It Must Be Astronomical

The loaner program offers members a means to try scopes of various sizes and technologies before you buy. For more information please see the loaner program web page: http://www.sjaa.net/loaners

Effective January 1, 2011, the SJAA membership dues will be changed. The regular dues will remain at $20 but only for members choosing the electronic version of this newsletter. Those who want to continue with the print version will find that their dues are $30.

CalStar - Oct. 7-10. http://www.observers.org/CalStar/

Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m., Greg Laughlin on “The Ultimate Fate of the Solar System and the Music of the Spheres.”

Advanced Imaging Conference, October 22-24, Santa Clara. http://www.aicccd.com/2010/website/index.html

Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series, Nov. 17 at 7 p.m., Natalie Batalha on “An Update from the Kepler Mission: The Search for Other Earths.”

Q: What is the ranking of the following in terms of their collective weight on Earth: bacteria, humans, and ants?

A: The sum total weight of all humans now living on Earth is about the same as the total weight of ants. Bacteria, when counting all subterranean bacteria, probably has a total weight that is 10 times the weight of all humans. In fact, humans may carry nearly 10 pounds of bacteria inside of themselves. If you make that 40 pounds it would account for the anomalous gravitational readings made on my bathroom scale.

“Skeptical scrutiny is the means, in both science and religion, by which deep thoughts can be winnowed from deep nonsense. ” - Carl Sagan