's ignorant about
> it (which is OK in most situations; we cannot be expected to know
> about everything in the world). By informing that person, one can
> make that obscure thing, or person, less obscure.
Nope. There's no such thing as being a celebrity to one person.
> > Now, whether Branting _deserves_ to be obscure is a different question.
>
> In my part of the world he's definitely not an obscure person....
In the entire world, he is.
Karl Hutchings
I really do miss those guys though . . .(snif)
Starry, starry nights,
Karl
William R. Mattil <w...@rrscfi1.irngtx.tel.gte.com> wrote in message
news:9ljqfg$6df$1...@news.gte.com...
mjd
from. The song vaguely references traveling the milky way at near the
speed of light. When the traveler returns 100 earth years later his
wife had died. For those of you who don't know the song here are some
of the lyrics from memory (eg. not exactly correct)
In the year of 39 a simple year of volunteers, in the days when lands
were few.
So many lonely men sailed across the milky seas, never looked back,
never feared, never cried.
.
.
.
In the year of 39 came a ship in from the blue the volunteers came
home that day. And they bring good news of a world so newly born
though their hearts did so heavily weigh. for the earth is old and
grey to a new home we'll away, but my love this cannot be. For so
many years have gone though I'm older but a year. Your mothers eyes
in your eyes cry to me.
This song was written by May from one of the greatest albums of all
time
A NIGHT AT THE OPERA.
( I miss Queen... sniff)
mor...@REMOVETHISwytchcraft.REMOVETHISASWELLnet (Morgoth's Cat) wrote in message news:<3b79662c...@news.freeserve.net>...
> On Tue, 14 Aug 2001 17:37:09 GMT, "Jakob" <n...@no.com> scribed:
>
> >I remember that the guitar-player (dont remember name) from the group Queen
> >was an amateur astronomer. Saw a program about him and then he told that he
> >really enjoyed this hobby (he was talking about telescopes and other stuff).
>
> Brian May? He has a degree in astrophysics IIRC.
>
> Best Regards,
> Dave
SkySea
literally decades ago, and never replaced it.
Anyway, interesting interpretation. I thought the "New World" was the Americas,
and that it was about sailing across the Atlantic, and that the year was maybe
15 or 1639.. However, the line with "For so many years have gone though I'm
older but a year." make me reconsider, given your point. Now I don't know. I
had thought it meant that they just experienced a whole lot on their trip, and
they aged mentally.
> From: hockey...@hotmail.com (mjd)
> I always wondered where the motivation for
> the Queen song '39' came from.
- Dale Gombert ( SkySea at AOL . COM )
122.38W, 47.58N, W. Seattle, WA
sam...@wrerd.net
involved.
Mark
wrote:
>Nah, it's the Rolls that has the spice rack. It's for the mustard. <G>
>
>On Fri, 17 Aug 2001 15:58:36 GMT, mki...@cinci.rr.com (Mark) wrote:
>
>>
>>i've never seen a spice rack on Jag....
*hits self on forhead with a slap*........."but, of course !"
Sue_and_Alan_French
The late Dave Garroway was an avid amateur astronomer and he was up at
Stellafane at least one year long, long ago. I thought I had heard he owned
a fairly large Clark, but I do not find his name in the listing in "Alvan
Clark & Sons (Artists in Optics)" by Waner and Ariail. James Earl Jones was
spotted at the Northeast Astronomy Forum in 2000.
Clear skies, Alan
"Matt Tarlach" <mattt...@jps.net> wrote in message
news:Yece7.843$Ya7.1...@nntp1.onemain.com...
> For no particular reason, I'm curious about stories of celebrities or
> politicians who are active as amateur astronomers. I've read that
> Johnny Carson not only owns a C14, but actually takes it out and uses
> it fairly frequently. Whether the frequent appearances of Carl Sagan,
> John Dobson etc on The Tonight Show were a cause or effect of his
> interest in astronomy, I do not know. I've also heard that Al Gore,
> and before him Fritz Mondale, were occasional viewers at the USNO
> facility adjacent to Blair house. And I recall an interview with a
> young alternative rock star in which he alluded to an astronomical
> interest, but I forget the name or the band.
>
> Any others?
>
> -----
> Matt Tarlach
> Carmichael, CA
> mattt...@jps.net
>
>
mjd
I found my CD and the Lyrics so here are some other "hints" as of the
true meaning. Also keep in Mind that Columbus "discovered" the
America's in 1492 and others had been here previous to that date.
"milky seas" not blue seas or deep seas
"Don't you hear my call though your many years away"
Distance is measured in years not miles at luminal speeds
"For the earth is old and gray"
The Earth was fine in the 1400's, it's getting old and gray now
"So many years have gone though I'm older but a year"
Must have been traveling at about .9999999 the speed of light
(whatever)
Also I present as evidence that it was Brian May's song. He wrote and
provided vocals. He was previously identified as an astro-physicist.
I rest my case!
mjd