Comments on: The sky according to Planck http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/07/05/the-sky-according-to-planck/ Wed, 21 Nov 2012 15:12:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Andrew http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/07/05/the-sky-according-to-planck/#comment-243645 Andrew Sun, 25 Jul 2010 14:24:12 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=18400#comment-243645 This may be slightly off topic but.. In http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/09/060905104549.htm, it refers to an article: "A comparison between the x-ray predicted and WMAP observed Cosmic Microwave Background temperature decrement", which seems to indicate that there is more than one source of CMBR (apart from the big bang), and it is impossible to distinguish what radiation came from what source. Can someone point me toward a good explanation for this anomaly? This may be slightly off topic but..
In http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/09/060905104549.htm, it refers to an article: “A comparison between the x-ray predicted and WMAP observed Cosmic Microwave Background temperature decrement”,
which seems to indicate that there is more than one source of CMBR (apart from the big bang), and it is impossible to distinguish what radiation came from what source. Can someone point me toward a good explanation for this anomaly?

]]> By: Frac http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/07/05/the-sky-according-to-planck/#comment-243644 Frac Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:25:35 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=18400#comment-243644 Hand this over to the Google Earth folks so we can see it projected inside a sphere! Hand this over to the Google Earth folks so we can see it projected inside a sphere!

]]> By: Joel http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/07/05/the-sky-according-to-planck/#comment-243643 Joel Sat, 10 Jul 2010 06:14:30 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=18400#comment-243643 Amused to note that the file name for the Planck image is: PLANCK_FSM_03_Black_frame_orig.jpg "FSM"??? Should we take this as evidence that this is actually an image of...? Amused to note that the file name for the Planck image is:
PLANCK_FSM_03_Black_frame_orig.jpg
“FSM”??? Should we take this as evidence that this is actually an image of…?

]]> By: Getting It Wrong, Not Minding One Bit : The Last Word On Nothing http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/07/05/the-sky-according-to-planck/#comment-243642 Getting It Wrong, Not Minding One Bit : The Last Word On Nothing Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:10:09 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=18400#comment-243642 [...] pictures are prettier if you click and enlarge them.  Meanwhile, interested in that Planck map?  Bad Astronomer has a good write-up.  Want to help Newberg map those star streams?  [...] [...] pictures are prettier if you click and enlarge them.  Meanwhile, interested in that Planck map?  Bad Astronomer has a good write-up.  Want to help Newberg map those star streams?  [...]

]]> By: Brian137 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/07/05/the-sky-according-to-planck/#comment-243641 Brian137 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 23:49:17 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=18400#comment-243641 An easy way to see that a sphere cannot be projected onto a flat surface without distortion is to imagine cutting a basketball into two hemispheres. The problem of making a distortion-free flat projection of the hemisphere is equivalent to the problem of pressing one of the basketball halves flat against the floor. You cannot do the latter even with the aid of cuts, so you cannot do the former. An easy way to see that a sphere cannot be projected onto a flat surface without distortion is to imagine cutting a basketball into two hemispheres. The problem of making a distortion-free flat projection of the hemisphere is equivalent to the problem of pressing one of the basketball halves flat against the floor. You cannot do the latter even with the aid of cuts, so you cannot do the former.

]]> By: Michael T. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/07/05/the-sky-according-to-planck/#comment-243640 Michael T. Tue, 06 Jul 2010 20:40:25 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=18400#comment-243640 Chromoscope is too cool but why are there what looks like scratches in the x-ray part of the spectrum? Chromoscope is too cool but why are there what looks like scratches in the x-ray part of the spectrum?

]]> By: Andrew http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/07/05/the-sky-according-to-planck/#comment-243639 Andrew Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:02:05 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=18400#comment-243639 All projections of a sphere on to a plane are distortive to some degree. Astronomers tend to use the Hammer-Aitoff projection for whole-sky images, rather than Mollweide. Both are 2:1 ellipses and equal-area, and both distort angles and shapes (but in slightly different ways). The most noticeable difference is that lines of latitude end up curved in Hammer-Aitoff but straight in Mollweide. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammer_projection and http://www.radicalcartography.net/?projectionref All projections of a sphere on to a plane are distortive to some degree. Astronomers tend to use the Hammer-Aitoff projection for whole-sky images, rather than Mollweide. Both are 2:1 ellipses and equal-area, and both distort angles and shapes (but in slightly different ways). The most noticeable difference is that lines of latitude end up curved in Hammer-Aitoff but straight in Mollweide. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hammer_projection and http://www.radicalcartography.net/?projectionref

]]> By: Kinky http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/07/05/the-sky-according-to-planck/#comment-243638 Kinky Tue, 06 Jul 2010 16:27:08 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=18400#comment-243638 @ 28. Nigel Depledge <blockquote><i>I know, I know, casual useage and all that. But “data” is still the plural of “datum”.</i></blockquote> Datum? Date-um? I thought that was slang for going out with two girls <i>(or whatever takes your fancy)</i> at once? ;-) @ 31. MartinM Says: <blockquote><i>This seems like rather an odd choice of post for <b>crazy</b> bigots to comment on.</i></blockquote> That's why they're called crazy bigots not sane ones I guess. ;-) @ 28. Nigel Depledge

I know, I know, casual useage and all that. But “data” is still the plural of “datum”.

Datum? Date-um? I thought that was slang for going out with two girls (or whatever takes your fancy) at once? ;-)

@ 31. MartinM Says:

This seems like rather an odd choice of post for crazy bigots to comment on.

That’s why they’re called crazy bigots not sane ones I guess. ;-)

]]> By: MartinM http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/07/05/the-sky-according-to-planck/#comment-243637 MartinM Tue, 06 Jul 2010 13:11:47 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=18400#comment-243637 This seems like rather an odd choice of post for crazy bigots to comment on. This seems like rather an odd choice of post for crazy bigots to comment on.

]]> By: Lukester http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2010/07/05/the-sky-according-to-planck/#comment-243636 Lukester Tue, 06 Jul 2010 12:26:12 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/?p=18400#comment-243636 I sure hope this makes Muslims feel better about their contribution to math and science! I sure hope this makes Muslims feel better about their contribution to math and science!

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