archive: SETI CCNet DIGEST, 05/02/99
SETI CCNet DIGEST, 05/02/99
Larry Klaes ( lklaes@bbn.com )
Fri, 05 Feb 1999 14:35:50 -0500
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>Subject: CCNet DIGEST, 05/02/99
>Date: Fri, 5 Feb 1999 09:44:22 -0500 (EST)
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>CCNet DIGEST, 5 February 1999
>-----------------------------
>
>(1) MINOR PLANET 10000: SEARCHING FOR THE RIGHT CANDIDATE
> Minor Planet Center
> <http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/mpec/J99/J99C03.html>
>
>(2) PLANETARY SOCIETY AWARDS THREE NEW GENE SHOEMAKER NEO GRANTS
> Bill McGovern <tps.wm@mars.planetary.org>
>
>(3) REPORT FROM THE STARDUST EDUCATORS FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
> Ron Baalke <BAALKE@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov>
>
>(4) EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL STABILITY & INSTABILITY ON MACROEVOLUTION
> S. Chiba, SHIZUOKA UNIVERSITY
>
>
>====================
>(1) MINOR PLANET 10000: SEARCHING FOR THE RIGHT CANDIDATE
>
>>From the Minor Planet Center
><http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/mpec/J99/J99C03.html>
>
>M.P.E.C. 1999-C03
>Issued 1999 Feb. 4, 16:04 UT
>
>The Minor Planet Electronic Circulars contain information on unusual
>minor planets and routine data on comets. They are published on behalf
>of Commission 20 of the International Astronomical Union by the Minor
>Planet Center, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, MA
>02138, U.S.A.
>
>BMARSDEN@CFA.HARVARD.EDU or GWILLIAMS@CFA.HARVARD.EDU
>URL http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/mpc.html
>
>EDITORIAL NOTICE
>
>On 1801 Jan. 1 Guiseppe Piazzi discovered the object between Mars and
>Jupiter that he called Ceres Ferdinandea, "the eighth planet".
>Following the discovery a year later of a similar object, and in
>subsequent years further objects in what might be termed the "Cisjovian
>Belt", Piazzi's discovery eventually became known under either the name
>Ceres or the symbol (1), where the numeral, originally placed inside a
>complete circle, indicated that this was the first object found in that
>region of the solar system. By 1849 the sequence of discoveries in the
>region had reached (10), and 1868 saw the discovery of (100). By 1923,
>when (1000) was announced, the set of objects, while still mainly
>members of that Cisjovian Belt (also known simply as the "Asteroid
>Belt", or "Main Belt" of "minor planets"), also included objects that
>approached within 0.1 AU of the earth or extended out to the orbit of
>Saturn.
>
>Next month, we shall pass (10000) in what is a collection of small
>objects that are not obviously cometary (although three members do also
>have well-documented dual status in the Catalogue of Cometary Orbits)
>and travel around the sun in independent orbits (i.e., satellites are
>excluded) that are well determined (i.e., with one exception that will
>surely be eventually remedied, the positions of the objects are very
>precisely predictable). Again, although the vast majority of the
>objects are in the Cisjovian Belt, there are members that are at
>perihelion significantly closer to the sun than Mercury or are at
>aphelion beyond the orbit of Neptune. It has been traditional to have a
>special celebration with each thousandth numbering. For example, (1000)
>was named in honor of the discoverer of Ceres, (2000) in honor of the
>discoverer of Uranus, (5000) in honor of the International Astronomical
>Union and (6000) in honor of the United Nations. Obviously, it would be
>appropriate to have some very special celebration to acknowledge
>(10000).
>
>Most readers of these Circulars will be aware of recent discussions in
>the press concerning a proposal that the number (10000) should be given
>to Pluto. The principal reasoning for this is the recognition during
>the past few years that Pluto was the first discovered and largest
>known member of the "Transneptunian Belt" (sometimes called the "Kuiper
>Belt" or "Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt") of small objects beyond Neptune that
>possess some similarity, at least dynamically, to bodies in the
>Cisjovian Belt. Although as many as 95 members (or possible members) of
>the Transneptunian Belt are now listed, most of the orbital solutions
>are very weak, and none of the bodies has so far been included in the
>collection of those with "guaranteed" orbit determinations. A few of
>the discoveries from 1992-1994 are now
>approaching this state, which will also allow them to receive
>permanent names.
>
>Although it is not unlikely that further Transneptunian Objects as
>large as Pluto will be discovered in the future, Pluto obviously
>holds a very special place in our appreciation of this new population,
>and by assigning to it the number (10000), we should guarantee that
>Pluto will be at the head of the Transneptunian list. It is also very
>important to affirm that there is absolutely no implied "demotion" or
>"reclassification" of Pluto from its position in the list of the
>"planets" (or "major planets" or "principal planets"). Unfortunately,
>many of the articles that have appeared in the press have accidentally
>(or deliberately) misinterpreted this issue. As with (2060) =
>95P/Chiron, (4015) = 107P/Wilson-Harrington and (7968) =
>133P/Elst-Pizarro, where the choice of "minor planet" or "comet"
>designation depends on the context, we are proposing that Pluto would
>have dual status as a "major" and a "minor" body. Readers of these
>Circulars, in particular, will appreciate that Pluto is sufficiently
>fainter than the other major planets that it can be confused with many
>other minor planets. We have in fact identified observations of Pluto
>several times during the past couple of years in data reported by the
>survey programs for Near-Earth Objects, and some astrometric observers
>specifically report to us observations of Pluto. There is currently no
>outlet for publishing these observations. It should be emphasized that
>the number (10000) would be used only in the context of publishing such
>observations or in matters directly related to Pluto's place in the
>Transneptunian Belt.
>
>Much has been made in the press that the IAU is "voting" on Pluto's
>status, and at least one astronomical organization issued a press
>release on the subject. Members of the public seem completely baffled
>by this kind of attention. The question of relevance to the readers of
>these Circulars concerns the numbering and naming of (10000). Indeed,
>the IAU Small Bodies Names Committee has already been working on this
>particular matter for the past month or so. Progress is slow and
>uncertain, however, and there are some who think that democracy would
>be better served by seeking opinions from a larger, but informed
>community. The astronomers, amateur and professional, who contribute
>material to these Circulars--astrometric observations, identifications,
>orbit determinations--are such an informed community.
>
>Accordingly, any reader with an opinion on the subject is invited to
>e-mail it to us at the Minor Planet Center, preferably using the
>address mpc@cfa.harvard.edu. Such a message could consist of a brief
>statement such as "I approve (10000) Pluto" or "I do not approve
>(10000) Pluto", although the value of the latter choice would be
>augmented if an appropriate alternative suggestion were made for
>(10000). Brief comments on the subject (preferably constructive)
>would also be welcome, and writers are encouraged to identify
>themselves. Modern bureaucracy rarely pays much attention to comments
>from even an informed public, but since this issue is of concern
>principally to our readers (more so, in fact, than to many professional
>astronomers with little or no interest in solar-system astronomy who
>just happen to be serving on a committee), we feel that it is
>appropriate for us to solicit advice in this way. Your early response
>is desirable. It is not necessary that you actually subscribe to these
>Circulars in order to respond. Appropriate responses will be examined
>and considered in connection with the deliberations by the Small Bodies
>Names Committee by their deadline of Feb. 26.
>
>Brian G. Marsden (C) Copyright 1999 MPC M.P.E.C. 1999-C03
>
>======================
>(2) PLANETARY SOCIETY AWARDS THREE NEW GENE SHOEMAKER NEO GRANTS
>
>>From Bill McGovern <tps.wm@mars.planetary.org>
>
>NEWS RELEASE
>
>The Planetary Society
>65 N. Catalina Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91106-2301 (626) 793-5100 Fax (626)
>793-5528 E-mail: tps@mars.planetary.org Web: http://planetary.org
>
>
>For Release: February 3, 1999
>Contact: Bill McGovern/Susan Lendroth
>
>Planetary Society Awards Three New Gene Shoemaker NEO Grants
>
>Three researchers have been selected to receive Planetary Society Gene
>Shoemaker Near Earth Object Grants. Named for one of the pioneers in
>the field, the grants fund programs in the discovery and tracking of
>near-Earth objects -- asteroids and comets with Earth-crossing orbits
>that could impact our planet with devastating results. Special emphasis
>is given to international and amateur observers.
>
>Only about 5% to 10% of the estimated total number of one-kilometer or
>larger objects that cross Earth's orbit have been discovered. "Although
>the rate of NEO discovery has accelerated recently as new professional
>survey programs have come on line, we are still shy of the widely
>recommended rate needed to find 90% of the near-Earth asteroids larger
>than one kilometer within a decade," said Dan Durda, an asteroid
>researcher at the the Southwest Research Institute's Boulder, Colorado
>office, and coordinator of the Planetary Society's Gene Shoemaker NEO
>Grant program. Even though various astronomical groups and NASA
>advisory committees have recommended that discovery of NEOs be
>accelerated, government support for searches and follow-up programs
>remains modest.
>
>The 1999 Gene Shoemaker NEO Grants, totaling $27,000 (US), have been
>awarded to an international collection of researchers: Stefan Gajdos of
>the Slovak Republic, Paulo Holvorcem of Brazil, and Frank Zoltowski of
>Australia.
>
>Gajdos is a professional astronomer with the Institute of Astronomy in
>Bratislava in the Slovak Republic. His grant monies will be used to
>upgrade his program's equipment and software, to fund needed computer
>services, and to create a public outreach program.
>
>Holvorcem, a teacher at the Universidade Estadual de Campinas in
>Brazil, will use his Gene Shoemaker NEO Grant to upgrade automation of
>equipment at his observatory, freeing a number of volunteer observers
>to spend more time conducting data analysis and taking more exposures
>during each observation session.
>
>Zoltowski is an amateur astronomer who conducts NEO searches in the
>small town of Woomera in the South Australian outback. Grant money will
>enable Zoltowski to upgrade his charge-coupled device (CCD) camera,
>improving his ability to detect NEOs in sky images and confirm their
>orbits in a series of exposures.
>
>A Swarm of Near-Earth Objects
>
>Earth travels through a swarm of near-Earth objects of various sizes
>and orbits. Scientists have only recently begun to understand the
>significant contribution NEOs have made to the evolution of Earth --
>and life on our planet. It is now believed that impacts from comets and
>asteroids have shaped the evolution of all planets in our solar system.
>
>So far, more than 600 NEOs have been discovered; more than 280 of these
>are larger than one kilometer across. Scientists estimate, however,
>that about 2,000 NEOs larger than one kilometer and 150,000 to 100
>million objects larger than 100 meters in size exist.
>
>NEOs have collided with Earth in the past with devastating results. The
>Chicxulub crater off the north coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula was
>created by an Earth-colliding meteor 65 million years ago, a globally
>devastating event that is believed to have wiped out the dinosaurs.
>Even relatively small objects impacting our planet or exploded in
>Earth's atmosphere can wreak considerable havoc.
>
>The Gene Shoemaker NEO Grants
>
>Gene Shoemaker was a leader in the study of impact structures and an
>advocate for NEO discovery and tracking programs before his death in
>1997. Shoemaker was the first scientist to demonstrate that the
>mile-wide crater in Arizona -- now known as Meteor Crater -- was the
>result of a catastrophic impact by an asteroid 50,000 years ago. Prior
>to Shoemaker's work, Meteor Crater was believed to be the remnant of an
>extinct volcano.
>
>The Gene Shoemaker NEO Grants are awarded to amateur observers,
>observers in developing countries, and professional astronomers who,
>with seed funding, could greatly increase their programs' contributions
>to this critical research.
>
>Funding for the Gene Shoemaker NEO Grant program comes from the
>Planetary Society's 100,000 members, whose voluntary dues and donations
>permit targeted support of research and development programs in a
>number of areas.
>
>An international advisory group recommends candidates to receive the
>grant awards. The advisory group includes grant coordinator Daniel D.
>Durda, as well as noted near-Earth object scientists Dr. Richard Binzel
>of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dr. Clark Chapman, also
>of the Southwest Research Institute, Dr. Andrea Carusi of the
>Spaceguard Foundation, and Dr. Brian Marsden of the Smithsonian
>Astrophysical Observatory.
>
>Society-Funded ROTSE Camera Images Gamma Ray Burst
>
>The Planetary Society has funded many NEO efforts in the past,
>including start-up money for the Robotic Optical Transient Search
>Experiment (ROTSE) in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Operated by a team led by
>Dr. Carl Akerlof of the University of Michigan and including
>astrophysicists from Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National
>Laboratories, ROTSE recently made astronomical history on January 23,
>1999, when it discovered an unusual transient optical signal in images
>of the sky where a gamma ray burst had been reported just 22 seconds
>earlier.
>
>ROTSE is a multipurpose instrument, designed to continuously map the
>entire visible evening sky, collecting data that can be examined for
>near-Earth objects, as well as variable stars and supernovas as they
>occur. When a gamma ray burst occurs, such as the one detected by
>orbiting satellites on the morning of January 23, ROTSE interrupts its
>regular sky-mapping activity and automatically swings to the sky
>coordinates provided by the satellites. In only a few seconds, ROTSE
>began taking a new series of many images, capturing the first gamma ray
>burst ever recorded in images.
>
>Astronomers are not certain what produces gamma ray bursts, but
>possible causes include the mergers of two neutron stars, two black
>holes, a neutron star and a black hole, or the explosion of a so-called
>hypernova, which is theorized to be a type of supernova or exploding
>star.
>
>-o0o-
>
>For more information, contact Bill McGovern or Susan Lendroth at (626)
>793-5100 or by e-mail: (Bill) tps.wm@mars.planetary.org (Susan)
>tps.sl@mars.planetary.org
>
>Carl Sagan, Bruce Murray and Louis Friedman founded the Planetary
>Society in 1980 to advance the exploration of the solar system and to
>continue the search for extraterrestrial life. With 100,000 members in
>more than 140 countries, the Society is the largest space-interest
>group in the world.
>
>Linda Wong
>The Planetary Society
>65 N. Catalina Ave.
>Pasadena, CA 91106
>(626) 793-5100
>(626) 793-5528 (fax)
>tps@mars.planetary.org
>
>======================
>(3) REPORT FROM THE STARDUST EDUCATORS FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
>
>>From Ron Baalke <BAALKE@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov>
>
>I've been at Kennedy Space Center all week for the upcoming STARDUST
>launch. I just got back from the launch pad, and everything is still on
>schedule for launch in two days. The weather forecast is excellent.
>
>The STARDUST project has sponsored an Educators Fellowship program,
>where 26 educators from around the country are trained to give
>workshops on comets, small bodies and on the STADUST mission. All of
>the STARDUST Fellows were flown into Florida for a 3-day training
>workshop, and are also invited to watch the STADUST launch. One of the
>Fellows selected is Martin Horejsi, whom many of you may recognize from
>the (meteorite-)list. All of the Fellows arrived yesterday, so I got
>to meet Martin for the first time in person. Last night, the workshop
>training began, with presentations by Carolyn Shoemaker (of Comet
>Shoemaker-Levy 9 fame), Don Brownlee (STARDUST Principal Investigator
>from the Univ. of Washington), Ken Atkins (STARUDST project manager),
>Ben Clark (STARDUST scientist from Lockheed-Martin), and Steve Jones
>(aerogel maker from JPL). We've invited Paul Wild to the launch, who
>discovered Comet Wild-2 in 1978 and will be visited by STARDUST. Dr.
>Wild arrived today and gave a lively talk to the Fellows today. Fred
>Whipple ("dirty snowball" theorist) has also been invited and will
>arrive here tomorrow.
>
>Ron Baalke
>
>=====================
>(4) EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL STABILITY & INSTABILITY ON MACROEVOLUTION
>
>S. Chiba: A mathematical model for long-term patterns of evolution:
>effects of environmental stability and instability on macroevolutionary
>patterns and mass extinctions. PALEOBIOLOGY, 1998, Vol.24, No.3,
>pp.336-348
>
>SHIZUOKA UNIVERSITY, INST BIOL & EARTH SCI,836 OYA,SHIZUOKA 422,JAPAN
>
>A simple mathematical model to examine the relationships between
>environmental instability and long-term macroevolutionary trends is
>presented. The model investigates the evolutionary changes that occur
>in certain population characters in an environment with physical
>disturbance. These quantitative genetic characters are related to
>intrinsic growth rates and mean carrying capacity. The model assumes
>that individual fitness is determined by these characters. I examine
>the likelihood of extinction under different degrees of environmental
>instability and for rapid change of environmental instability. The
>model suggests that characters that promote a high intrinsic growth
>rate and a low carrying capacity tend to evolve in the most unstable
>environments. This suggests that small body size, high fecundity, and
>simple forms evolve in unstable environments. The extinction
>probability of a population is the lowest for taxa possessing
>K-selected characters in the most stable environment. However, the
>extinction probability of a species (metapopulation) becomes lowest
>for r-selected species living in the most unstable environment and
>for the K-selected species living in the most stable environment, and
>it becomes the highest for taxa living in a moderately unstable
>environment. Increasing environmental instability changes the
>extinction probabilities of different taxa in different ways, due to
>differences in phenotypes and environments. The effect of
>environmental change is most serious for the K-selected taxa in the
>most stable environment. This also suggests that a continuously
>stable environment increases the extinction probability of taxa when
>environmental change occurs. Although catastrophic changes in
>environments are not presumed, these results are consistent with the
>existence of two 'macroevolutionary regimes' in which a taxon's
>extinction rate and its characters differ for mass extinction and
>normal extinction. Mass extinction can occur as a result of long-term
>adaptation to a stable environment following a minor change of
>environment without catastrophes. Copyright 1998, Institute for
>Scientific Information Inc.
>
>----------------------------------------
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