Google Search www Search www.sas.org
TCS Updated 24 March 2006

Got a comment?
Write to us
!

We welcome your comments. Please include the following in your e-mail:

1. Always include "TCS Letter: OK to Publish" in the subject line to give your permission for us to publish your letter. This saves us the time of having to request your permission.

2. Always include your first and last name and your telephone number. We cannot acknowledge or publish e-mails with out your first name, a valid e-mail address and a telephone number for possible verification.

Letters may be lightly edited for spelling, style and grammar.

Capturing the Elusive Green Flash by Steve Cullen

After trying to capture the elusive "green flash" for many years, I was finally successful on a trip to Hawaii in mid-October 2005. In fact, I was able to capture not just a single image (Fig. 1) but a 10-frame sequence (Fig. 2) showing the flash from beginning to end over a 5-second period.

Forrest Mims' World of Science
by Forrest M. Mims III

Editorial: Spanish Amateur Scientist Emilio González Discovers Two Impact Craters in Africa
by Forrest M. Mims III

Eye on the Sky: The April Sky by Paul CurtinI

Mathematics Corner: Direct Proof George E Hrabovsky

Wanderings with Ralph Coppola

Backscatter. Views and responses from TCS readers.

Mind of a Theorist: How Do We Model A Solar System? by George E Hrabovsky

Eye on the Sky: The March Sky by Paul CurtinI

"The Making of the Atomic Bomb" by Richard Rhodes (Touchstone, Simon & Schuster, 1986).

Reviewed by Mike Dziekan
Vice President Engineering, Connecticut Analytical Corporation

Major Court Victory for Model and Amateur Rocketry

2006 Citizen Science Conference Announced

News Update: Dr. James Hansen

Expressions Containing pi and e That Have Numerical Values Very Close to Rational Numbers

Robert A. Warren

When I got my first electronic scientific calculator back in the early 1970s, I was so fascinated by its number crunching ability that I spent a lot of time playing around with it. While checking the numerical value of some expressions involving pi and e, I discovered the expressions below.

The Sperling Files: Overexposures for Discovery and Fame

Norman Sperling

Imaging technology is rapidly improving and cheapening. From current astrophotography guides, determine “recommended” exposures for accessible deep-sky objects. Then take time exposures that are many times longer than the recommended amount - up to the sky-fogging limit.

How to Discover Asteroid Impacts: The Story of the Discovery of Two Impact Craters

Emilio González
Astroseti.org
Monjos, Barelona, Spain

On 6 March 2006 I published at Astroseti.org a translation into Spanish news about the discovery of Kebira impact crater, a 31-km (19-mile) diameter structure in Egypt, on the border with Libya, by investigators from Boston University.

In 1992 and 1994 two discoveries were made that have had a major impact on the scientific community. These finds, the Schaefer and Hebior mammoths, were discovered and excavated in Kenosha County, Wisconsin, through the efforts and skills of a number of individuals. More.

How to Prepare Abrasive Powders

Alvaro Amaro de Azevedo

Arrange about 200 g of washed dried sand and put it in a ball mill (see here or search here). Let it crush for one hour or so and then transfer the flour to a 200 ml glass.

Response to "Questions and Answers about Climate Change" by Forrest M. Mims III

Kevin T. Kilty

"What is going on here?" asks Forrest Mims (Editorial, TCS, 11 March 2005). Why do countless web sites all appear to present unbalanced views of climate change?". More.

Algorithms for Mental Conversion between the Fahrenheit and Celsius Scales

Robert A. Warren

Yes, quick mental conversions can be made between the Fahrenheit and Celsius scales, using the algorithms presented in this paper. But before these algorithms are presented, some background material is needed. More.

   
Copyright 2005 by Society for Amateur Scientists