Skylog: The SkyGuide

AFM*Radio Special: Why Does the Vatican Need an Astronomer?

November 05 2009 21:59 UTC | Views: 716 | Comments: 0
Posted by: Michael SkyGuide in AFM*Radio

AFM*Radio Special!

WHY DOES THE VATICAN
NEED AN ASTRONOMER?
presented by
Dr. Guy Consolmagno, S.J.

UTC: Fri Morning Nov 6th, 02:00 & 04:00
US-East: Thurs Nite Nov 5th, 9pm & 11pm

HERE ARE THE LINKS TO SEE THE VISUALS FOR TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION:
1) Direct Download of the PDF (follow audio on AFM*Radio): http://files.me.com/skyguide/696la7
2) Or, listen AND watch the show on DimDim.com
a- Click Here to go to our meeting room
b- Next, enter the "Your Name": (enter whatever you like)
c- Click on "Join". After a short test of your computer, you should

On Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 9:00pm U.S. Eastern Time (02:00 UT),Astronomy.FM Radio will rebroadcast Vatican astronomer Dr. Guy Consolmagno, S.J.'s presentation, "Why Does the Vatican Need an Astronomer?" Dr. Consolmagno's presentation, given at the Detroit Science Center, was originally aired live by AFM*Radio on October 12 of this year. The Program is being offered again for Astronomy.FM members, and others interested in space science, as part of Astronomy.FM's educational mission in support of the IYA2009 Galilean Nights project.

Brother Guy (Society of Jesus) is from Detroit, Michigan. He is a world-famous research astronomer and planetary scientist, who now calls the Vatican Observatory his home dome. He graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and received his Ph.D. from the University of Arizona in 1978, working in planetary sciences. Dr. Consolmagno was also a professor at the Harvard College Observatory and MIT, and served in Kenya for two years as a US Peace Corps volunteer, teaching astronomy and physics.

Read more about Vatican Astronomy in "The Skyguide" Skylog at Astronomy.FM.

*************** May you have clear skies & a star to steer by! **************

* Michael Foerster / The SkyGuide *
Radio <at> Astronomy <dot> FM

The SkyGuide! on AFM*Radio
every Wednesday night at 9pm US Eastern (0100 UTC)

FirstLight! on WNMC FM/TV (WNMC.org)
Every Friday morning at 7:15am US Eastern (1115 UTC)

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>SCIENTISTS DISCOVER NEW ELEMENT: ADMINISTRATIUM<
ANN ARBOR, MI - The heaviest element known to Science has been discovered by physicists at the University of Michigan.

The element, tentatively named administratium (Ad) has no protons or electrons, which means that it has atomic number 0 and falls outside the natural patterns exhibited by all other known elements. However, it does have 1 neutron, 125 assistants to the neutron, 75 vice neutrons, and 111 assistants to the vice neutrons. This gives it an atomic mass of 312. The 312 particles are held together by a force involving the continuous exchange of meson-like particles called "memos".

Because it has no protons or electrons, administratium is inert. Nonetheless, it can be detected chemically, in that it seems to impede every reaction in which it is present. According to one of the discoverers, even a small amount of administratium made one reaction which normally lasts less than one second take more than four days.

Administratium has a half-life of approximately three years. It does not actually decay; instead, it undergoes a reorganization in which a vice neutron, assistants to the vice neutron, and certain assistants to the neutron exchange places. Some studies have indicated that its mass actually increases after each reorganization, although this has yet to be explained. Another phenomenon which has been observed (as expected from the mechanics of minute particles) is that the more one tries to pin down the positions of the vice neutrons within the structure of administratium, the more uncertain those positions become.

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