Philip Massey
@philmassey.bsky.social
Astronomer who gets to do cool stuff! (He/him)
Of course, Star Trek fans know the answer to this: you change the conditions of the test.
November 23, 2025 at 1:08 AM
Of course, Star Trek fans know the answer to this: you change the conditions of the test.
Ah! Nevermind, I figured it out. Turns out I had two kickstarter accounts, and I was automatically logged in as the wrong one. Once I fixed that, it recognized me as a "backer" and all was right with the world. Well, okay, NOT all right with the world, but at least I'll get the book! Thanks!
November 23, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Ah! Nevermind, I figured it out. Turns out I had two kickstarter accounts, and I was automatically logged in as the wrong one. Once I fixed that, it recognized me as a "backer" and all was right with the world. Well, okay, NOT all right with the world, but at least I'll get the book! Thanks!
I'm sorry, but I'm having problems too. I made a generous pledge, but I get daily notices saying I need to add an address. But when I go to the page it links to, and adds my address, it the wants me to pay $38 for the book. Clearly I'm doing something wrong..But it's kind of messed up.
November 22, 2025 at 5:26 PM
I'm sorry, but I'm having problems too. I made a generous pledge, but I get daily notices saying I need to add an address. But when I go to the page it links to, and adds my address, it the wants me to pay $38 for the book. Clearly I'm doing something wrong..But it's kind of messed up.
Not to be pedantic, but whether the earth was approaching or moving away from Jupiter is irrelevant. It had to do with when the earth was nearer or further away from Jupiter.
November 7, 2025 at 1:26 AM
Not to be pedantic, but whether the earth was approaching or moving away from Jupiter is irrelevant. It had to do with when the earth was nearer or further away from Jupiter.
They had little tags on them that read:
June 16, 2025 at 3:29 PM
They had little tags on them that read:
When I went on my firstbackpack with Deidre in the Phillips Mountains in Alaska, I prepared by reading that book. The part where he finally relaxes about what to take into the backcountry realizing that "all of the important decisions would be made by the bear" has become a metaphor for many things.
May 12, 2025 at 1:57 PM
When I went on my firstbackpack with Deidre in the Phillips Mountains in Alaska, I prepared by reading that book. The part where he finally relaxes about what to take into the backcountry realizing that "all of the important decisions would be made by the bear" has become a metaphor for many things.
The 1977 version is great, but the I was enthralled by the 1968 version, narrated by a woman with a delightful British accent. It turns out that the narrator was Judith Bronowski. She also narrated the Ascent of Man, which was written by her father, the mathematician and biologist Jacob Bronowski.
February 8, 2025 at 4:00 PM
The 1977 version is great, but the I was enthralled by the 1968 version, narrated by a woman with a delightful British accent. It turns out that the narrator was Judith Bronowski. She also narrated the Ascent of Man, which was written by her father, the mathematician and biologist Jacob Bronowski.
I still don't know what you mean by "the data"; we published the results in the paper.That was kind of the whole point. Anyway,I wasn't involved in the modeling; that was all done by the lead author.Finally, there's a difference between asking a question ("Does the DM matter?") and chasing someone.
December 8, 2024 at 11:56 PM
I still don't know what you mean by "the data"; we published the results in the paper.That was kind of the whole point. Anyway,I wasn't involved in the modeling; that was all done by the lead author.Finally, there's a difference between asking a question ("Does the DM matter?") and chasing someone.
A different DM isn't going to affect the temperatures. Deriving the temperature from photometry will depend upon the amount of reddening, but otherwise a 4000 degree light bulb will have the same colors independent of distance. Those new distances are no better than what we used anyway.
December 8, 2024 at 11:53 PM
A different DM isn't going to affect the temperatures. Deriving the temperature from photometry will depend upon the amount of reddening, but otherwise a 4000 degree light bulb will have the same colors independent of distance. Those new distances are no better than what we used anyway.
Imagine you wanted to grow some vegetables. Would you write to a gardener and say, "You must have nothing else to do---please come dig up my ground and plant some seeds. I don't know how but I like to eat vegetables." It's not the same as asking "Where can I learn about this?" It's simply rude.
December 8, 2024 at 1:57 AM
Imagine you wanted to grow some vegetables. Would you write to a gardener and say, "You must have nothing else to do---please come dig up my ground and plant some seeds. I don't know how but I like to eat vegetables." It's not the same as asking "Where can I learn about this?" It's simply rude.
The distance modulus (DM) is m-M = 5 log d - 5, where d is in parsecs. The luminosity L is related to M, the absolute magnitude, as M = -2.5 log L + const. So if the DM you want to use is a little different than what I used (but is probably no more accurate) then these equations are all you need.
December 8, 2024 at 1:46 AM
The distance modulus (DM) is m-M = 5 log d - 5, where d is in parsecs. The luminosity L is related to M, the absolute magnitude, as M = -2.5 log L + const. So if the DM you want to use is a little different than what I used (but is probably no more accurate) then these equations are all you need.