http://joshuacolwell.com/blog/index.php/2006/data-fit-model-for-b-ring/ Science, astronomy, politics, movies, and various minutiae. Tue, 13 Mar 2012 23:50:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://joshuacolwell.com/blog/index.php/2006/data-fit-model-for-b-ring/comment-page-1/#comment-67 JC Thu, 14 Sep 2006 16:22:29 +0000 http://joshuacolwell.com/blog/?p=66#comment-67 All measurements are with the same instrument. While the star brightnesses are different so that the signal to noise ratio varies between different observations, the offsets are in fact due to the ring structure and not to instrumental effects. This is how we were able to construct a predicted curve (the red diamonds) from the previous measurements. Basically it's like looking at headlights flickering behind a picket fence as a car drives by: if you look straight at the picket fence you will see a different amount of light than if you stand next to it and look along it. The differences tell you about the spacing of the pickets. Saturn's ring particles clump together into these pickets. All measurements are with the same instrument. While the star brightnesses are different so that the signal to noise ratio varies between different observations, the offsets are in fact due to the ring structure and not to instrumental effects. This is how we were able to construct a predicted curve (the red diamonds) from the previous measurements. Basically it’s like looking at headlights flickering behind a picket fence as a car drives by: if you look straight at the picket fence you will see a different amount of light than if you stand next to it and look along it. The differences tell you about the spacing of the pickets. Saturn’s ring particles clump together into these pickets.

]]> http://joshuacolwell.com/blog/index.php/2006/data-fit-model-for-b-ring/comment-page-1/#comment-66 gengar Thu, 14 Sep 2006 12:48:24 +0000 http://joshuacolwell.com/blog/?p=66#comment-66 Are the earlier measurements done with the same instrument? A least some of the difference between the green and blue lines looks like a systematic offset. Are the earlier measurements done with the same instrument? A least some of the difference between the green and blue lines looks like a systematic offset.

]]>