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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

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

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

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188 Example Questions (10 closed)

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added by Robert Harvey, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Jun 3 '10 at 8:54

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added by Robert Harvey Jun 1 '10 at 21:36

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added by Scott Wales Jun 2 '10 at 1:19

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added by Bob Bethman Jun 2 '10 at 15:30

Entrance Pupil is the diameter of the pupil opening. There is a definitive difference between daylight, dark adapted, and age. It impacts the viewing ability of those performing "visual" Astronomy. IF this is not on topic, then the entirety of Astronomy is at risk. – Bob Bethman Jun 2 '10 at 16:22

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added by Nathan Osman Jun 3 '10 at 6:04

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added by Mehper C. Palavuzlar Jun 3 '10 at 11:54

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added by Mehper C. Palavuzlar, edited by WikiSpeedia hang-around Jun 3 '10 at 16:18

This is certainly on topic, however it is a highly debated area in Astronomy. – Bob Bethman Jun 4 '10 at 19:48

Einstein had said he was not sure about the infinity of the Universe. – Mehper C. Palavuzlar Jun 4 '10 at 20:05

"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." – Corey Jun 4 '10 at 20:06

No it is not. The Universe is Finite and has no Border. – Rusty Jun 5 '10 at 12:39

@Rusty that sounds contradicting. unless you assume periodicity? – Tobias Kienzler Jun 10 '10 at 10:15

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added by gnovice Jun 4 '10 at 1:07

	How is this not a good example? In fact, there seem to be a lot of questions here that are marked as such. I think perhaps someone doesn't understand how voting works. – gnovice Jun 5 '10 at 4:28
	To clarify, I meant this as a case to test the border between on- and off-topic. It discusses an astronomy-related topic, but the answers would stray into the health/medical field (i.e. "It can cause eye damage"). – gnovice Jun 5 '10 at 14:10

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added by Charles Stewart Jun 7 '10 at 12:32

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added by Corey Jun 9 '10 at 7:13

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added by HRJ Jun 11 '10 at 6:58

Intended as an example of a telescope-making question? Is it on-topic? – HRJ Jun 11 '10 at 6:59

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added by Aim Kai Jun 17 '10 at 12:27

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added by Binoj Antony Jun 19 '10 at 13:20

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added by Larry Gritz Jun 22 '10 at 18:52

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added by Walter Jun 23 '10 at 13:02

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added by PICyourBrain Jun 23 '10 at 13:06

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added by Michael Pryor May 25 '10 at 15:43

Too localized.. – juanformoso May 27 '10 at 3:18

@Juan - I disagree, since the ISS is such a popular and easy thing to look for. – therefromhere May 27 '10 at 14:59

Too temporally constrained. This question has a maximum shelf-life of 24-hours, since tomorrow the answer will be wrong. So in its current form, I'd say it was a bad example of an on-topic question. With a slight modification though, it could be made much more appropriate. "How can I find out where to see ISS at a specified date and location" would be much more on-topic. – Tim Long May 27 '10 at 17:52

Wouldn't the "best answer" to this probably be a link to Spaceweather.com or other tracking site? So I'm +1 for this as "on topic" – Larry OBrien May 29 '10 at 0:29

@Tim - Some questions are better phrased as though they occur at a given point and time in space, however the answers will answer generically. This helps immensely with internet searches. I vote this as a perfectly valid on-topic question, and would prefer the title continue to reference "tonight." – Adam Davis Jun 2 '10 at 20:06

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added by Tyler Carter May 27 '10 at 4:07

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added by dagorym May 27 '10 at 13:38

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added by therefromhere May 27 '10 at 15:22

Experimental high-energy physics is related but I think it's off-topic. – therefromhere May 27 '10 at 15:23

another reason why astronomy and physics SE's should be linked – Tobias Kienzler May 28 '10 at 6:01

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added by Tim Long May 27 '10 at 15:42

Real question from AstroAnswers SE site. – Tim Long May 27 '10 at 15:43

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added by Chris Rowland May 27 '10 at 18:27

Real question from AstroAnswers SE site. – Chris Rowland May 27 '10 at 19:06

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added by Chris Rowland May 27 '10 at 18:27

Real question from AstroAnswers SE site. – Chris Rowland May 27 '10 at 19:07

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added by Chris Rowland May 27 '10 at 19:18

I've put this in because I'm not sure what people will think - and I'm going to try to resist voting on it myself :-) But if you think it is off topic please comment saying where people should get this information. – Chris Rowland May 27 '10 at 19:19

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added by delete May 28 '10 at 8:08

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added by WikiSpeedia hang-around May 28 '10 at 16:57

(Intended as off-topic. Where the power comes from for an observatory does not have much to do with astronomy.) – WikiSpeedia hang-around Jun 4 '10 at 22:35

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added by Arlen Beiler May 28 '10 at 23:40

This hypothetical person really did find a black spot on jupiter, and when you point your scope at it, you can see it too. – Arlen Beiler May 28 '10 at 23:41

Only if phrased as a question: "Hey! Anyone ELSE see that black spot on Jupiter?" :-) – Larry OBrien May 29 '10 at 0:39

Great Idea Larry – Arlen Beiler May 29 '10 at 1:37

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added by Larry OBrien May 29 '10 at 0:44

@Larry OBrien: what are EPs? – WikiSpeedia hang-around May 29 '10 at 0:52

Shorthand for "Eyepieces" -- ultra-wide eyepieces are typically quite expensive and discussion of them can attract flames. This question isn't quite flamebait, but it might generate heated discussion. – Larry OBrien May 29 '10 at 18:27

Bad example, please use full words when asking questions. – Harry Gindi Jun 22 '10 at 22:06

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added by therefromhere May 30 '10 at 14:36

	On-topic as includes space-flight: area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/51/astronomy/… – Arlen Beiler May 31 '10 at 1:04
	Is space flight on topic? I'm not at all convinced that it is. – Chris Rowland May 31 '10 at 7:28
	@chris currently there is an <sarcasm>overwhelming</sarcasm> 5:2 vote that it is on-topic – Tobias Kienzler May 31 '10 at 7:46
	2:2 now. The fundamental thing is that if I can't find the questions I want to answer among all the noise I won't stay around. This applies to everone else as well of course. – Chris Rowland May 31 '10 at 10:16
	@chris the 5:2 referred to the question whether space exploration is on-topic (area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/51/astronomy/…). I accept your opinion considering this noise, but democracy states different – Tobias Kienzler May 31 '10 at 12:19

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added by Larry OBrien May 30 '10 at 18:43

	dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2010/05/… – Larry OBrien May 30 '10 at 18:46
	From the linked page: "Your link is a website run by Richard C. Hoagland, a HACK conspiracy theorist ... is an American author and a proponent of various conspiracy theories about NASA, lost alien civilizations on the Moon and on Mars and other related topics. " – WikiSpeedia hang-around May 30 '10 at 22:58
	@Larry OBrien: it is a very good question you posted. It raises the question whether questions that have a background in conspiracy theories and other misguided beliefs are on-topic or off-topic. Answers would debunk, but it could also lead to extended discussion. I can't currently make my mind up. What are your thoughts? – WikiSpeedia hang-around May 30 '10 at 23:07
	It isn't really on topic, but can still be answered with something meaningful, such as, why it is off-topic. Really, though, who ever heard of a round body with rectangular voids in it. – Arlen Beiler May 31 '10 at 11:58
	My feeling is that just because something involves an extraordinary claim it's on-topic until it's overwhelmingly rejected by science or history (astrology, moon-landing) or there's good cause to believe that the "debate" is being fostered in bad faith (creationism, climate change denialism). – Larry OBrien Jun 5 '10 at 2:23

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added by Mike Grady May 31 '10 at 4:45

Up to now, the lensing that has been demonstrated has been done either in the visual bandwidth of light, and infrared. It has not however, been linked to anything in the discourse of dark matter/energy. One is a proven, the other is simply theoretical at this time, and probably for the foreseeable future. – Bob Bethman Jun 5 '10 at 0:19