[vsnet-chat 2552] Re: stars,cars and mars

["Mike Simonsen" <mikesimonsen@mindspring.com>]

Fellow VSOers,

Being from the Detroit area gives me the opportunity every year to see the
latest in automotive concepts. Even though this year's auto show features
sports cars that James Bond would kill for, the main emphasis is undoubtedly
on the technology of connectivity. Cars with voice activated internet and
global positioning are the main attractions at the auto show. Can you
imagine making your nightly report to AAVSO or VSNET verbally, hands free,
in your car on the way home from your dark sky observing site? I can.
Downloading the latest alert of a CV you've been waiting for months to go
into outburst while you're driving to the in-laws for dinner--"sorry honey,
I've got to go". Life is good! And it's getting better.

Maybe I'm spoiled by the instant gratification of the internet. I admit to
looking forward each day to the insightful and humorous correspondence that
I receive from all over the world. If I had to wait for the post office to
let me know what was happening in the world of novae, supernovae,
cataclysmic variables and the latest updates on CCD and PEP I would still be
living in 1999!

Regardless of whether it begins now or in 2001, it is a new millennium. My
hope is that this further shrinking of the world and minimizing the petty
differences between us through technology and understanding will help
mankind realize that we are all we have. Hey, we *may be alone*! When the
Sun decides to become Mira's ugly sister I hope that mankind will be smart
enough to be long gone from here.Only through the efforts and cooperation of
everyone will this ever happen. Studies of our Sun as a variable star have
raised questions about just how long we have here until things get too hot.

Much has been said about the latest failures of our high risk, low budget
missions to Mars. Has everyone forgotten the successes of Pioneer,Voyager,
Venera, Hipparcos, ROSAT, HST... and what is this, the third or fourth
extension of Galileo's mission? The shortsightedness of the press will never
stand the test of time when compared to the historic contributions made by
amateur astronomers and their contributions to the study of variables and
their relationship to stellar evolution, composition and distances.

This is a fantastic time to be involved in the study of our universe as an
amateur astronomer. There is more information available, better equipment,
better understanding of what we're looking at, timely notification and
feedback... and you can get home faster and safer in your car while
communicating your observations via the internet!

"Lead, follow or get out of the way",
Mike Simonsen


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