Re: diamonds

[hjohnson@pluto.njcc.com (Herbert R Johnson)]

On Tue, 28 Dec 1999 22:22:43 -0800, Chris Albertson <chrisja@jps.net> wrote:
*>James Bush wrote:
*>> 
*>> all that glitters is not gold . . . for it is diamonds that glitter
*><snip>
*>
*>I read another one today in the issue of Sky and Telescope
*>that was waiting for me when I got home tonight (Feb. 2000, Page 16).
*>I think it relates the Jamie's one about diamonds.
*>It talks about the first recording of a transit of a star by a planet.
*>It seems HD209458 has a planet with an orbital period of about 3.5 days
*>and is in plane with us.  The transit dimmed the star by 0.017 magnitudes.
*>This should be detectable by a Mark IV.  In fact the S & T article said the
*>light curve was made with a 4 inch diameter robotic telescope.
*>
*>I am thinking that if there is one star like this there are more.  Wouldn't
*>it be nice to find another planet.  I know, I rare chance, but if you look
*>at enough stars over enough years....

In fact, at least one TASS member is reviewing the on-line TASS database
and looking at variables by various criteria. Certainly a number of the
Mark III camera owners have published their findings. So I think it misses
the mark to say that "TASS could do this...". TASS is a bunch of people. If
another person wants to do something with the data, that person can do it,
and become a TASS member. It is not easy, it requires perserverance,
knowledge, and interest. Most efforts with value do. But most of
the work of collecting and processing has been done. I am not a professional
astronomer or programmer, yet I've made various contributions to the TASS
project: it's not always about "discovery".

In fact it can be difficult to step back from the business of discovery,
to make tools or to develop methods, or even just to gather information
on what our colleagues have done. TASS has done a great deal, with no
grants or overall institutional support. The fact that more could be done
is true in any endeavor: but few endeavors offer so much to others not yet
involved. Like most volunteer organizations, what could be done is up to
YOU, not "them".

So our "diamonds" have been mined as ore, even processed to get most of
the rock out. Anyone can sort and refine them. And unlike diamonds, there
is not much lost in the processing, they can be processed over and over again.
We have it better than diamonds, if you find something that does not take it
away from me, I may find out MORE about it. Knowledge is better than diamonds,
and I thank my colleagues for the knowledge I've gained in my association
with TASS.

Herb Johnson
                   
Herbert R. Johnson              http://pluto.njcc.com/~hjohnson
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