The Light Bulb At The End Of The Universe
G.D.O'Bradovich III
December 15, 2012
Part the First
In the always exciting world of the Occult, much speculation is written about Sirius. Sirius is one of the nearest stars to Earth. Of course, the Ancients did not know that, but they knew it was bright and, for primitive people, that is all they need to know. In our Modern World, we know more about astronomy, specifically, and science, in general, so we should not be too harsh to our ignorant ancient astrological colleagues.
We will take what Modern Science tells us and apply that nebulous concept of "common sense" to their findings and determine if their ideas of interstellar measurement is, in fact, accurate or plausible.
In the following analysis, I will convert from the Metric System to the English System. This is not because I have any issues with a universal standard, but because I am more comfortable, at least in this inquiry, in using the English System.
We will take what Modern Science tells us and apply that nebulous concept of "common sense" to their findings and determine if their ideas of interstellar measurement is, in fact, accurate or plausible.
In the following analysis, I will convert from the Metric System to the English System. This is not because I have any issues with a universal standard, but because I am more comfortable, at least in this inquiry, in using the English System.
Part the Second
The relationship between inches and miles and astronomical units and light years examined.
An astronomical unit (AU) is the mean distance of the earth from the sun.
One Light Year is 63,241 astronomical units.
One mile equals 63,360 inches. [5,280 feet x (12 inches/1 foot)]
The difference between 63,360 (inches) and 63,241 (AU) is 1.001881 percent. For practical purposes, we will state:
An astronomical unit (AU) is the mean distance of the earth from the sun.
One Light Year is 63,241 astronomical units.
One mile equals 63,360 inches. [5,280 feet x (12 inches/1 foot)]
The difference between 63,360 (inches) and 63,241 (AU) is 1.001881 percent. For practical purposes, we will state:
1 inch is to 1 mile as 1 Astronomical Unit is to 1 Light Year
or
1 inch : 1,000 miles :: 1 Astronomical Unit : 1 Light Year
or
1 inch : 1,000 miles :: 1 Astronomical Unit : 1 Light Year
The distance from earth to Sirius, Modern Science informs us, is 8.60 Light Years. (plus or minus .04 Light Years)
This is roughly equivalent to:
1 inch to 8.6 miles.
The radius of Sirius is .0079546101 AU. The radius multiplied by 2 equals the diameter of .01590902202 AU.
To convert to 64ths of an inch, .01590902202 is multiplied by 64 and this approximately 1.1 (1.08190).
To put these scientific numbers into Imperial numbers:
Astronomy teaches that Sirius is 1/64 of an inch in diameter and is 8.6 miles away.
To convert to 64ths of an inch, .01590902202 is multiplied by 64 and this approximately 1.1 (1.08190).
To put these scientific numbers into Imperial numbers:
Astronomy teaches that Sirius is 1/64 of an inch in diameter and is 8.6 miles away.
Part the Third
I stand 6 feet tall or, stated alternately, approximately 72 inches ( or 72 AU) and, in this analogy, I am taller than the average orbit of Neptune (30.1 AU). Yet, I doubt I can see a light from 8 miles away.
Deneb, in the constellation of Cygnus, is between 1,400 and 3,000 light years or, continuing with our reduction 1,400 to 3,000 miles. We note that astronomers are honest about their ignorance of the distance of Deneb. For comparison, the air distance between Los Angeles, CA, and Little Rock, AR, is 1,480 miles. The diameter of Deneb is approximately one inch on our reduced scale. Once again, I do not believe that people in Arkansas can see a light bulb in California.
Gentle reader, even in a vacuum without any "light pollution" (as astronomers call it), I doubt, although I do not know and can not calculate, that I could see a regular light bulb from 8.6 miles, let alone alone one that is 1/64 of inch or, in the instance of Deneb, 1,400 miles.
My intent is not to disparage scientific accomplishments from the preceding two centuries, as I have benefited grealty from the accomplishments and innovations that have brought us to the present age, however, I do not understand how astronomers have reached the conclusions for these truly astronomical numbers.
If I know any measurements of an object-distance, length, width- or can determine an angle, I can, through various calculations, determine the missing information of size and distance.
Astronomers know the diameter of the moon (2,160 miles) and this absolute number is surprisingly the approximate number of years (2,160) for the sun to move through one zodiac sign (30 degrees), while the diameter of the sun (865,374 miles) is very close to the number of hours in a millennium with in a calendar year of 360 days (360x24x1,000=864,000), that is, before the solar year was accurately known. The former diameter of the sun (864,000 miles) was 400 times the diameter of the moon. I must note that it was thoughtful of Nature to provide earlier astronomers with a round number.
I have grave reservations about accurate measurements concerning the distances within the solar system ( distance and diameter of the sun) and outside the solar system (Sirius and Deneb). "Common sense" tells me the sun and the moon are roughly the same size and the distance of the sun is greater than the moon (because we experience eclipses), although the exact distance of the sun is not known. The stars must be further away because they do not interact with the planets.
Therefore, Gentle Reader, in this regard I am as ignorant as the Ancients- I know the Sun, Sirius and Deneb are bright and not much else.
Deneb, in the constellation of Cygnus, is between 1,400 and 3,000 light years or, continuing with our reduction 1,400 to 3,000 miles. We note that astronomers are honest about their ignorance of the distance of Deneb. For comparison, the air distance between Los Angeles, CA, and Little Rock, AR, is 1,480 miles. The diameter of Deneb is approximately one inch on our reduced scale. Once again, I do not believe that people in Arkansas can see a light bulb in California.
Gentle reader, even in a vacuum without any "light pollution" (as astronomers call it), I doubt, although I do not know and can not calculate, that I could see a regular light bulb from 8.6 miles, let alone alone one that is 1/64 of inch or, in the instance of Deneb, 1,400 miles.
My intent is not to disparage scientific accomplishments from the preceding two centuries, as I have benefited grealty from the accomplishments and innovations that have brought us to the present age, however, I do not understand how astronomers have reached the conclusions for these truly astronomical numbers.
If I know any measurements of an object-distance, length, width- or can determine an angle, I can, through various calculations, determine the missing information of size and distance.
Astronomers know the diameter of the moon (2,160 miles) and this absolute number is surprisingly the approximate number of years (2,160) for the sun to move through one zodiac sign (30 degrees), while the diameter of the sun (865,374 miles) is very close to the number of hours in a millennium with in a calendar year of 360 days (360x24x1,000=864,000), that is, before the solar year was accurately known. The former diameter of the sun (864,000 miles) was 400 times the diameter of the moon. I must note that it was thoughtful of Nature to provide earlier astronomers with a round number.
I have grave reservations about accurate measurements concerning the distances within the solar system ( distance and diameter of the sun) and outside the solar system (Sirius and Deneb). "Common sense" tells me the sun and the moon are roughly the same size and the distance of the sun is greater than the moon (because we experience eclipses), although the exact distance of the sun is not known. The stars must be further away because they do not interact with the planets.
Therefore, Gentle Reader, in this regard I am as ignorant as the Ancients- I know the Sun, Sirius and Deneb are bright and not much else.