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Re: Introducing the United (fps) System
Posted:
May 2, 2000 9:36 AM
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Stephen Poley wrote:
> On Mon, 24 Apr 2000 19:40:55 +0100, RC <rc@earthpoetry.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>
> >>In fact, a distinguishing characteristic between
> >>"serious" and "recreational" astronomy papers is
> >>whether they use parsecs or light years!
>
> Yes, I've noticed this - but is there any reason for it? I've never been
> able to fathom why a unit based on the diameter of the Earth's orbit should
> be superior to one based on its period of revolution.
> ...
Historical mostly, many of the sciences tend to be
very conservative, and historical conventions are
very resilient.
Suppose you write an astronomy paper. To make sure
the paper has a solid grounding, you have to cite
references of work done previously. To make
comparisons easier and to insure your paper is
cited, it's best if you use the same units. If an
astronomer way back used parsecs, cm & g, and
his/her paper was very important, then any paper
after that will use parsecs, cm & g.
Recreational articles don't have the same
restrictions, they are intended for a broader
audience, and will tend to use units that people
can relate to - km, miles, AU, tonnes, suns,
A-bombs, etc.
Russell
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