1,232 reputation
1418
bio website msquant.sourceforge.net
location Århus, Denmark
age 48
visits member for 2 years, 6 months
seen May 18 at 15:44
stats profile views 271

(Last updated 2013-04-03.)

I am mostly interested in making scientifically important observations, like timing occultations of or by Solar System bodies and measuring variable stars.

I am also interested in citizen science projects and participate in some of them, like Galaxy Zoo.

I have been an amateur astronomer since 1975 and worked at the European Space agency's (ESA) technical centre in Holland, ESTEC , on the ARISTOTELES mission, an earth gravity mapping mission.

Approximate coordinates: 55°20 N, 10°20 E


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Experienced application developer. Software Engineer. M.Sc.E.E. C++ (10 years), software engineering, .NET/C#/VB.NET (7 years), usability testing, Perl, scientific computing, Python, Windows/Macintosh/Linux, Z80 assembly.


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Jul
3
comment Applying the Maxwell–Boltzmann statistics to astrophysical objects
Re: "Can the Universe be considered in thermal equilibria?". Why equilibria? Why isn't it equilibrium?
Jun
29
asked How can a Population III star be so massive?
Jun
23
comment Why is the universe so big?
What is that indirect evidence?
Jun
17
comment How long would it take to scan the visible universe for unique signals?
More information about HUDF.
Jun
16
accepted Scientific value of timing total lunar occultations
Jun
16
comment What possible science could we do during the 2012 Venus transit?
I observed the entire transit in 2004 using a 200 mm Cassegrain telescope with a mylar solar filter. I was lucky with the weather and was at the right latitude. The "black drop" effect was clearly visible both at ingress and egress. But it is a optical illusion (?).
Jun
16
asked Refraction and scattered light for NLCs
Jun
13
comment How do astronomers measure the distance to a star or other celestial object?
Parallax is not the only direct distance measurement (although it is less universally applicable (no pun intended)). There is also the convergent method.
Jun
13
answered How do astronomers measure the distance to a star or other celestial object?
Jun
2
comment Can any telescope be used for solar observing?
@Anna Karenina: no, you need a narrow-band filter. A 1.5 Å filter will do for prominences. They are somewhat cheaper than a hydrogen-alpha filter proper. See for instance Solar Observing, section "Solar Prominence Filters".
Jun
2
answered Can any telescope be used for solar observing?
Jun
1
comment What tools do I need to track an orbit of a mystery object?
How fast was it moving? For example, how long time, approximately, did it take to cross the field of view? 10 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes?
Jun
1
comment Scientific value of timing total lunar occultations
Interesting. What is the hit rate on asteroid occultations? Has the Hipparcos data increased it to something more acceptable than 10% in the 1980s?
Jun
1
asked Scientific value of timing total lunar occultations
Apr
12
comment Questions about the Solar System
This question belongs on Astronomy. Wait... It is not created yet (is in the commitment phase), but nearly everybody can help create it!
Apr
11
revised Is spin is a conserved entity?
Copy edit.
Apr
11
suggested suggested edit on Is spin is a conserved entity?
Mar
26
revised Iodine-131 half-life and reality
added 58 characters in body
Mar
26
revised Iodine-131 half-life and reality
Copy edit. Added context.
Mar
26
suggested suggested edit on Iodine-131 half-life and reality