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The Astronomy site didn't have enough activity during the beta. It has been closed, and its content has been merged into Physics. You can download the data dump of all questions here.

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Astronomy

Q&A site for expert and amateur astronomers and astrophysicists

Announcements

17  
The proposed description of this site is quite weak and doesn't provide any real direction. Personally, I think amateurs (and their equipment) have to be explicitly included, because astronomy, perhaps more than any other science, relies on amateurs for observational data and other input. A great example is the list of observatories, many amateur, maintained by the IAU Minor Planet Center at cfa.harvard.edu/iau/lists/ObsCodesF.html - mine is code J58. While amateur astronomers represent a wide spectrum of interests, the top end certainly overlaps the professional arena. – Tim Long May 27 '10 at 15:36
9  
I think the question of whether spaceflight and space exploration are on- or off-topic needs to be explicitly incorporated into the charter. The overlap between "people interested in astronomy" and "people interested in spaceflight" is very large, but not necessarily 100%. – Larry OBrien May 29 '10 at 18:37
6  
There may be three populations of questions here, Professional Astronomy and Astrophysics, Practical Amateur Astronomy and Space Flight and Exploration. – Chris Rowland May 31 '10 at 7:37
show 49 more announcements
68
votes
6
answers

Why wouldn't this just be part of the existing physics Stack Exchange site?

oct 29 '13 at 11:53 Community♦ 1
4
votes
1
answer

Why can't the old Astronomy Proposal be revived using the audience of this proposal

apr 1 '13 at 21:43 Robert Cartaino 473
14
votes
2
answers

Would it be worth including space & planetary sciences?

dec 5 '12 at 16:31 Jaroslav Dudik 51
9
votes
1
answer

Astronomy: How long before beta?

may 30 '11 at 23:43 Dori 746
7
votes
2
answers

Spaceflight: On or off topic

may 10 '11 at 19:10 Tigran Khanzadyan 206

discuss this proposal

188 Example Questions (10 closed)

active newest votes
up vote 21 down vote
I want to observe and time the upcoming occultation of 27491914 by (80) Sappho. Are there any last-minute observations to improve the predicted track?
added by WikiSpeedia hang-around May 27 '10 at 10:53
link
(2UCAC 27491914 by (80) Sappho: asteroidoccultation.com/2010_05/…) – WikiSpeedia hang-around May 27 '10 at 10:59
up vote 21 down vote
I want to help detect and track Near Earth Objects (NEOs), what can I do?
added by therefromhere May 30 '10 at 14:43
link
up vote 21 down vote
What can I do to minimize the effect of light pollution?
added by ChrisF May 31 '10 at 18:25
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Near duplicate: area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/51/astronomy/… – WikiSpeedia hang-around May 31 '10 at 22:25
@Peter - not quite. That question asks about combating it in general, this one is about coping with it. Both could be valid questions though. – ChrisF May 31 '10 at 22:31
up vote 20 down vote
What are the current established techniques to find planets around other stars?
added by Aim Kai Jun 1 '10 at 6:53
link
Duplicate question area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/51/astronomy/… – dagorym Jun 1 '10 at 15:43
up vote 20 down vote
Why does the Moon appear larger on the horizon than in the sky?
added by Corey, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Jun 4 '10 at 19:58
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up vote 12 down vote
Is it possible to measure the precession of an exoplanet by direct detection?
added by delete Jun 1 '10 at 10:56
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up vote 11 down vote
Can amateur astronomers still make important discoveries?
added by Robert Harvey Jun 1 '10 at 21:32
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up vote 8 down vote
I got a [Galileo] telescope but everything appears backwards, is it broken? How do I fix it?
added by rlb.usa Jun 3 '10 at 18:21
link
Working with (and maintaining) the tools of your trade better be on topic. – Robert Harvey Jun 4 '10 at 4:58
up vote 6 down vote
How old is the universe? How do we know it?
added by juanformoso May 28 '10 at 2:56
link
another reason why astronomy and physics SE's should be linked – Tobias Kienzler May 28 '10 at 6:06
I think astrophysics is a legitimate overlap – cindi Jun 8 '10 at 17:12
This question could also be asked at Popular Natural Sciences. – Tobias Kienzler Jun 23 '10 at 14:07
up vote 5 down vote
Why would NASA build a 2.5 m telescope in the back of a 747 (SOFIA project)? What advantages does it provide?
added by dagorym, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around May 31 '10 at 19:13
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up vote 4 down vote
How do I get started fighting light pollution in my area/neighborhood?
added by WikiSpeedia hang-around May 27 '10 at 15:03
link
Political activism is rather off-topic. – Tadeusz A. Kadłubowski May 27 '10 at 18:13
1  
But light pollution only affects astronomers and stargazers, so therefore it is absolutely relevant. – Arlen Beiler May 27 '10 at 21:37
would probably be voted to close as too argumentative. but maybe meta-astro, then – Tobias Kienzler May 28 '10 at 6:04
up vote 4 down vote
How can I observe the Sun with my telescope?
added by Mehper C. Palavuzlar, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Jun 3 '10 at 16:18
link
Another form for this question: Are there any extra telescope apparatuses to observe the sun? – Mehper C. Palavuzlar Jun 3 '10 at 11:52
up vote 4 down vote
Why does [planet] appear [color] ?
added by rlb.usa Jun 3 '10 at 18:19
link
up vote 4 down vote
What's the Best reference for supernova search?
added by Arvinje Jun 4 '10 at 9:56
link
up vote 3 down vote
How can I tell how far away an object is using a basic telescope?
added by Kredns May 27 '10 at 4:10
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up vote 3 down vote
How can I best photograph the night sky in an area with bad light pollution?
added by Rog May 27 '10 at 7:21
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This is probably more appropriate for area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/1265/… – Helen Jun 10 '10 at 18:49
up vote 3 down vote
What causes millisecond pulsars to speed up?
added by dagorym May 28 '10 at 16:12
link
up vote 3 down vote
What is the Kuiper Belt and how is it different from the Oort Cloud?
added by dagorym May 31 '10 at 15:07
link
up vote 3 down vote
How do the "hot Jupiter" planets get so close to their host star?
added by dagorym Jun 1 '10 at 3:52
link
up vote 3 down vote
What do the different supernova types (Ia, Ib, II, etc) mean?
added by dagorym Jun 1 '10 at 18:14
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up vote 3 down vote
What kind of telecommunication systems do the astronauts use in space?
added by Mehper C. Palavuzlar Jun 3 '10 at 11:57
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@mehper Assuming you mean Earth-to-space communications, this is an interesting question in general, and I'd say vaguely on-topic here because astronomers don't just use telescopes in the visible spectrum; an understanding of other electromagnetic communications applications (especially those pointed at the Earth) may be useful. – sblair Jun 4 '10 at 23:14
up vote 2 down vote
Why does red shift imply the Big Bang? Are there other possible conditions that could lead to the current expansion?
added by Scott Wisniewski, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Jun 1 '10 at 13:35
link
up vote 2 down vote
When is the best time to see [name of star]?
added by Kredns May 27 '10 at 4:11
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The question doesn't give a location...So it's too ambiguous – Scott Wisniewski May 27 '10 at 4:46
The location would have to be part of the answer. It is answerable for somebody in any location - unlike the where can I buy X locally questions. – Martin Beckett May 27 '10 at 14:48
The question is poorly worded but that doesn't make it off topic. The asker would either be encouraged to clarify the question (which in itself would teach them something) or the answer could explain why that is location dependent. Or, a member in good standing could eit the question to add the asker's location. Either way, this is core astronomy and could yield some interesting answers. Example, why stars are better observed near the meridian, diurnal motion, changing seasons, and so on. – Tim Long May 27 '10 at 14:54
up vote 2 down vote
What causes a solar eclipse?
added by juanformoso May 27 '10 at 13:34
link
up vote 2 down vote
What is the connection between galaxy shapes and dark matter?
added by Tobias Kienzler May 28 '10 at 6:08
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up vote 2 down vote
What equipment should I use to observe lunar occultations with a time resolution of 1 millisecond or better?
added by WikiSpeedia hang-around May 28 '10 at 7:35
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(Lunar occultations: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/…) – WikiSpeedia hang-around May 28 '10 at 7:39
up vote 2 down vote
What's the best viewing location within 100 miles of Tucson, AZ?
added by Larry OBrien May 29 '10 at 0:45
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I'm going with "too localised" for this one. – ChrisF May 29 '10 at 20:49
But the problem is that this is the place to ask such questions. – Arlen Beiler May 31 '10 at 1:56
Personally very interested in this being answered! If the site were to include "amateurs" like myself, having info on good places to start out with would help. – Charlie Jun 16 '10 at 22:50
up vote 2 down vote
How many moons are there in our solar system?
added by juanformoso, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around May 31 '10 at 18:57
link
2  
Although a good question - the answer will change with time as more moons are discovered. – Aim Kai Jun 10 '10 at 8:35
Are you serious? In any case, the answer can be updated or a new one will be added – juanformoso Jun 10 '10 at 11:27
up vote 2 down vote
How can I accurately polar-align my telescope ready for CCD imaging?
added by Tim Long May 30 '10 at 12:36
link
up vote 2 down vote
What are the different populations of Kuiper belt objects and how do they differ?
added by dagorym May 31 '10 at 15:08
link
up vote 2 down vote
Is there a way of deriving Kepler's Laws from Newton's without calculus? [closed]
added by cindi, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around May 31 '10 at 18:58
link

closed as off topic by Bryan Anderson, Beska, Aim Kai, hayalci, Mehper C. Palavuzlar Jun 21 '10 at 13:36

This question does not relate to the topic of the proposal.
It was closed as part of an automated migration of off-topic to close votes on September 29, 2011.

This belongs on the Physics stack exchange. – Bryan Anderson Jun 6 '10 at 17:15
Physics, but without calculus? Maybe then also at Popular Natural Sciences. – Tobias Kienzler Jun 21 '10 at 12:22
I think amateur and professional astronomers are interested in the history of astronomy. I'd be interested in hearing opinions on how important astronomy concepts and tools were developed and what theoretical minimum "prerequisites" (conceptual or technological) may have been. – Larry Gritz Jun 22 '10 at 18:48
up vote 2 down vote
When will I be able to see [Comet Haley] ?
added by rlb.usa Jun 3 '10 at 18:18
link
up vote 2 down vote
Which wide angle eyepiece model do you suggest in the sub 200$ range?
added by HRJ Jun 11 '10 at 7:03
link
Example question related to observations. – HRJ Jun 11 '10 at 7:03
up vote 1 down vote
Why do some stars turn into supernovas, and what happens to these stars?
added by Giorgi, edited by Robert Harvey Jun 22 '10 at 22:52
link
-1 for bad spelling. – Harry Gindi Jun 22 '10 at 22:05
up vote 1 down vote
What will happen to the solar system when the sun extinguishes?
added by juanformoso May 27 '10 at 3:20
link
Possible answers include life-cycle of stars, estimation, different kind of "star deaths", etc – juanformoso May 27 '10 at 3:21
up vote 1 down vote
What is the proper way to clean a telescope?
added by Kredns May 27 '10 at 4:14
link
On the edge of the "what scope do I buy" area – Martin Beckett May 27 '10 at 14:45
"Computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes" ... Will StackOverflow allow me to ask how to clean my keyboard? – herzmeister May 27 '10 at 20:55
2  
@herzmeister I think that's a bad analogy if you're implying that this is off-topic (or that this proposal is too vague - which is certainly arguable). The main focus of StackOverflow is programming, not computer science. (also see superuser.com/questions/1331/… :) – therefromhere May 27 '10 at 21:19
4  
Hey that's a great trick with the keyboard on superuser, thanks. ;-) Maybe there should be two sites here as well, StarsOverflow and SuperObserver. :-P – herzmeister May 28 '10 at 8:11
1  
I would hope that observing and equipment maintenance questions are valid here. Surely the continuum from absolute amateur to professional astronomer is one of the joys of astronomy. To me, equipment questions are more "factual" and on topic than (to pick the next question I see) "Why is Pluto not a planet?) – Larry OBrien May 29 '10 at 0:27
show 1 more improvement suggestion
up vote 1 down vote
Is it possible (mathematically) to substitute some constraint other than velocity or the speed of light and still satisfy relativity?
added by Scott Wisniewski, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Jun 1 '10 at 13:34
link
another reason why astronomy and physics SE's should be linked – Tobias Kienzler May 28 '10 at 5:59
up vote 1 down vote
How do you locate the Southern Cross?
added by Rog May 27 '10 at 4:52
link
up vote 1 down vote
Why is Pluto not a planet?
added by Gnoupi May 27 '10 at 5:35
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up vote 1 down vote
I've got a telescope and have viewed the moon and some planets. Stars are just dots, what else is there to see?
added by Greg Hewgill May 27 '10 at 7:05
link
4  
(disclaimer: I don't know anything about astronomy) I'd vote off-topic. If I were a professional (or amateur) astronomer or astrophysicist and I stumbled onto a site with questions like this, I wouldn't come back. – Anton Geraschenko May 27 '10 at 7:18
1  
@Anton - Elitism is a good way to have a close community of dedicated people, but it's also the best way to have a very small community. I think that the way these site works allows for "elite" and "newbie" questions together. – Gnoupi May 27 '10 at 7:31
2  
I am (was) a professional astronomer and i can live with this question - it's the what type of telescope should I buy or 'is my new XYZcompany 10" scope any good' questions that I don't like – Martin Beckett May 27 '10 at 14:43
Very valid. Finding interesting targets can be daunting when just starting out. – Rusty Jun 2 '10 at 4:41
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