Measure Moon's Parallax

Measure Moon's Parallax

Has anyone tried to determine the distance to the moon via
parallax with simultaneous photos from two amateur observatories,
say 30 miles apart?

-Sam Wormley

Sam Wormley wrote:

Measure Moon's Parallax

Has anyone tried to determine the distance to the moon via
parallax with simultaneous photos from two amateur observatories,
say 30 miles apart?

Amateur lunar parallax experiments have been done over greater
distances:

http://www.digitalsky.org.uk/Lunar_Parallax.html


Tim
--
You are being watched. This gives you power.

"Sam Wormley" wrote in message
news:GROSe.310382$_o.269977@attbi_s71...
Measure Moon's Parallax

Has anyone tried to determine the distance to the moon via
parallax with simultaneous photos from two amateur observatories,
say 30 miles apart?

-Sam Wormley

Why do you ask?

Mike Thomas wrote:
"Sam Wormley" wrote in message
news:GROSe.310382$_o.269977@attbi_s71...

Measure Moon's Parallax

Has anyone tried to determine the distance to the moon via
parallax with simultaneous photos from two amateur observatories,
say 30 miles apart?

-Sam Wormley


Why do you ask?



Because I suggested a project like that between a couple of Iowa
astronomy clubs... promoting cooperation, friendships and possible
public interest.

In article GROSe.310382$_o.269977@attbi_s71,
Sam Wormley wrote:

Measure Moon's Parallax

Has anyone tried to determine the distance to the moon via
parallax with simultaneous photos from two amateur observatories,
say 30 miles apart?

-Sam Wormley

Such an experiment must have been performed many times, by many
different amateurs all over the world. An observatory isn't needed
btw, you can set up your telescope anywhere, as long as you have a
good position of your observing location.

But I think higher accuracy in the lunar parallax would be obtained
if another method than photography was used, a method which also
is quite feasible for amateur observers: visual timing of a lunar
occultation of the same star, observed from different locations.
This requires more on the computational side though, but since
powerful computers are ubiqutous today, that should be no problem.

This project could be extended: by determining the lunar parallax
at several different occasions, one could determine the eccentricity
of the Moon's orbit.

--
----------------------------------------------------------------
Paul Schlyter, Grev Turegatan 40, SE-114 38 Stockholm, SWEDEN
e-mail: pausch at stockholm dot bostream dot se
WWW: http://stjarnhimlen.se/

"Sam Wormley" wrote in message news:YMPSe.309112$x96.96741@attbi_s72...
Mike Thomas wrote:
"Sam Wormley" wrote in message
news:GROSe.310382$_o.269977@attbi_s71...

Measure Moon's Parallax

Has anyone tried to determine the distance to the moon via
parallax with simultaneous photos from two amateur observatories,
say 30 miles apart?

-Sam Wormley


Why do you ask?



Because I suggested a project like that between a couple of Iowa
astronomy clubs... promoting cooperation, friendships and possible
public interest.

sounds like a very good idea, go for it.
--
Martijn (astro-at-pff-software.nl)
10" LX200GPS-SMT
ETX105
www.xs4all.nl/~martlian

Paul Schlyter wrote:
In article GROSe.310382$_o.269977@attbi_s71,
Sam Wormley wrote:


Measure Moon's Parallax

Has anyone tried to determine the distance to the moon via
parallax with simultaneous photos from two amateur observatories,
say 30 miles apart?

-Sam Wormley


Such an experiment must have been performed many times, by many
different amateurs all over the world. An observatory isn't needed
btw, you can set up your telescope anywhere, as long as you have a
good position of your observing location.

But I think higher accuracy in the lunar parallax would be obtained
if another method than photography was used, a method which also
is quite feasible for amateur observers: visual timing of a lunar
occultation of the same star, observed from different locations.
This requires more on the computational side though, but since
powerful computers are ubiqutous today, that should be no problem.

This project could be extended: by determining the lunar parallax
at several different occasions, one could determine the eccentricity
of the Moon's orbit.



Hi Paul--The observatories are "symbolic" and their coordinates
are already known by the participants. And I agree that occultation
timings are an excellent approach... However, photograph may be
more meaningful... at least for publicity and display. A comparison
of both methods would be interesting.

Thanks.
-Sam

Sam,

Parallax Pete ... oops, I mean Pete Lawrence ... did precisely the same
thing during a recent eclipse.

Anthony.

Sam Wormley wrote:

Measure Moon's Parallax

Has anyone tried to determine the distance to the moon via
parallax with simultaneous photos from two amateur observatories,
say 30 miles apart?

-Sam Wormley

"Anthony Ayiomamitis" wrote in message
...
Sam,

Parallax Pete ... oops, I mean Pete Lawrence

;-)

Clear Skies

Chuck Taylor
Do you observe the moon?
Try http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lunar-observing/

To reply, remove Delete and change period com to period net
************************************************** ************

... did precisely the same
thing during a recent eclipse.

Anthony.

publicity.

Mike Thomas wrote:

"Sam Wormley" wrote in message
news:GROSe.310382$_o.269977@attbi_s71...
Measure Moon's Parallax

Has anyone tried to determine the distance to the moon via
parallax with simultaneous photos from two amateur observatories,
say 30 miles apart?

-Sam Wormley

Why do you ask?